Chapter 1

A decade of push and pull with Zane Sterling ended in a crash on the day of his proposal.

He survived with injuries and no memory of me. I set him free.

When his memory returned, his calls were relentless.

He asked, "Eva, you left because I was a burden, right?

"They say you found someone else while I was out. Is it true?"

I gripped the cancer diagnosis tightly, my hand shaking as I held the phone, and managed a bitter smile.

"Yeah, I do. From now on, we're done," I said.

*****

A year later, I never thought I'd bump into Zane like this.

Inside the private lounge, Zane was hanging out with his childhood sweetheart, Yulia Simons, and some friends, joking around and laughing together.

He looked even more successful and dazzling than ever, and now there was a girl by his side, way more elegant and beautiful than I ever was.

"Sir, here's your order," I said, keeping my head down, trying to blend into the background.

But when I felt someone staring right at me, my hand shook as I set down the plate, and I accidentally knocked over a glass; the sound echoed in the room.

With a shriek, Yulia, startled, buried herself in Zane's arms.

Zane wrapped his arm around her, running his hand through her hair to comfort her. "It's okay," he said softly.

That familiar gesture, that familiar voice; my nose tingled, fighting back tears.

Zane had those broad shoulders. Whenever he hugged someone, you could feel his warmth, and it always made you feel safe.

Back then, he used to hold me just like that, comforting me.

All eyes were on me.

"Well, well, look who it is, the ungrateful gold-digger," someone sneered.

"She dumped Zane when he was hurt and couldn't remember anything, then went off with some rich guy. And now she's working as a waitress?" another person scoffed.

It was Ryan Cooper, Zane's childhood friend, who knew everything that happened between us. He'd always hated me for how cold I was.

Seeing me stay silent, he just kept going, getting even nastier.

"Bet her sugar daddy got tired of her and dumped her. Serves her right," Ryan sneered.

I pressed my lips together, fighting the sting in my chest.

Zane just sat there, letting Ryan say whatever he wanted, not saying a single word to stop him.

Back then, he would've never let anyone talk to me that way.

"Zane, who is she?" Yulia asked, she nestled in Zane's arms, looked me up and down with a hint of jealousy, her voice playful yet demanding.

Zane gave me a cold, dismissive glance, then ran his fingers through Yulia's hair, soothing her. He said, "Just a waitress. She doesn't matter."

Once, that gentle comfort was mine alone. Now, he gave it to someone else.

If that hadn't happened, we would have been married by now.

I was the one who gave it all up.

Back then, Zane and I were on our way to the proposal venue when we got into a car accident.

When Zane's sister, Helen Sterling, found out, she rushed straight to the hospital.

She handed me a bank card loaded with two million dollars, her tone full of regret.

Helen said, "I never really believed you and Zane were a good match. Now that he's got a head injury and can't remember anything, the doctors say there's no telling when he'll ever remember. Maybe it's time for you two to let go.

"It's not that I'm being cruel, but now that you've been diagnosed with stomach cancer, do you really want Zane to go through all that pain because of you?"

Zane and I were worlds apart. The Sterlings always scorned my ordinary background. Now that I'd been diagnosed with stomach cancer, there was no way they'd ever let our marriage, especially now that Zane had lost his memory and forgotten all about me.

Fighting the suffocating pain in my chest, I refused to give up hope. I asked, "What if Zane gets his memory back?"

Helen replied, her voice icy, leaving no room for argument, "I'll tell him you thought he was just a burden, and that you've already moved on to someone else.

"From now on, just stay out of his life."

I didn't even remember what I said back then.

All I remember was my heart aching like it was being stabbed, and the ringing in my ears was so loud I couldn't hear a word Helen said after that.

Yeah, I was the one who let him go. I gave him up with my own hands and chose to step out of his life.

Thinking about it now won't change a thing.

My heart ached in sync with the stabbing pain in my gut. I couldn't stand watching those two all over each other any longer.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head out. Enjoy your meal," I said, trying to sound casual.

"Stop," Zane's deep, familiar voice called out from behind me.

My feet froze in place, as if nailed to the floor.

"Yulia here doesn't like fish with bones. Come over and take the bones out for her," Zane said.

My hands slowly curled at my sides, but I kept my back to him, refusing to turn around.

"Sorry, Mr. Sterling, that's not in my job description. If you want," I said.

But Zane cut me off before I could finish.

"3 thousand per bone," he said.

The words I was about to use to refuse died in my throat.

Zane knew exactly how to get to me.

I was desperate for money.