Chapter 1

Everyone knew my wife, Claire Whitmore, was fiercely devoted.

But the day her first love was diagnosed with cancer, she handed me a Memory Suppressant.

"Adrian, Nolan doesn't have much time left. Give me three days to give him the wedding he's always dreamed of."

"I'm not doing this to hurt you. The pill only causes temporary memory loss. After I marry him, you'll take the antidote and fall in love with me all over again. Then we'll remarry."

I stared at the absolute certainty in her eyes, took the pill, and swallowed it without a second thought.

What Claire didn't know was that I was the lead developer of this Memory Suppressant.

And the antidote hadn't even been created yet.

In three days, I would forget her completely.

Claire walked out of the courthouse with me, the freshly stamped divorce decree in her hand.

She checked her watch.

"Two minutes until it kicks in. Over the next three days, you'll forget every memory of loving me. But once you take the antidote, everything that happens during these few days will be erased too. You won't have to feel a thing."

"Our divorce is just a piece of paper for now. When this is all over, we'll file for a new marriage license. Don't worry, you're still my only real husband."

I looked at her in silence.

I was afraid we would never get the chance to start over.

As the developer of the drug, I knew exactly how it worked.

It didn't cause instant amnesia. Instead, it slowly chipped away at your mind over three days, systematically erasing the person you loved most.

And the reversal agent was far from finished.

Claire obviously had no idea.

"You're sure you won't regret this?" I asked softly.

She smiled, reaching up to cup my cheek.

"Nolan has loved me for years. His dying wish is to have a wedding with me. I can't say no to a dying man. I've made my choice, Adrian. I won't regret it."

"You've always been so understanding. There's no need to be petty with a sick man. When this is over, we'll go right back to our lives."

I gave a self-deprecating smirk, letting the bitter ache settle in my chest.

During the year we were most deeply in love, I worked myself into a bleeding ulcer just to secure a research grant to keep her company afloat.

When a rival lab tried to steal my research, she stayed up for days helping me fight the legal battle, pushing herself until she developed an arrhythmia.

Later, I joked with her, asking what she would do if I grew old and forgot her.

Her eyes had turned red. She kissed me fiercely.

"I love you, Adrian. Don't ever forget me. I'd go crazy."

But now, the second she heard her first love had cancer, she actively ended our marriage and demanded I take a pill to wipe her from my mind.

She just wanted to give Nolan three days of flawless, unburdened love.

No ex-husband in the picture. No guilt. Just the two of them.

If she could divorce me and drug me this easily, why bother promising to remarry me later?

I let out a hollow laugh.

The next second, a violent, piercing pain drove straight through my skull.

I swayed, pitching forward.

Claire caught me, her eyes flashing with concern.

"Where does it hurt? If you're scared I won't come back, you can hold onto the divorce decree."

I forced myself upright, looking at her in confusion.

"What divorce decree?"

Claire froze. She probed cautiously, "Adrian, we're already divorced. Do you remember?"

"Divorced?"

Seeing the blank look on my face, a flicker of profound relief crossed her eyes.

I looked down at the papers in my hand and instantly understood.

The pill was working.

The very first thing it erased was the memory of finalizing our divorce.

Claire swiftly snatched the copy from my hand, terrified I might read the names on it.

Her voice softened into something sickeningly sweet.

"I'll just tell people I'm your sister taking care of you. You're sick and forgot some things. I'll keep these documents safe for you."

I met her evasive gaze. I didn't expose the lie.

It didn't matter anymore.

If she wanted to play pretend, I would play along.

Just then, a weak voice called out.

"Claire, there you are."

I turned to see Nolan jogging toward us. He stumbled over a loose stone.

Claire instinctively shoved me aside and lunged to catch him.

Caught off guard, my back slammed hard against the brick wall.

The needle-like pain in my head flared into absolute agony.

Nolan gripped Claire's hand, using the momentum to wrap an arm around her waist. He flashed me a satisfied smirk over her shoulder.

"Thank you for catching me, Claire."

Claire snapped back to reality, pulling her hand away and looking at me in panic.

"Adrian, are you hurt? Nolan is sick. If he scrapes himself, the bleeding might not stop. I had to catch him first. I'm sorry."

I steadied myself, suppressing the throbbing in my skull as I dusted off my jacket.

"I'm fine."

Nolan pressed closer to her, clinging to her arm as he complained in a hushed, pitiful voice. "Claire, it was just a simple divorce. Why did it take so long? I've been waiting forever."

I stared straight at them.

Claire let out a stiff cough, glancing at me guiltily. But she didn't push Nolan away.

"It's done now. We can focus on the wedding."

Nolan beamed, shooting me a triumphant look.

"Adrian Cole, Claire and I have been together for five years, and we're getting married in three days. You have to come."

I smiled.

"It's her wedding. Of course I'll be there."

Nolan's smirk widened.

"Then you can be our photographer. Make sure you catch the exact moment Claire and I kiss."

"Nolan." Claire's face darkened.

She stared at me intently, searching my eyes for heartbreak.

She found nothing.

"He doesn't need to attend," she said.

My expression didn't change.

Seeing Claire take my side, Nolan frowned. He suddenly buried his face weakly into the crook of her neck.

"Claire, my heart... it hurts so much. I can't breathe."

Panic flooded Claire's eyes. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Is it acting up again? Hold on, I'm taking you to the hospital right now."

She looked up at me.

"Adrian, do you still remember where home is? Do you need me to call a car for you?"

I shook my head.

"No need. I remember."

Claire relaxed.

The clinical trial coordinators had told her the pill would only erase memories related to the person the user loved most, leaving all other cognitive functions intact.

The fact that I still knew where home was meant I still loved her most. That seemed to soothe her conscience.

"Okay, head home first. I'm taking Nolan to the hospital."

She helped Nolan into her car.

Nolan kept his arm draped over her shoulder, whispering weakly, "To be held by you so openly... even if I die right now, Claire, it would be worth it."

"Don't say things like that," she scolded gently.

Through the car window, I watched her lean over to buckle his seatbelt.

The next second, he looped his arms around her neck and pressed a kiss to her earlobe.

Watching that intimate exchange, a cold wave washed over my chest, followed by a sharp, stabbing ache.

It was the visceral pain of betrayal.

Her car sped away.

My phone rang.

"Mr. Cole, the Translational Neuroscience Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland has finalized your onboarding. We look forward to your arrival in three days."