Chapter 1
Mom was a Memory Eraser, someone who helped people forget their painful memories.
But Dad's first love, who was always at odds with him, was a Memory Weaver.
After a fight with Dad, she took away a patient Mom had cured and wove memories into him that were twice as painful as before.
The patient was overwhelmed and passed away.
Mom's medical skills were questioned and rejected because of this.
Richard swore he'd go abroad to track down his first love and drag her back to face justice, make her confess and apologize for what she did.
But he went abroad for seven years and never returned.
Mom lost her job and had nowhere left to turn.
She returned to her parents' home and agreed to an arranged marriage.
Seven years later, Dad finally came back with his first love, saying he wanted to apologize to Mom.
He showed up at my school and asked me why Mom wasn't home.
I held my half-brother's hand and gave him a puzzled look.
"Mom she moved in with our new dad ages ago," I replied.
*****
The temperature had dropped, and the north wind was howling at the school gate.
I looked at Richard Cooper, who I hadn't seen in seven years.
He was wearing a dark gray coat and gold-rimmed glasses.
He was still tall and handsome, just like before.
Mom always said he was the most elegant and handsome man she'd ever seen.
But when he heard what I said, his expression froze.
He frowned.
"Emily, didn't your mom teach you that you shouldn't call someone else 'Dad'?" he said.
As he spoke, he reached out to take my hand.
"Alright, just come home with Dad for now. Your mom will come pick you up eventually," he said.
My little brother, Adrian, who had been looking confused, saw Richard reach out.
He instantly put on a stern face, stepped forward, and shoved him away with a burst of anger.
He said, "Don't touch my sister.
"I'm telling the teacher on you."
Richard was caught off guard by the push.
That was when he finally noticed the little boy standing next to me, a head shorter than I was.
His frown deepened.
He asked, "Whose kid is this?
"That's no way to behave."
I ruffled Adrian's hair to comfort him. "It's okay," I said softly.
Then I moved him behind me and looked at Richard calmly.
"This is Adrian. He's Mom and our new dad's son," I said.
Richard couldn't take it anymore and cut me off, his patience clearly wearing thin.
"Can't believe you're lying like this now.
"If I'd known, I would've come back sooner.
"Your mom is way too soft, and just as I thought, she can't handle kids."
He could say whatever he wanted about me.
After abandoning Mom for seven years, he still had the nerve to badmouth her.
I gave him a frosty glare and just ignored him after that.
A teacher noticed something was off and came over to ask who Richard was.
I said, "I don't know him."
The teacher's face dropped, and the security guards nearby came over in a hurry.
They surrounded Richard, looking super cautious.
It wasn't until our nanny, Helen Smith, came to pick us up that Richard finally gave up trying to get close.
He couldn't get anywhere near me after that.
He was so furious that the veins on his forehead stood out.
He glared at me as I walked away, his anger boiling over.
"Emily Cooper, stop messing around.
"Your mom waited seven years for me. Do you know how hard it was for me to finally come back?
"Do you really want to break your mom's heart?"
The wind whipped through the branches, scattering yellow leaves everywhere.
From far away, I glanced back at him.
With my fists clenched, I said, "Mom stopped waiting for you a long time ago."