Chapter 2

I slumped onto the carpet, hugging my knees, trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened.

Twenty years ago, it was like my life had been put on fast forward.

I wondered how I could go from a white-collar worker with a bright future to an outcast in a wealthy family, abandoned by my husband.

I wandered through the massive villa, but there wasn't a single trace of my life from the past twenty years.

There were no diaries, no photo albums, not even a single friend's contact information.

This woman named Charlotte had lived as if she were invisible.

I picked up my phone, a brand-new foldable model. After unlocking it with my fingerprint, I was stunned.

The only names in my contacts were Edward, a bunch of sales associates from luxury boutiques, housekeepers, and drivers, nothing else.

So, for the past twenty years, I was basically just a high-end maid.

Desperate, I scrolled to the very end of the list and finally saw a familiar name, Riley James, my best friend.

My hands shook as I dialed her number. The phone rang for ages before someone finally picked up, a groggy, irritated female voice on the other end.

"Charlotte? Are you out of your mind? Do you even know what time it is?" Riley snapped.

Hearing her familiar voice, I almost burst into tears. "Riley, it's me."

"Who else would it be, a ghost? Are you fighting with Edward again, first thing in the morning?" Riley grumbled.

She sounded annoyed, but you could tell we were close.

I took a deep breath and asked, "Riley, can you tell me how I ended up marrying Edward?"

There was a long silence on the other end. So long that I thought she'd hung up.

"Charlotte, what kind of stunt are you pulling now?" Riley's voice went cold. "Are you trying to get sympathy, or faking amnesia?

"Let me tell you, it's useless. We all warned you. Edward's a block of ice, impossible to warm up.

"But you wouldn't listen. You dove right in and ended up battered and bruised.

"Regret it now? Too late."

Her words hit me so hard, my head was spinning.

Damn, that was a lot to process. I really chased after him and ended up pushing everyone away. That was ridiculous.

I hurried to explain, "No, Riley, I-I really don't remember anything.

"I woke up and found myself forty-five years old, Edward wants a divorce, and I can't remember a thing."

Riley went quiet again. This time, I could hear a trace of worry in her voice. "You're not joking, are you?"

I said, "I swear. I'm telling you, it's real."

She asked, "Where are you? I'm coming over."

I gave her the address, and after hanging up, I felt a little less alone. At least I wasn't alone in this anymore.

An hour later, the doorbell rang.

I rushed to open the door, and Riley stormed in, short hair flying, dressed in a sharp business suit.

She looked just like I remembered, maybe a few more lines around her eyes, but her gaze was still as bright and piercing as ever.

She grabbed my shoulders and looked me up and down, like she was checking to make sure I hadn't lost an arm or a leg.

"You really lost your memory?" she asked.

I nodded firmly.

She stared into my eyes for a long moment, then let out a long sigh, as she'd finally accepted it.

"Damn, even TV dramas wouldn't dare make this up," she muttered.

Riley dragged me over to the couch and sat me down, then started recounting the last twenty years of my life.

The condensed version was a hopelessly devoted woman who chased after a man, finally won him over, but ended up with absolutely nothing, a tragic story, through and through.

After graduation, Edward went abroad, and I landed a nice job.

Three years later, he came back to start his own business, and before I knew it, I'd quit my job and ended up as his assistant.

I stuck to him like glue, doted on him, never gave up. In the end, when he turned thirty, he finally agreed to marry me.

No grand wedding, no blessings from friends or family, just a piece of paper.

After we got married, I became a stay-at-home wife. My entire world was just him. And he was always just busy.

"So, for the past twenty years, I didn't have a job, no friends, didn't even have a life of my own?" I asked, still in disbelief.

Riley jabbed me in the forehead, totally exasperated.

She said, "That's not even the worst of it. You didn't even show up for your parents' funerals, all because Edward had some big meeting abroad."

My mind went numb.

My parents were really gone.

A tidal wave of grief and guilt hit me. I actually became someone who, for a man who didn't love me, didn't even see my parents one last time.

"Why does he want a divorce? And why is he accusing me of interfering with his company's projects?" I asked desperately, grasping at straws.

Riley's expression turned grave.

"Honestly, I've only heard bits and pieces.

"Apparently, you leaked the confidential bid price for a major project to his main competitor.

"And someone even caught you on camera with the CEO of that company, pulling and tugging outside a hotel entrance," she admitted.

She watched me with concern. "Charlotte, you really don't remember any of it?"

I shook my head, my mind completely blank.

Cheating and leaking trade secrets were some serious accusations.

There was no way I'd ever do something like that. This has to be a misunderstanding.