Chapter 1
After losing his memory, Lena Steele’s boyfriend, Hunter Langdon, was tricked by a fish seller. She lied, saying she was his girlfriend, and
dragged him home, keeping him for herself.
When his memories came flooding back, Hunter remembered that his true love was Lena.
With revulsion, he gave the fish seller money to get rid of her and went back to Lena.
Whenever she was mentioned, he spoke with clear disdain, “She’s selfish, manipulative. She took advantage of me while I had amnesia. Just
thinking about her makes me sick.”
Lena thought she had finally gotten her boyfriend back and that life would return to normal.
But then came the day the fish seller announced she was getting married.
Hunter rushed over without a second thought and crashed into her wedding.
Soon after, Lena received a ten–minute video.
In the video, Hunter was out of control. He had Eleanor Hart, dressed in white, pinned tightly against the car door. One hand gripped her waist as he kissed her like a man possessed.
***
Eleanor could hardly breathe. Gasping, she begged him to stop, swearing she’d never get married again. Only then did he finally let go.
Moments later, Hunter’s friends showed up, stunned by what they saw.
“Hunter, what the hell are you doing? Today’s your eight–year anniversary with Lena, and you left her at home to crash a wedding? Good thing we covered for you, told her you had some last–minute emergency.”
Hunter didn’t respond. He just held Eleanor tightly in his arms and lit a cigarette.
His silence only made his friends more anxious. They couldn’t hold back any longer.
“What the hell are you thinking? Back then, you were head over heels in love with Lena! Don’t tell us you’ve fallen for this fish seller now!”
Hunter finally put out his cigarette and lifted his gaze, his eyes were slightly red. “I don’t know. I can’t live without Lena, but the thought of this woman marrying someone else drives me insane with jealousy. If you need a reason, then fine, I’m in love with both of them. Happy now?”
Then, he opened the car door, ready to take Eleanor away.
His friends froze, eyes wide, then rushed to stop him.
“Hunter, have you lost your mind? You’re comparing this gold–digger to Lena? And now you’re taking her with you? How are you even going to explain this to Lena?”
“I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry. I need time to figure out who I truly love. Until then, she stays with me.”
After saying that, he rolled up the window and drove off with Eleanor.
The video ended there.
Lena sat in stunned silence, her mind blank. It felt like someone had stabbed her heart, deep and bleeding.
She stared at the video in disbelief, watching it over and over again.
By the ninth time, a new message from Eleanor popped up.
“Ms. Steele, done watching? They say if a man falls for two women at once, he always loves the second one more. What do you think?”
At that moment, Lena relaxed her hand, which she had clenched so tightly it was raw and bloody and smiled.
But as she smiled, tears began to fall while a flood of memories came crashing down on her.
Everyone in their circle knew that Hunter, the famously influential heir, was obsessed with only one woman, his childhood sweetheart, Lena.
They grew up together, and he guarded her like a knight.
He’d get up in the middle of the night to give her ibuprofen when she had menstrual cramps, spend a fortune lighting up the sky with fireworks just to make her smile, and chase away any guy who came too close. His entire social feed was full of her.
She never imagined that just three months of amnesia would be enough to erase the boy who, at 17, swore he’d love her and only her for life.
A wave of crushing pain surged through her, tearing at every nerve in her body.
She cried until her eyes were swollen and dry, staring blankly at the table full of cold, untouched food.
Hunter used to spoil her. He never let her lift a finger in the kitchen. He’d rather learn to cook himself just to make her a meal.
From 17 to 25, eight years together. And through it all, he never changed.
So this year, Lena wanted to surprise him. She followed recipes and made
a full table of his favorite dishes.
But now, there was nothing left to celebrate.
Stumbling to her feet, she dumped the candlelit dinner she’d spent five hours preparing straight into the trash.
Then, one by one, she threw every photo they’d taken over the the fire.
years into
Photos of them kissing under the aurora, the candid shots he took of her sleeping, the nervous yet hopeful look in his eyes when he confessed his love…
All of it, memories from the best years of their lives, turned to ash.
After burning the last photo, Lena took the carefully prepared gift and tossed it down the drain.
It was a pair of custom–made, one–of–a–kind rings.
Hunter had loved her wholeheartedly for eight years. She had planned to propose today, to give herself to him completely.
But today, he ran to someone else.
Once it was all done, Lena made a call.
T
“Mom, I want to go to France and be with you all.”
Her mother’s voice held no joy, only shock. “What’s wrong?
“Did Hunter hurt you?”
Lena wasn’t surprised that her mom, Isla Steele, guessed so accurately.
Four years ago, her family had moved all their business overseas and planned to immigrate. Her parents wanted to take her with them.
Hunter had shown up at their door five times, begging her parents that he couldn’t lose her, promising he’d take care of her if she stayed.
Hunter’s parents also tried to reason with them, saying the two families were longtime friends, the children had grown up together, and would definitely get married in the future.
Moved by their sincerity, Lena’s parents made Hunter sign an agreement.
If he ever broke Lena’s heart and she moved to France, he would never set
foot in France in his life.
From that day on, they would never have to see each other.
There wouldn’t be any chance to get back together.
