Chapter 1

Before we signed our marriage license, my fiance, Bridger Lewis, and I planned a destination pre-wedding photoshoot.

When we boarded the high-speed train, Emerald Spencer, my best friend, took the seat beside him.

The only two seats in the entire train car were already gone. I stood there blankly, my suitcase at my side.

Bridger explained, "I didn't remember until right before we boarded that I'd forgotten to buy your ticket. By the time I remembered, only standing tickets in another car were left.

"You know I have a memory impairment. I forget things easily. Next time, remind me a few more times. Maybe then I'll remember."

Emerald lightly punched Bridger on the arm.

"If your brain can't remember anything, maybe you should donate it! You're always pulling this! If I hadn't insisted on coming along to help keep an eye on the photoshoot, who knows how badly you'd have upset Ensley?"

Bridger laughed and leaned back to dodge her.

"When have I always done this? This time I just happened to remember that you like window seats."

I'd heard things like that countless times.

Because he had a memory impairment, forgetting to buy my ticket was only natural.

But if I forgot to remind him, somehow that became my fault.

Bridger remembered that Emerald was allergic to mangoes, but forgot that I was too.

He remembered the coffee shop she'd casually mentioned liking, but forgot the trendy cafe I'd talked about wanting to visit countless times.

He remembered that Emerald liked window seats, but forgot that I had a leg injury and couldn't stand for long periods.

When it came to me, his memory always seemed full of holes.

I pulled my suitcase over to the train door and checked the time. There were five minutes until the next stop.

In that case, there was no reason to continue this trip.

And there was no reason to go through with the wedding, either.

Chapter 1

When the train pulled into the station, I picked up my suitcase and stepped onto the platform.

The doors slid shut behind me, and the sweltering July heat wrapped around me in an instant.

I stood there watching the high-speed train slowly pull away. Through the window, the two people in those seats were still laughing and chatting, completely oblivious to the fact that the person beside them was gone.

Dragging my suitcase behind me, I walked out of the station and bought a ticket for the next train home.

By the time I got back, it was already dark.

Just then, my phone rang.

I answered, and two faces crowded the screen.

"Ensley Keller, where did you go?" Emerald Spencer asked before anyone else could speak. "We didn't realize you were gone until we got off the train."

I almost laughed.

A living, breathing person had disappeared, and they hadn't noticed until they reached their destination.

Bridger Lewis frowned. "What's wrong with you? Why'd you leave without saying a word?"

Emerald lightly punched him on the arm. "This is definitely your fault. You forgot to buy Ensley's ticket and made her mad again. Hurry up and apologize."

"I already told you I have a memory impairment. I forget things easily. You're Ensley's best friend—you forgot to remind me too." Bridger dodged her punch, then reached back and caught her hand.

The two of them started playfully horsing around, the video shaking as their laughter crackled through the phone.

I sat on the couch with my phone in my hand, silently watching them.

No one asked why I'd gotten off the train.

No one asked what time I'd made it home.

No one asked how I was feeling.

They had their own little world. Even as Bridger's fiancee and Emerald's best friend, there wasn't even the tiniest bit of room for me in it.

After fooling around for quite a while, Bridger finally looked back at the screen.

"Come on, don't be mad. I'll buy you a ticket for tomorrow. Come meet up with us. The photoshoot's still on as planned."

I had barely opened my mouth to tell him there was no need when he looked away again.

Just before the call ended, I heard Emerald complain in a teasing voice.

"Why'd you only book one room with a king bed? Did you forget there were supposed to be three of us on this trip?"

"What? I just remembered you saying you can only sleep comfortably in a king bed, so that's what I booked."

Surprisingly, I didn't feel much of anything when I heard that. When he'd booked the room, he'd probably never thought of me at all.

As soon as the call ended, messages from Emerald started popping up.

[Ensley, Bridger and I figured we shouldn't waste the money, so we'll just share one room for now. Once you get here, we'll book another one.]

[Don't worry. While you're not here, I'll keep a close eye on him. I won't let him fool around.]

I stared at the messages, finding them more ridiculous with each passing second.

Over the years, had there really been that few times when Bridger had been distracted by someone else?

That night, I accepted the company's international branch assignment.

I was leaving in one week. The company had offered me a promotion, but it meant transferring to the Northgate branch.

At first, I'd hesitated because of the promise Bridger, Emerald, and I had made.

Back then, the three of us had agreed we'd all settle down in Southport.

But now it seemed there had never been a place for me in that promise to begin with.

Chapter 2

The next morning, I opened my eyes and immediately saw Emerald's latest post. It was a carousel full of photos.

They'd wandered through an entire food street together, taken pictures on the Ferris wheel, and visited all the local attractions.

There was even a video of the two of them filming together in their hotel room.

It was as if they'd forgotten I even existed.

Bridger had also forgotten the entire purpose of the trip. He was supposed to be taking our engagement photos.

Two days later, after the trip was over, he finally called me.

"Uh... I forgot to buy you a ticket. But we're back now. Let's go on a vacation after we get married, okay? We'll have plenty of time to travel during our honeymoon."

Emerald's cheerful voice chimed in, "Oh no, I forgot to remind him too. We got so caught up having fun. Next time I'll keep a close eye on him. I promise he won't leave you behind again."

Leaning against the window, I looked at the packed suitcase beside me and replied softly, "It's okay. I'm just glad you two had a good time."

The day Bridger returned, he brought me a pair of earrings.

"I picked these out while we were traveling. Emerald spent a long time helping me choose them. I think you'll like them."

I accepted the box, opened it, took one glance inside, then set it back on the table.

Bridger frowned. "Aren't you going to try them on? Emerald put a lot of thought into picking those out for you."

I met his dissatisfied gaze and smiled faintly. "Last year, for my birthday, you gave me earrings made from the exact same material. I ended up in the hospital because my ears had a severe allergic reaction."

His expression stiffened.

After a long silence, he finally muttered, "I forgot."

There it was again.

"I forgot."

But by then, I'd already given up hoping Bridger would remember anything about me. When those words left his mouth, all I felt was, 'Of course.'

"No matter what, Emerald really put her heart into choosing them. You should at least thank her."

Hearing that only exhausted me.

"Bridger, do you think anything that has to do with me just isn't important? That you'll never remember any of it?"

He fell silent, his face darkening. "Ensley, I thought we were past arguing about this. You've known about my memory impairment from the very beginning. If it bothered you this much, why did you choose to be with me in the first place?"

Every word struck straight through my heart. It wasn't his memory impairment that bothered me. It was the way he always treated Emerald differently.

When I still didn't respond, Bridger coldly threw out one last sentence.

"Take some time and cool off."

Then he slammed the door behind him.

The next morning at work, my period started. The cramps were so bad I could barely sit upright.

I lay slumped over my desk and emptied every drawer searching for painkillers, only to discover the bottle was empty. I'd forgotten to buy more after finishing the last one.

With no other choice, I ordered some through a delivery app.

While I waited, I glanced out the window.

A familiar car was parked downstairs. Bridger stood beside it, holding a hot drink in one hand and a pharmacy bag in the other.

The next second, Emerald came jogging out of the side entrance with a bright smile and ran straight toward him.

They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but I could picture his words perfectly.

"Your cycle started today. I know you have cramps, so I bought these for you."

As far as I could remember, Emerald had only mentioned the date of her period once. As for me, I'd reminded Bridger so many times that even I'd lost count.

My phone buzzed. My delivery had arrived.

Dragging my aching body downstairs, I walked out of the building.

Bridger spotted me and froze. His eyes swept over my pale face, his brows knitting together. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

I stopped in front of him.

A gust of wind swept by, and another sharp cramp twisted through my lower abdomen.

"It's my period."

The air fell silent.

Emerald, standing beside Bridger, looked flustered for a moment and hurriedly held something out. "Ensley, here..."

Bridger reached out and stopped her. Turning to Emerald, he said, "Aren't you ill too? You have this first. I'll go buy another one for her."

I watched him step in front of Emerald, shielding her as though she were something precious.

"No thanks." I took the bag from the delivery driver. "I already bought my own."

Bridger looked at me with a conflicted expression before reaching out and taking hold of my wrist.

"What happened last night and today was my fault. I promise that, from now on, I'll make a separate reminder list just for things related to you. I won't forget again.

"Ensley, don't be mad anymore. We're about to get married. Let's not keep fighting over things like this."

"After work, I'll go home and make you some cinnamon oatmeal, okay?"

Looking at the guilt in his eyes, I forced a smile. "Okay."

He'd forgotten again.

I hated cinnamon oatmeal. It was Emerald who liked it.

Chapter 3

Two days later, I was wrapping up the last of my work handover.

Just like always, Emerald walked over to my desk and affectionately linked her arm through mine.

"Ensley, my name's still on this project, right? We're best friends. What's yours is mine. If I ever get a project of my own in the future, I'll make sure to include you too."

After graduation, Emerald and I joined the same company. I'd taken her under my wing, leading her through one project after another. Even when she hadn't contributed a thing, I still added her name to the final project credits.

But this time, I didn't feel like being so generous.

After brushing Emerald off, I moved her name below mine on the project roster. Once I left for my transfer, the final wrap-up report for the project would fall to her.

Not long after Emerald left, I got a call from the wedding venue coordinator.

"Ms. Keller, your wedding rehearsal was scheduled for two o'clock this afternoon. Neither you nor Mr. Lewis has arrived. Do you need to postpone it?"

I took a deep breath as I held the phone.

"There's no need to. Please cancel the venue reservation."

The person on the other end fell silent for two seconds before responding cautiously and hanging up.

Lowering my gaze, I looked at the ring on my left ring finger.

If there wasn't going to be a wedding venue, there was no reason to keep the ring, either.

When I got home, I found the receipt for the ring and headed to the jewelry store.

The moment I walked in, I spotted two familiar figures standing at the display counter.

Bridger was slipping an emerald ring the sales associate had handed him onto Emerald's left ring finger.

"Look at this. Doesn't it look a lot like the one you liked during our trip?"

Emerald held up her hand, admiring the ring as it caught the light. Her eyes sparkled with delight. "You actually remembered? I'd already forgotten about it. Not bad, Bridger. You're really sparing no expense to win me over before marrying Ensley."

Bridger laughed. "Then you'd better be completely on my side. On the wedding day, I need you watching everything for me, so Ensley doesn't think I'm not paying attention."

"Don't worry. I'll definitely be on your side." Twirling the ring on her finger, Emerald looked up at him. "If you make her mad again, I'll help talk her into forgiving you."

I stood three steps behind them, listening to every word.

My stomach churned.

Using my name as an excuse to do something that crossed every line. It was disgusting.

Bridger noticed me and froze. "Ensley? What are you doing here?"

I looked straight at him. "Bridger, do you remember what day it is today?"

He frowned and stared at me for a couple of seconds.

"What day?" His voice carried a hint of impatience. "Can you stop talking in riddles?"

Just as I'd expected, he'd forgotten again. If he could forget the wedding rehearsal, he'd probably forget the wedding date too.

Emerald stepped in at just the right moment and took hold of my arm. "Ensley, don't be like this. Bridger's memory is terrible. You know that..."

As she spoke, she gently guided me a step to the side. Then she stumbled.

"Ah!"

Her forehead slammed into the corner of the display counter.

Covering her forehead with one hand, she let out a cry. A thin line of blood seeped between her fingers, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

Bridger immediately rushed over and grabbed her by the shoulders.

With his other hand, he carefully pulled her fingers away to inspect the wound, panic written all over his face.

"Are you okay? Where did you hit yourself? Does it hurt?"

Then he turned to me. The irritation in his eyes had already turned into anger.

"Ensley, why did you push her?"

Emerald hurried to speak, "It was my fault. Don't blame Ensley. I just lost my footing..."

I stood where I was, watching Emerald lean weakly against Bridger's chest as she quietly sobbed. She was nothing like the Emerald I'd known for more than ten years.

When had we become like this?

"I didn't push her."

"You were standing right next to her. If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Bridger's voice rose, drawing the attention of several customers nearby. "Do you have any idea how well Emerald has treated you? Is this really how you're going to repay her?"

More and more people gathered to watch.

Every word Bridger spoke felt like a physical blow, leaving my face burning with embarrassment.

Bridger and I had been together since graduating from high school. It had been nearly ten years. Back then, it was Emerald who had helped him confess his feelings to me.

At the time, I'd thought I'd found both love and lifelong friendship. I believed there was nothing left to regret in my life.

Looking back now, my life was full of regrets.

Emerald tugged gently at Bridger's sleeve, her voice weak. "Bridger, I'm fine. You're not allowed to blame Ensley..."

"You're still defending her?" Looking at the wound on her forehead, his voice was filled with both anger and concern. "You're bleeding. I'm taking you to the hospital."

As Bridger turned to leave with Emerald in his arms, I took out my ring box and placed it in front of the sales associate, who had been silently watching the entire scene.

"Hi. I'd like to return this engagement ring."

Chapter 4

The sales associate froze for a moment before carefully accepting the ring box.

"Of course, ma'am. Please give me a moment while I verify everything."

Bridger had just taken a step when he stopped. He turned around, his grip on Emerald's hand loosening slightly as panic spread across his face.

"Ensley, what do you mean by that?"

I took a deep breath. The hurt I'd been holding back for days surged to the surface, leaving my eyes burning.

"Bridger, there's no point in having this wedding anymore."

I turned and walked away. Behind me, Emerald's weak voice called out, "Go after her. Ensley's my best friend. I can't stand seeing her get hurt."

Bridger pressed his lips together, a trace of irritation creeping into his voice. "Why should I go after her? She's the one who did something wrong, and now she's throwing a tantrum. It doesn't make any sense.

"Your injury is more important. I'll take you to the hospital first. She put so much into this wedding. There's no way she'd actually call it off. She's just angry."

With that, he turned and left with Emerald.

Watching the two of them walk away, I let out a quiet laugh.

So Bridger did remember everything I'd put into this wedding. He remembered. He just didn't think it was worth caring about.

For the next two days, Bridger didn't send me a single message. Maybe he was giving me the silent treatment, or maybe he'd already forgotten that I'd called off the wedding.

Instead, I came across one of Emerald's social media posts.

It was a handwritten list of foods to avoid.

I recognized the handwriting immediately. It was Bridger's.

The caption read: "Someone's memory has gotten unbelievably good. I'm so touched."

I stared at the photo for a long time.

The previous winter, I'd cut my finger while chopping vegetables in the kitchen and needed three stitches.

That night, Bridger asked what I wanted to eat. I told him I wanted soup. He ordered takeout.

When I opened it, it was spicy broth. He'd forgotten the doctor had told me to stick to bland food while my stitches healed.

I looked away and kept scrolling. By the time I'd finished packing my luggage, it was almost evening.

My phone suddenly rang.

It was Bridger's mother, Linda Lewis.

I answered, and her voice sounded unusually anxious. "Ensley, are you free? Could you come to the hospital? I'd like to see you."

Linda had always treated me reasonably well. She gave me gifts during the holidays and had always shown me the care and concern you'd expect from a future mother-in-law.

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, I decided to go.

When I pushed open the hospital room door, the three of them were gathered together, chatting happily.

Linda sat beside the bed with one hand wrapped around Emerald's, her face full of concern.

Emerald was leaning against her, acting spoiled. "Aunt Linda, the broth you made was so good. Will you bring me more tomorrow?"

Linda gently pinched her cheek. "Of course. If you want it, I'll make it for you. Just focus on getting better."

Bridger stood at the foot of the bed, smiling warmly at the scene before him.

What a happy family.

Linda looked up and saw me. The smile on her face faded, and her expression grew noticeably more distant.

"Ensley, you're here?"

Bridger frowned. "Mom, what are you..."

She shot him a look before turning back to me. "Ensley, you two are about to get married. How did things become such a mess? I understand that girls throw little tantrums now and then, but at this point, you really need to let it go."

As she spoke, she glanced back at Emerald.

"Emerald lost her mother when she was little. I felt sorry for her, so I took her in as my goddaughter. It breaks my heart to see her hurt. Ensley, you're a sensible girl. Don't be stubborn at a time like this.

"She's been feeling terribly guilty because you and Bridger are breaking up. Being upset isn't good for her recovery, either.

"So I'm making the decision for you today. You and Bridger need to stop fighting and focus on preparing for the wedding."

She sounded like she was trying to make peace.

But in reality, she was only blaming me for making both her son and her goddaughter unhappy.

Ever since we were children, people had always said Emerald was sweet-talking and knew how to win people over.

As for me, I was quiet and awkward.

Looking back, they weren't wrong.

It was I who had introduced my only best friend to Linda. In just a few years, the two of them had become like a real mother and daughter.

Meanwhile, I was treated with nothing more than the courtesy due a son's girlfriend.

Warm yet distant.

Now I finally understood that in this family, I was the only outsider.

"Linda," I spoke as I slipped the tennis bracelet off my wrist. She had given it to me on her birthday the previous year, telling me it was a symbol of becoming a daughter-in-law of the Lewis family.

"You've misunderstood. I'm not here to make up with Bridger." I gently placed the bracelet on the bedside table.

"I'm here to return this."