Chapter 1

Three years after the crash that supposedly stole my memory, I faced Nathan again at a Sotheby’s auction.

He was bidding on jewels for his wife. I was there to reclaim what was mine.

Time had left him haggard. I, on the other hand, was gleaming.

My radiance clearly unnerved him.

When his target lot appeared, he finally cracked.

"Scarlett," he said, his voice strained, "I lied to you after the accident. I was your real fiancé."

I traced the substantial diamond on my ring finger, a subtle smile gracing my lips.

After all, who ever said the amnesia was real?

All eyes at the auction were fixed on a single jade bangle.

Its only flaw lay hidden on the inner surface: a web of hairline cracks, meticulously sealed with a delicate gold inlay.

Nathan's pupils constricted. His gaze darted to me, a flicker of panic in his eyes.

Of course he recognized it.

After all, those hairline fractures were his doing.

That was three years ago.

It was also the twentieth year of my love for Nathan.

Since childhood, I had trailed after him, offering my very best for nothing more than a fleeting smile.

At first, he paid me little mind, but he grew accustomed to my presence.

When he was eighteen, someone confessed their feelings to him. As he gently refused them, his eyes found mine across the room. A knowing smile played on his lips, as if he'd seen right through my childish crush from the very beginning.

He leaned in then, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"The truth is... you're the one I've been waiting for."

My cheeks flushed crimson. When I tried to pull away, he cupped my face, his kisses trailing softly from my forehead, to the tip of my nose, and finally, meeting my lips.

Our secret didn't stay hidden from Grandpa Anderson for long.

He took charge, formally arranging our engagement. From that day on, I had every right to stay by Nathan's side.

Sadly, that was precisely when he began to change.

Nathan's gaze drifted to the scar on my shoulder, now masked by an intricate rose tattoo.

His eyes welled with a pained tenderness as he asked cautiously, "Scarlett... is that from the accident?"

I offered a cool smile, my expression as detached as if I were regarding a stranger.

Just then, an overly sweet voice sliced through the tension.

"Nathan, I've absolutely fallen for this bangle. You'll get it for me, won't you? Look, it's so reminiscent of..."

The words died in Tiffany's throat the moment her eyes landed on me.

The triumphant smile that had been blooming on her face vanished, replaced by a ghastly pallor and features twisted with sheer jealousy.

But she composed herself in an instant, clinging to Nathan's arm. As if to flaunt her victory, she declared.

"Scarlett, long time no see. Nathan and I are married now. You're not upset, are you?"

The next second, a look of wicked glee crossed her face, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, giggling.

"Oh, I forgot. Scarlett doesn't even remember anything from back then. How could she be upset?"

I swirled the wine in my glass, watching them with serene elegance.

Three years had changed Tiffany a lot.

I remembered the first time I saw her. She was a timid girl, fresh from the countryside, wary of everything.

She was Nathan's junior at university, and after graduation, she became his assistant.

At first, Nathan took extra care of her, and I didn't think much of it.

I was utterly convinced that the love between Nathan and me was so strong, it couldn't possibly make room for anyone else.

So, the first time I walked in on Nathan gently kissing away Tiffany's tears, my mind went blank.

He saw me. In a panic, he shoved Tiffany aside, his words tumbling out in a stammer.

"Scar, Tiff was upset about a work mistake. I was just comforting her."

I struggled to suppress the sharp pangs in my chest, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

If only I had known, that was only the beginning.