During the year I loved Arthur the most, he died in a car crash. Everyone expected me to have a total breakdown, but I didn't cry or make a scene. Two years later, I bumped into him in a private room at a club. Arthur had his arms around a young girl, kissing her passionately. His friends quickly surrounded me, scrambling to explain: "Arthur was severely injured in that crash and fell into a coma. He just recently woke up, but he has amnesia... We didn't want you living in constant anxiety, so we never told you." Arthur pushed the girl away, walked up to me, and frowned: "I heard you're my fiancée? Even though I don't remember it, seeing how devoted you've been to me, I'll honor my promise and marry you." I smiled faintly and replied, "They're lying to you. We don't know each other." Arthur didn't know that on the very day he faked his death, I received a video. In the video, Arthur was laughing and telling his friends: "The thought of only having Chloe for the rest of my life after we get married... I just can't accept it. "I'm going to fake my death and have fun for a few years. You guys make sure to comfort her. Don't let her do anything stupid." He also didn't know that during the two years he spent "dead," I had found someone else too. 1 The friends around us froze for a moment, then started trying to persuade me: "Chloe, how can you say you don't know him? We're the ones who hid it from you. It has nothing to do with Arthur." "Yeah, Chloe, we did it for your own good. We didn't want you constantly worrying. Now that Arthur finally woke up, please don't throw a tantrum." The private room was suddenly filled with accusations directed at me. Before I could even speak, a loud scoff cut through the noise. Arthur stood up from the sofa, a cigarette pinched between his fingers, and said with lazy arrogance: "If she says we don't know each other, then forget it. Saves me the trouble of taking responsibility." The young girl who had been with him immediately clung to his arm, lifting her face with a shy, nervous look: "Arthur... I know you. She doesn't appreciate you, but I... I'm willing to marry you, okay?" Arthur didn't answer. He just shot me a cold, indifferent glance, then wrapped his arm around the girl's waist, leaned down, and kissed her. Seeing this, his friends immediately stepped in front of me to block my view. They tried to comfort me: "Chloe, Arthur has amnesia. You know he loved you the most before." "Yeah, Chloe. You need to show him more care and help him remember you sooner. Stop throwing these little fits." I opened my mouth, about to say something to these so-called friends of Arthur's, when a sudden, sharp pain shot through my abdomen. My face instinctively went pale. I didn't stay another second; I turned and walked out of the room. I moved so fast that the people inside didn't even have time to react. Only after I had completely disappeared did they sigh and say to Arthur: "Arthur, you went too far. Chloe is genuinely jealous and angry. Her face went completely white. What if she really dumps you?" Arthur smiled, sitting back down on the sofa. "Chloe is easy to coax. It's been two years; I refuse to believe she doesn't miss me. "Besides, I have 'amnesia' right now. Once I've had my fun, I'll just tell her my memory came back and that none of this was my true intention. I won't even have to apologize. I'll just crook my finger, and she'll come running back." 2 Once I was out of the room, I couldn't hold it in anymore and crouched on the floor. Waves of pain radiated from my stomach, draining me of the strength to even make it to the restroom. Until a shadow fell over me. A familiar voice sounded above me: "What, feeling heartbroken? Hoping to rekindle that old flame?" I looked up to see Asher leaning against the doorframe a short distance away, arms crossed, looking at me with a cool expression. He was dressed entirely in black. He had a high, straight nose bridge, and his eyes were hidden in the dim light, making his emotions impossible to read. Under the lights, the lines of his thin lips were beautiful and sharp. In that instant, a surge of grievance from being falsely accused swelled in my heart. My tears, completely betraying me, started falling uncontrollably. Asher panicked instantly. He dropped his arms and hurried over to me. "Don't cry. I won't say it again." He had a great build and was very strong. He scooped me up from the floor with one arm. The scent of cedar drifted into my nose, stirring my heartstrings. I naturally wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered: "My stomach hurts..." Asher paused for a second: "Did it come early?" I nodded, my lips accidentally brushing against his chin, and rested my head on his broad shoulder. Asher carried me to his car, turned on the heat, and said: "Wait for me in the car. I'm going to buy you some things." With that, he closed the door and turned to leave. The dim yellow light from the streetlamps spilled over him, outlining his tall, straight back. Not long after, a video call notification popped up. It was Asher. "They're out of the brand you usually use. Do any of these look okay?" I was just about to pick one when a familiar, surprised voice rang out from the video feed. Arthur, his arm around the young girl's waist, walked into the convenience store. He looked Asher up and down and said in astonishment: "I asked you to come drinking tonight, and you said no. Turns out you're here buying stuff for a woman! "Are you on a video call with her? Let me see! Who on earth managed to get our aloof Mr. Sterling to open up?" Saying that, Arthur reached out, trying to snatch Asher's phone. I instinctively moved my face away from the camera. But Arthur never touched the phone. Asher just gave him a flat, cold look, and Arthur immediately pulled his hand back. "Alright, alright. I see you're guarding your treasure closely. Remember to bring her out to meet us next time! "Oh, by the way, Asher, I ran into Chloe. She walked into the wrong private room and caught me kissing another woman. It scared the hell out of me. Thank God the other guys thought fast and told her I had amnesia. I'll play around a bit more, and then my memory will 'magically' return. "Of course, you really helped me out big time, bro. When I realized I hadn't had my fun yet, your idea to fake my death was an absolute lifesaver." The video feed shook, and the next second, the screen showed the call had ended. 3 Asher returned ten minutes later. He didn't dare look at me. He just handed me the things he bought, quickly got into the driver's seat, and locked the doors. "I had someone deliver some brown sugar ginger tea to the house. Do you... want to go back and drink it?" Asher's words carried a hint of cautious hesitation. It actually made me want to laugh. Asher was a well-known second-generation heir in the capital. And he was also Arthur's best friend. In the past, whenever I went out to dinner with Arthur, Asher was always there. Back then, he was incredibly cold towards me. Especially when people teased me and Arthur, telling us to show some PDA, Asher wouldn't even spare us a glance. He would even look mocking and disgusted. So much so that everyone in that circle thought he hated me. Until the day Arthur supposedly died in a car crash, and I received a video. A video sent by Asher. In the video, Arthur was laughing and telling his friends: "The thought of only having Chloe for the rest of my life after we get married... I just can't accept it. "I'm going to fake my death and have fun for a few years. You guys make sure to comfort her. Don't let her do anything stupid." But what I never expected was that this whole "fake death" scheme was actually Asher's idea. This man was quite the schemer. 4 The moment we arrived at Asher's villa, my feet barely touched the ground before he swept me up into a princess carry. After I handled things in the bathroom, Asher placed me on the bed and handed me his phone to play games. Once I finished the hot drink, he practiced taking off his clothes, lay down beside me, and began rubbing my stomach. The overhead light draped over his abs like a thin veil. Every defined line seemed to whisper an untold story, making me want to explore. I thought it, and I did it. Asher's eyes darkened, and he pinned down my restless hand. "Behave." I ignored him. He cupped the back of my head and kissed me deeply. Two years was more than enough time for him to learn my body perfectly. When things got heated, he grabbed my hand. His voice was hoarse as he spoke: "Help me." I had learned about Asher's stamina the very first time we slept together after I got drunk. It wasn't until my wrist was aching terribly that he finally finished. Just as he was about to carry me to the bathroom to clean up, the phone by the bed started ringing. It was Asher's phone. I had accidentally rolled over and hit the answer button. "Ash, I'm planning to throw an engagement party with Mia just to piss Chloe off. What do you think? "She saw I was alive, and instead of caring about my health, she just got jealous and angry! She hasn't even contacted me yet! "Looks like she's grown a spine during these two years. I need to torture her a little, let her experience the pain of losing me all over again. I need to plan this out. When the time comes, you have to..." Arthur's voice poured out of the speaker. But before he could finish, he stopped abruptly. Because I couldn't help but let out a soft gasp. Not because of what Arthur said, but because something had woken up again. And it twitched right in my hand. 5 I glared at Asher, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed. Arthur's voice came through the phone again, sounding amazed: "Well, well, Asher! What are you up to right now? You actually have a woman with you?! Tell me right now, is it the woman you were video calling today?" After not seeing each other for two years, and the fact that I only made a brief, simple sound... Combined with the countless women Arthur had surrounded himself with over the years, he completely failed to recognize it was me. Asher clearly had no intention of entertaining Arthur. His eyes were locked onto me, burning with unspoken desire. I glared at him fiercely, broke free from his embrace, and scrambled toward the other side of the bed. But before I could even crawl a single step, Asher grabbed my ankle and dragged me back. Arthur kept talking: "My good brother, you absolutely have to bring her out so I can see who this goddess is! To think she managed to get our iron tree to bloom! Since you're finally playing the game, you can't refuse when I introduce girls to you from now on! "Oh, right, the engagement party. Originally, I was going to ask you to invite Chloe for me, but knowing how much you've always hated her..." Before Arthur could finish, an impatient Asher hung up the phone. He tossed the phone onto the bed, scooped me up with one arm, and carried me to the bathroom. When we finally came back out, it was three hours later. Asher looked thoroughly satisfied. I glared at him, collapsed on the bed, and refused to speak to him. I picked up my phone and saw I had received a text message. It was from one of Arthur's friends. Two years ago, Arthur had brought me into all his social circles. [Chloe, Arthur is getting engaged to someone else in seven days. You have to come stop him! I don't want him to regret this when he gets his memory back! This isn't his true intention!] I glanced at the message, deleted it, and tossed my phone aside. I'm not the type of person who goes looking for trouble when I have none. What does Arthur getting engaged have to do with me? Asher reached out to pull me into his arms. I glared at him and quickly shimmied away. I absolutely did not want to endure another three or four hours. 6 The news that Arthur was alive and planning to get engaged spread quickly. Many friends reached out to me. Some offered sympathy, some furiously cursed Arthur for being a scumbag, and others were just there to enjoy the drama. My college roommate, Lily, called me, loudly condemning Arthur. "When I first heard Arthur wasn't dead, I was so happy for you! But then I heard he's getting engaged to someone else?! That is completely unacceptable! So what if he has amnesia?! Does that mean he can just betray you?! You are his fiancée! Did no one tell him that?! "No way, I can't let my best friend get bullied like this! I'm going to find out where Arthur is having his engagement party, and we are going to go get justice for you!" I laughed: "Even marriages end in divorce; an engagement can be canceled. My relationship with him ended two years ago. Whatever he does now has nothing to do with me." Lily was still furious: "I just can't swallow this! You waited for him for two whole years! I watched you stay single this entire time!" I choked on the cracker I was eating. Who waited for him for two years? It was just that my relationship with Asher hadn't been made public yet. Lily continued trying to persuade me, wanting me to go with her to confront Arthur. After I refused again, she sighed. "Alright, alright. Are you free to go out tonight? We haven't hung out in forever. Drinks are on me tonight!" Having nothing better to do, I agreed. Lily picked the location. She arrived before I did. Looking at the hotel in front of me, I was a bit confused. "Didn't you say we were going to a bar? Why are we at a hotel?" Lily looked a bit evasive, pulling my arm as she walked inside. "Bars are so unsafe at night! What if we get drunk and run into danger? A nice hotel is much better. We can get some food, too. It'll be so comfortable." Lily led me inside. The moment the doors to the main banquet hall were pushed open, my face fell. 7 This was the hotel where Arthur was holding his engagement party. On the stage, Arthur was already exchanging rings. Standing opposite him was the girl I had seen at the club. The girl gazed up at Arthur with a shy, loving expression. But Arthur's brow was deeply furrowed. He kept glancing toward the hall entrance. When our eyes finally met, Arthur paused, then his brow unfurled, and a smirk curled his lips. The MC standing beside them asked: "May I ask the groom-to-be, are you willing to stand by your bride-to-be's side for every important moment in the future?" Arthur glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, the smile on his face growing wider: "Of course." He slipped the ring onto Mia's finger, and the guests below the stage erupted in cheers. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Mia's cheeks grew even redder, but she proactively stood on her tiptoes and leaned toward Arthur. Arthur didn't refuse. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her passionately amidst the cheering crowd. I turned to look at Lily. She looked guilty but still urged me on: "Chloe, hurry up and get up there! Steal him back! Arthur is your man!" I didn't say a word. I just stared at her quietly. Lily and I met in college. We went to class together, ate together, and hung out during breaks. I truly considered her my friend. But now, the doors to the banquet hall had been closed. A few of Arthur's closest friends were blocking the exit. It was obvious who they were blocking. "Chloe, I just couldn't stand seeing you bullied like this, so I tricked you! I wanted to bring you here so you could vent your anger! I'll go up on stage and help you get revenge right now!" Without looking at me, Lily hurriedly made a move to storm the stage. I stood my ground and looked at her calmly: "Lily, Mia... she's your cousin, isn't she?" I remembered Lily mentioning in college that she had a cousin. "What? Did your cousin ask you to bring me here so I would make a scene, embarrass myself, and make her look better?" As if I had struck a nerve, Lily stood frozen on the spot. I let out a scoff: "That disgusting excuse for a man... just because your cousin treats him like a treasure doesn't mean anyone else does." I glanced around the room. There were top-shelf liquors, fine beverages, and exquisite pastries laid out everywhere. They definitely put some thought into this. Since everyone was so determined to get me here, and I was already here, I wasn't going to just stand around. I found a seat, grabbed a pastry, and started eating. While eating, I looked around. Asher was on a business trip and wasn't here today. Lily, meanwhile, had angrily stormed over to me, pointing a finger and accusing: "Chloe, watch what you say! I think you're just experiencing sour grapes! My future brother-in-law and my cousin are deeply in love! You're just jealous, that's why you're slandering him!" I scoffed. Just as I was about to say something, a tearful female voice interrupted. The engagement ceremony on stage had ended, and Mia had somehow made her way over to me. The moment our eyes met, she threw herself at me and grabbed my hands: "Ms. Vance, please don't blame Arthur! He has amnesia! He doesn't remember you, he only loves me! It's not his true intention! If you're angry, you can take it all out on me! You can hit me, you can curse me! "I... I'll even kneel for you! As long as you don't blame Arthur!" Mia moved fast. Her hands clamped tightly around my wrists, her nails digging deeply into my flesh. The pain made me instinctively shake her off. I didn't use much force, but she screamed and collapsed to the floor. The next second, I was shoved hard. I was wearing high heels today. Pushed off balance, I twisted my ankle severely. An agonizing pain shot through me, so intense it almost brought tears to my eyes. Arthur glared at me with pure rage: "Chloe, you've gone too far! Who gave you the right to bully Mia at our engagement party?! Do you think I don't exist?! "Apologize to Mia right now!" The guests in the hall had been watching me ever since I arrived. Now, they all gathered around with a "grab the popcorn" attitude, eager for a show. Someone spoke up: "Ms. Vance, you and Mr. Sterling are in the past. It's over. Crashing his engagement party with Ms. Mia... isn't that a bit inappropriate?" "Exactly! People need to have some self-awareness. He doesn't love you anymore. Forcing it won't work. Besides, a forced melon isn't sweet!" Mia lay in Arthur's arms, her eyes red as she sobbed. She tugged at Arthur's sleeve and spoke with immense understanding: "Arthur, it's okay. I don't blame Ms. Vance... It's completely normal for her to feel sad and hurt seeing you with me. It's normal for her to blame me and hate me, as long as she doesn't resent you..." "This isn't your fault." After comforting Mia, Arthur turned to me with a cold face: "Chloe, no matter what our relationship was before, it ended two years ago. The woman I love now is Mia. If you bully her, I won't let you off! Apologize to her right now!" From an angle where the others couldn't see, Mia shot me a provocative smile. I smiled back faintly. "Sure. "I apologize." The next second, I slapped Mia squarely across the face. After that, thinking it looked a bit unsymmetrical, I slapped the other side too. Symmetry. Mia screamed and burst into tears. Furious, Arthur raised his hand to hit me, but his friends immediately stepped in and held him back. They lowered their voices and warned him: "Don't go too far, man! Otherwise, when you 'recover' your memory, you won't be able to fix this! "Mia can't compare to Chloe. Don't lose your head!" Arthur looked like he wanted to say more, but one of his friends suddenly shouted: "Asher! You're back! Come quick! Chloe twisted her ankle. You take her home first!" I turned around to see Asher walking toward us from a distance.
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