"Liam said I had a rare condition called Transient Global Amnesia, or TGA. Every Monday, I'd wake up as the 25-year-old Audrey Vance, my memory forever stuck in the past. On a flash drive, there were videos of Liam taking me on trips, getting me treatment, even our engagement. They looked full of happiness, yet not a single moment had left a trace in my mind. 'Audrey's still here, can't you be a little more discreet?' 'What's there to be afraid of? Tomorrow's Monday; she'll wake up and won't remember a thing,' Liam's reply sent a chill through me, sinking my heart into an ice-cold abyss. 'Doesn't that make it even more exciting?' Liam held my best friend, Sylvia, as they indulged in a brazen display of affection in front of me, utterly unconcerned. For two years, countless such scenes had unfolded. I ran desperately, tears blurring my vision, until I passed a tattoo parlor. Like clutching a last straw, I tremblingly had three words etched onto my arm. 'Leave him.' … 'You're awake?' The pungent smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils, and my head felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer, the pain nearly making me faint. I looked helplessly at Liam, who stood by my side. 'I know your mind is a mess right now. Just calm down and watch this USB drive.' My memory was stuck on the day of the car accident. On the freeway, the car ahead slammed on its brakes. Liam instinctively swerved, not to save himself, but to protect me in the passenger seat. He crashed directly into the guardrail, barely surviving, while I had only a few scrapes, my head being the sole injury. The first thing Liam did when he woke up was propose to me, still in his hospital gown. I couldn't bear to watch any longer, burying my face in his chest. When I looked up, I caught a fleeting glimpse of pain in his eyes, barely discernible. In that instant, a massive wave of unease, like a thorny vine, tightly gripped my heart. Why this peculiar illness? Was an unchanging lover truly what he wanted? Would he... grow tired of me? 'Why did we switch rooms?' A nurse led in a familiar face, my best friend, Sylvia. She had even filmed our proposal video. I thought Sylvia was rushing to see me first. But the moment she entered, she bypassed me, naturally draping an arm over Liam's shoulder. Her bright red nails stood out starkly against Liam's dark suit jacket. 'Liam, there's an urgent company matter you need to handle.' 'I can take care of Audrey.' Liam subtly detached Sylvia's hand, his expression apologetic. 'Audrey, Sylvia will take you home later.' When did their relationship get so close? She was always at odds with Liam. Every time Liam and I argued, she was the one who encouraged me to break up, saying Liam wasn't good enough for me. Now, why was she working at his company? I frowned. Liam quickly kissed my forehead, instructing Sylvia to make sure I watched the entire video. 'Got it. You go,' Sylvia replied with a smile. These two, one my future husband, the other my longtime friend, yet I felt like a complete outsider. Inside the hospital room, only the sound of the video remained. I dared not miss a single detail, desperately trying to engrave every happy moment into my mind, to reclaim the connection with Liam. For a moment, I forgot I was still on an IV. Blood flowed backward, staining the IV line crimson. 'Sylvia.' 'Could you ask the nurse to change my IV?' I called her several times before she finally looked up, letting out an impatient 'Tsk!' 'So much trouble!' Until Sylvia glanced at her phone and said she had to leave, I still couldn't understand why her attitude towards me had changed so drastically. I took a taxi alone to the 'home' Liam had mentioned. The room was utterly unfamiliar, decorated like a show house. It was hard to imagine I had lived here for two years. I took a deep breath and pulled back the curtains. The moment I lifted my arm, the freshly scabbed tattoo on my forearm caught my eye. It boldly read: 'Leave him.' The skin around it was still slightly red, clearly indicating it was a recent tattoo. When did I develop such a hobby? I dialed Liam's number, puzzled, but there was no answer. I called his office, and the call was picked up quickly, but the person on the other end just cursed impatiently before hanging up immediately. 'Are you ever going to stop? Every Monday, you come running to ask questions. I have a job too, can't you just settle down?!' 'I...' Unjustly subjected to a scolding, and still no answer from Liam's personal phone, I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. The reflection in the mirror showed a face with dull skin and prominent eye bags, a stranger to the woman I remembered. It shouldn't be like this... I dug out a long-forgotten makeup box from under the bed and started to primp. By nightfall, Liam still hadn't returned. Tears streamed down my carefully applied makeup, and looking at my dejected reflection, I swept the cosmetics off the table, suddenly feeling ridiculous. What was I doing? Couldn't I live without Liam? Bottles and jars scattered across the floor, revealing the bottom of the makeup box. And there, starkly revealed, were the words: 'Leave him.' My mind exploded. This was the second time today I'd seen that phrase. I pulled up my sleeve to compare the handwriting; it was identical, unmistakably my own. What did it mean? And who was 'him'? A sound from the living room. I instinctively rushed out. It was Liam, indeed, but there was also an unexpected person: Sylvia. Unlike the daytime, she was wearing a form-fitting evening gown, looking radiant. 'Oh, is someone crying?' She glanced at me, tossing her expensive handbag onto the sofa, and headed straight for the master bedroom. 'So tired, I'm going to take a shower.' The amount of information was overwhelming. For a moment, I didn't know how to react, instinctively turning to Liam for help. He hadn't changed much from two years ago; in fact, he'd gained a certain mature charm. Yet, looking at his composed face, I found him terribly unfamiliar, unable to feel any closeness. He sighed, reaching out to me. The moment his hand almost touched my arm, for some reason, I instinctively recoiled, leaving his hand suspended in mid-air. 'Sylvia moved in to take care of you.' 'Don't overthink it.' I might have lost my memory, but I hadn't lost my mind. Did I really need her to move in just to care for me? Lying in bed, I couldn't make sense of it. Sylvia knocked, her attitude completely changed from before, placing a glass of water beside me. 'Audrey, it's time for your medicine.' She looked at me expectantly, as if she wouldn't leave until I drank it. Liam sat on the sofa, glancing from Sylvia to me, finally nodding. 'The doctor prescribed it. Take it.' That night, I slept profoundly. When I woke again, the space beside me was cold; Liam had already left. Sylvia was at the doorway, checking her makeup in the mirror. More striking than her red lipstick were the love marks on her neck, barely concealed by her low neckline. If I remembered correctly, her neck had been pristine white last night. How could it be... in just one night? I narrowed my eyes, raising a hand to gesture. 'Your neck...' 'Oh, I almost forgot.' She found a scarf and tied it on. 'Liam's hurrying me. I need to be quick.' She offered a saccharine smile. 'Don't misunderstand. We're going to see a client.' Sylvia smiled at me, but even in the midday sun, I felt a chill run down my spine. That afternoon, Sylvia messaged me, saying she and Liam would be home for dinner. But it was well past midnight when they finally arrived, the door opening to the distinct smell of alcohol. Liam looked at the untouched dishes on the table, his brow slightly furrowed. 'You didn't eat?' 'Oh, my memory!' Sylvia batted her eyelashes, simpering at Liam. 'I forgot to tell Audrey we wouldn't be back for dinner.' 'It's fine. She's just foolish.' Not long after, Sylvia brought me water again, reminding me to take my medicine. Liam, as usual, tacitly approved of Sylvia's actions. 'Do I have to take it?' I asked Liam. He sat in the shadows, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he nodded. I might be foolish, but I wouldn't be fooled a second time. I knew something was off about how profoundly I'd slept last night. In front of both of them, I put the pill in my mouth. As soon as Sylvia left, satisfied, I quickly spat the tablet out from under my tongue. This time, I clearly noticed it. Sylvia's fingertips subtly grazed the love marks on her neck, then she provocatively glanced at Liam. I closed my eyes, my heart hammering against my ribs. A moment later, I heard Liam get up, his footsteps growing closer, then gradually receding, out of the room. I dragged my heavy feet after him, feeling like the whole world was a colossal lie. Yesterday, I still had a fairytale-like, devoted lover. Today, I'd been struck by a crushing blow, everything reduced to ashes. Liam pressed Sylvia harshly against the sofa, taking what he wanted without restraint, like a couple in a movie, unable to control their passionate embrace. I finally understood where Sylvia's marks had come from. The moment Liam caught sight of me in his peripheral vision, the fervent flame in his eyes instantly extinguished. He reached out, casually smoothing Sylvia's collar. My blood surged with anger. I lunged forward, slapping Liam across the face, trembling with rage. 'Why?' 'What did I do to you to deserve such degradation?' The tattoo on my arm, the message at the bottom of the makeup box, the marks on Sylvia's neck... everything clicked into place. No filial son remains by a sickbed for long. How much less so for a man with no blood ties! 'I told you to go to the bedroom, but you insisted on the living room.' Sylvia lovingly stroked Liam's cheek. 'Now look what happened. It's only Tuesday, and you've already lost control.' I couldn't believe my ears. It felt absurd, and I found it hard to believe how many times I had gone through such a scene in these two years. Liam strode towards me, his gaze unreadable. 'Please, let me go...' My body reacted first. I recoiled as if shocked by electricity, dodging Liam, but I couldn't make it to the door. He yanked me back, pulling me into a tight embrace from behind. 'Don't go.' I was practically shaking like a leaf. He gently stroked my back, his expression tender. In a daze, the Liam I once knew seemed to return. 'I've been in so much pain all these years...' He tightened his arms, as if afraid he would completely lose me the next second. 'In these two years, I've taken you to Disney World 20 times, seen the Northern Lights 5 times...' He chuckled self-deprecatingly. 'Though you don't remember any of it.' 'What you just saw wasn't what it seemed. Please, give me one more chance, okay?' Liam's voice cracked, a rare moment of vulnerability, and my heart gave a violent, sympathetic pang. The deeper his apparent affection, the more repulsive it became. Sylvia appropriately interrupted. 'Let me talk to Audrey.' She called my name in her specially modulated tone, giving Liam a knowing look. He returned to his room, tacitly leaving us alone. Sylvia sighed, sitting beside me. She remained silent for a long time, then hesitantly pulled out a medical report with her name on it. After she left, my emotions remained unsettled for a long time. How could Sylvia have stomach cancer?
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "392902", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel