Chapter 3Take the Pill, Lose the Past

The next day, Ryan called to tell me Zoey was throwing herself into wedding preparations for Leo. The scale of it, he said, was on par with the wedding she’d had with me.

I nodded thoughtfully. For someone so busy, she still managed to have three meals a day delivered to my door. Spreading the love so evenly… it must have been exhausting for her.

On the day of the wedding, Ryan took me to the venue.

We sat in a corner, far from the main crowd. The ceremony hadn't started yet. I could see Zoey and Leo, arms linked, surrounded by a laughing group of groomsmen.

“I remember when Zoey and Cary had a wedding this big,” one of them said loudly. “Damn, I never thought our boy Leo would be so lucky, marrying such a knockout.”

At the mention of my name, Leo’s hand tightened on Zoey’s.

Zoey spoke up, her voice clear and firm. “Cary and I are divorced. Today is about Leo. Let’s not bring up the past.”

Hearing her so decisively cut ties, another groomsman whistled. “Leo’s young, handsome, and brilliant. Cary Reed never stood a chance.”

“Zoey, you better take good care of our boy for the rest of his life. Don’t you dare break his heart.”

Zoey smiled sweetly, the same smile she’d given me when she made her vows. “Don’t worry,” she promised. “I won’t let him down. And he won’t let me down.”

My gaze darkened. Beside me, Ryan was gritting his teeth. “What a twisted sense of morality. Since when is the other man celebrated for winning?”

In the distance, someone started a chant. “It’s a beautiful day! How about a kiss for the happy couple!”

The groomsmen joined in, a chorus of rowdy shouts. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

Leo stared at Zoey, his expression a perfect mask of adoration. Under the mounting pressure, Zoey raised a hand to his jaw, then stood on her toes and pressed a soft, lingering kiss near the corner of his lips.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

In the midst of the roaring celebration, all I felt was a profound, echoing silence.

She couldn’t guard her heart. Now, she couldn’t even guard her body.

A mocking smile played on my lips. Thank God for the memory loss. The pain was already so much duller.

Just then, my phone screen lit up. A boarding notification for my flight.

“Ryan,” I said, standing up. “It’s time for me to go.”

He pulled me into a fierce hug, his eyes red. “Go. Leave all this garbage behind and go be brilliant. I’ll be waiting to see you celebrated around the world.” He grinned mischievously. “As for this party… don’t worry. I’ve got a wedding gift for them.”

“See you, man.” I clapped him on the shoulder, not bothering to ask what he had planned. In half an hour, the last of my memories of loving Zoey would be gone anyway.

I walked away, pulling my suitcase behind me. As Zoey and Leo stood hand-in-hand, her eyes scanned the room and for a second, I thought she saw me. A flash of panic crossed her face.

But she must have dismissed it. If I were here, I’d be attending as her “brother.” I wouldn’t be slipping out the back with a suitcase. She must have imagined it.

The lights in the hall dimmed. Zoey and Leo stood center stage, exchanging rings under the spotlight, gazing at each other with saccharine sweetness. The crowd began to chant for another kiss.

Suddenly, a massive banner unfurled from the ceiling above them.

Ryan stood beneath it, holding a megaphone, a smirk on his face.

“A toast!” he boomed, his voice echoing through the silent hall. “To the happy couple—the homewrecker Leo and the lying cheat Zoey! May your lives together be long and utterly miserable!”

Leo’s face went white as he stared helplessly at Zoey.

Recognizing Ryan, Zoey’s face hardened with fury. “What the hell are you talking about? Cary and I are divorced! Leo is not a homewrecker!”

Ryan let out a cold, harsh laugh. “You want to have your cake and eat it too, don’t you? You can’t let go of your ex-husband, but you still have to give this guy his fantasy wedding. You told Cary to wait for you, to remarry you! Do you have any idea how much pain you’ve put him through these last three days?”

Zoey’s eyes turned to ice. “You don’t need to worry about that. I gave Cary the memory drug. He won’t remember a thing.”

“You idiot,” Ryan spat. “The drug doesn’t work instantly. It takes three full days for the memories of a loved one to disappear completely. Every single thing you’ve done, every lie you’ve told, every moment with him—Cary saw it all.”

Ryan tilted his chin up, his eyes filled with contempt.

“And here’s something else you don’t know. Who do you think was the lead researcher on that drug? It was Cary. Your ex-husband.”