Chapter 2My ex-boyfriend lost his memory. He remembered everyone except me.

By the time I finished the paperwork, it was already dark.

I hailed a cab and searched for flights on my phone.

The name change application was submitted, but it would take another month for approval.

So, I booked a flight to Melbourne for the first of next month and accepted the offer from the study abroad agency.

Ever since graduation, I'd been preparing to study abroad for my postgraduate degree.

But because Jax said he couldn't live without me and didn't want a long-distance relationship, my study plans had been delayed for three years.

Now that I'd decided to cancel the wedding and end this relationship, everything from the past needed to be left behind.

I had to start thinking about myself, about a new life.

Back home, I changed out of my wet clothes, washed up, and went to bed.

That night, I slept more soundly than I had in the entire past month.

The next morning, I woke up, had breakfast, and then cleared out everything related to Jax.

Gifts he’d given me, matching couple's clothes we'd bought, love letters from our school days…

They filled five boxes.

I dragged them out of the villa, one by one, and dumped them all into the trash.

As I was busy, a limited edition supercar suddenly pulled up by the curb.

I heard it and turned, seeing Jax.

He swaggered out of the car, an arm draped around a woman.

Even when he saw me, he didn't flinch.

I knew he wasn't avoiding me because he was banking on me being considerate, on me keeping my distance because I believed he was truly ill.

From the very beginning, Jax had refused to acknowledge me as his girlfriend, even having my things thrown out of the villa.

I thought I'd be out on the street, but then the owner of the house next door contacted me, saying they were moving abroad and offered to rent it to me for a ridiculously low price.

I thought I’d gotten lucky then. Now, it was clear it was all just a show he’d orchestrated himself.

He was afraid I’d really leave, so he used that trick to keep me close.

Recalling the month I'd spent in the dark, I could only laugh at my foolishness.

I didn't care what charade he was putting on today. I turned, lifted the last box, and emptied it into the trash.

Jax, walking by, glanced at the pile of things I'd discarded, and his face darkened.

"Why are you throwing all this stuff away?"

I shot him a sidelong glance, my voice flat.

"Aren't you supposed to have amnesia? How do you remember these things?"

Jax suddenly realized he'd slipped up. He quickly recomposed his expression, feigning nonchalance.

"Just asking. How could I remember? The past is the past, and now is now. Now, I only like Chloe. After all, she was the only one who came to take care of me after my car accident in South Bay."

Car accident?

If the amnesia was an act, where was the car accident?

I curved my lips slightly, eyeing the woman he had his arm around.

Heavy makeup, a figure that screamed 'look at me,' and barely-there clothing. Her foxy eyes glittered with smug triumph.

A new face.

She was probably the most satisfying bedmate Jax had found during this 'break,' which was why he was parading her around so openly.

I didn't want to waste any more words on him. I just hummed in response and walked back into the villa.

Watching my retreating figure disappear without a backward glance, Jax’s eyelid twitched.

He'd brought someone else home. Shouldn't Skylar be throwing a fit, getting jealous? Why was she so calm?

Jax sensed something was off, but he didn't chase after me to explain.

He just watched me disappear behind the door.

At eight o'clock, the doorbell rang.

I put down the take-out bag I was holding and went to open the door.

It was the woman Jax had brought home earlier.

I lifted my hand and waved, a smile on my face that didn't reach my eyes.

"Hi, I'm Chloe. I'll be staying at my boyfriend's place for a while. Since we're neighbors, would you mind adding me on SnapChat?"

"No need."

I refused without a second thought, turning to leave.

Chloe snatched my phone, rapidly tapping through SnapChat to add herself as a friend.

Watching my face fall, she grinned like the Cheshire Cat, handed my phone back, her tone annoyingly flippant.

"Come on, let's be friends. We'll be seeing a lot of each other! Oh, by the way, do you have any condoms? I used up the whole box I bought today. Could I borrow a few?"

A flicker of pallor crossed my face, and my hand trembled slightly as I took back my phone.

"No."

Chloe wouldn't let it go, her mockery undisguised.

"Right, silly me for asking. Jax doesn't want you anymore, so why would you?"