Chapter 1Until the 99th Sunset

Arthur had lost his memory, every trace of me wiped clean. His mind was stuck in the year he loved his ex-wife most. No matter how much everyone around him tried to reason with him, he insisted I was the homewrecker who’d sabotaged their relationship.

The doctors said there was a chance his memory could return, and I clung to that hope with everything I had. For three years, we divorced and remarried. It became the talk of the entire social circle, a running joke. People even placed bets. Bets on when I’d finally give up, bets on when Arthur would remember.

Then came the eighth time our divorce hit the headlines. Reporters, cameras rolling, swarmed into my law office. They shoved microphones in my face, their words dripping with malice. “Ms. Jones, as a divorce attorney, how do you feel about being divorced eight times yourself?”

My firm’s sign was defaced, my personal commendation plaques trampled underfoot. Before I could even respond, my boss fired me, citing damage to the firm’s reputation. “Eleanor Jones, take some advice: have some self-respect, stop hounding Mr. Hayes.”

I gripped my trembling hands, a sudden weariness washing over me. They were right. This time, I really had to let go.

…

It was pouring rain when I left the office. Carrying a box of my belongings from my desk, I drifted home. The front door was ajar, and I could hear Arthur and Laura Miller’s laughter drifting from inside. I glanced around. The place was a disaster – clothes strewn everywhere, the carpet stained… The living room TV was still replaying the day’s circus at my office.

Seeing me, the smile on Arthur’s face faded a bit. “Still have the nerve to come back.” His sarcastic words cut through the air, sharp and clear.

Laura giggled and kissed Arthur’s cheek. “Alright, you two were together for seven years, try to keep some decorum.” She then looked up, raising an eyebrow at me, her smile suggestive. “Arthur really missed me, so I came over. You don’t mind, do you?”

Rainwater dripped from my hair, hitting the floor one by one. A wave of exhaustion washed over me. Without another look at the two on the sofa, I turned and walked toward the bedroom. But as I pushed open the door, I froze.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you.” Arthur’s voice was laced with a cruel amusement. “This house is also registered under my mother’s name. It has nothing to do with you. I threw all your stuff out. Probably in the trash can by the road.”

Arthur leaned against the wall, a smirk playing on his lips, as if seeing me in such a state brought him immense joy. A sharp pain stabbed at my chest. My soaked shirt made my body shiver with cold.

“You bought today’s trending topic, didn’t you?” My voice was barely a whisper. “We’re already divorced. Why did you have to make me lose my job?”

In response to my question, Arthur lifted his hand and swatted the box out of my grasp. Documents and files scattered across the floor. Seven years of my hard work, my life’s blood, lay exposed.

“Three years of chasing me isn’t enough for you? Even if I really did have something with you before, I’ve lost my memory.” His voice was cold, each word a blow. “I’ve forgotten you, which means you mean nothing to me!”

His words, yet again, tore open old wounds. Three years ago, his sudden amnesia had erased everything about me. Just the day before, he’d been excitedly planning the nursery with me, imagining if it would be a boy or a girl. But then he forgot, and only remembered Laura.

“You just forgot! You have no idea what Laura did back then…” Frustration and fury threatened to drive me mad. Arthur’s face was livid. He grabbed my arm, his grip like iron, and shoved me out the door.

The heavy rain instantly drenched me again. “I don’t care what Laura did. I only remember that I love her, and that’s enough.”

I opened my mouth, but all my questions and bitterness suddenly felt meaningless. Arthur irritably avoided my gaze, then roughly pulled off the wedding ring from his finger. The edge of the diamond ring scratched his skin. He tossed it at my feet, and as he slammed the door shut, he spat out, “Don’t be so pathetic, begging me to remarry.”

I stood there for a long time, then finally knelt down and picked up the wedding ring. Arthur had designed it himself before we got married. He’d worn it for seven years, never once taking it off.

By the roadside trash can, there were our smashed wedding photos, the scarf he’d knitted for me with his own hands, and all the photo albums filled with our memories.

My phone suddenly rang. I looked at the caller ID and answered. Arthur’s mother’s excited voice came through. “Eleanor, I just got Arthur’s medical report! The doctor says his memory is starting to loosen up!”

"If he continues treatment, there’s an eighty percent chance he can recover!”

My knuckles were white as I clutched the phone. The word “good” died on my tongue. In the end, I simply whispered, “Mom, no more treatment. If he’s forgotten, then let him forget.”