Chapter 2

My breakup with Jason had been far from amicable.

I was Jason's childhood friend. His parents had taken me in when we were kids, basically giving him a playmate.

From day one, everyone told me I had to look after Jason, to take care of him.

I was three years older than Jason, so I naturally fell into a big sister role.

Jason was spoiled rotten as a child, with a nasty temper. When I first arrived, he often tormented me.

He'd put snakes in my bed, gather his friends to mock my background, drag me out of bed in the middle of the night to snarl at me:

"Jane, don't you dare think you're really my sister."

"You're just a stray dog my family took in, got it?"

I knew I had no right to argue with Jason.

The truth was, I was grateful to Jason's parents. They had taken me out of foster care. If not for them, I probably would have ended up trafficked by my crooked caseworker.

But kids' tempers come and go quickly.

Under my constant care, Jason soon softened. He became affectionate towards me, not letting others bully me. When he couldn't sleep, he'd come to my room. He started calling me "sis".

I always thought I'd play the role of his sister forever.

Until Jason fell in love at 19.

With Olivia.

The Stewarts and Olivia's family were equally wealthy. Like Jason, Olivia was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

She was a dazzling, beautiful girl who became the campus sweetheart in her freshman year, catching Jason's eye.

They naturally got together, but both being spoiled, Jason and Olivia had explosive tempers. They fought often.

During one of their fights, to make Olivia jealous, Jason kissed me right in front of her.

Our relationship changed irrevocably in that moment.

Jason and Olivia quickly made up, but Jason never explained that kiss to me.

We both tacitly agreed to never mention it again, but we both knew we could never go back to how things were before.

Jason and Olivia were together for three years before finally breaking up after a big fight.

Heartbroken, Olivia left the country.

And Jason, in a drunken stupor one night, crawled into my bed.

I still remember that chaotic night. His breath heavy with alcohol as he nuzzled my neck, pinning my hands above my head:

"Don't reject me," he slurred, his actions forceful but his voice pleading. "Don't reject me."

I lay frozen, finally managing to ask in a trembling voice:

"Jason, do you know who I am?"

He answered with a kiss.

Much later, when I was nearly asleep, I vaguely heard him sigh in my ear.

"You're Jane."

...

And just like that, we were together.

No confession, no ceremony, not even a word of affection exchanged.

I still played the role of his caretaker, looking after Jason's daily needs. He was just more intimate with me now.

We'd walk on the beach at sunset, cuddle up to watch movies in the dark of night, hold each other close as thunder rumbled outside.

For a while, I felt truly happy.

I'm not sure when I fell in love with him, but I knew I did.

So when Olivia came back looking for Jason, I endured it.

When he stood me up on my birthday to have dinner with her, I endured that too.

I loved Jason. I knew he still had a lot of growing up to do, so I was willing to give him chances to make mistakes and correct them.

Until I found out I was pregnant.

I sent Jason the test results. It took him a long time to call me back.

His voice sounded distorted over the phone, irritated:

"Jane, I don't want a kid right now."

"I'm not ready to be a father, I still want to have fun. Don't keep it."

Half an hour later, a friend doing her residency at the hospital sent me a photo.

It was Jason and Olivia. He was supporting her carefully, his movements as gentle as if handling a priceless treasure.

My friend sent a voice message: "Why is Jason here at the OB-GYN with some other girl? She looks pregnant. Who is she?"

That's when I understood. It wasn't that Jason didn't want children.

He just didn't want my child.

From the very beginning, he had never forgotten Olivia.

This girl who first taught him about love was the one that got away, someone he could never let go of.

Now that she was back, I was just a substitute to be discarded. Along with my child, tossed aside like garbage.

After that, I broke up with Jason.

But Jason kept dragging his feet, refusing to agree. With no other choice, I enlisted an old classmate to help me stage a scene of reuniting with an ex.

I'll never forget Jason's eyes that day. He stared at me as if he wanted to burn me alive with his gaze.

"Jane, you and your new boy toy better stay the hell away from me."

"Or I can't guarantee his safety."

His final words dripped with contempt: "You're nothing but a dog I kept around."

"Remember this - I'm the one dumping you, not the other way around!"

After that day, I never saw Jason again.

He soon went abroad to expand the business. I heard he got engaged to Olivia.

Both families were thrilled - it was a perfect match. Their engagement made the front page news.

And now, he'd been in an accident, his memory reset to three years ago.

In the silent living room, even the sound of traffic was muffled by the night.

A heavy silence settled over us.

I picked up my daughter, speaking softly as Jason stared at me in shock:

"Jason, we've been broken up for three years."

"I'm... married now. With a child."

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