Chapter 2

I had just hung up the phone with the doctor when I received a SnapChat from Aiden: "I'm having a party at my place today. Come over now."

Looking at Aiden's tone, it wasn't as cold as before. Could it be that Aiden had regained his memory?

I carefully dressed up to hide the weakness showing on my face, not wanting Aiden to worry about my illness.

I put on the red dress I loved to wear when I was younger. Aiden used to say red suited me best.

When I arrived at Aiden's house, he was laughing and playing with a group of friends in the garden.

They were holding wine glasses, their laughter and chatter filling the air.

"Aiden, do you remember me now?"

My arrival brought their laughter to an abrupt halt. Aiden walked towards me, backlit and holding a hoe. "We're having a party tonight, and there are too many weeds in the garden. Clean them up."

"What..." I staggered back a step, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"Oh my, Miss Song dressed up so nicely to do some yard work?" A slender figure in a fiery red dress walked over, linking her arm with Aiden's.

He had changed women again.

"What are you standing there for? Do I need to teach you how to pull weeds?" Aiden handed me the hoe, his tone harsh and brooking no argument.

I looked at Aiden's face. This man used to not even let me throw away trash when we went shopping.

In an instant, my eyes filled with tears. I swallowed my humiliation, took the hoe, and bent down to start weeding.

The sun blazed overhead, and soon sweat had soaked through my hair and dress.

I clumsily swung the hoe up and down, the pain in my lower abdomen growing more intense.

Aiden stood nearby, drinking and chatting with his friends. Occasionally, I could hear their deliberately raised voices mocking me.

"I heard that the Song family's eldest daughter has gone mad, like she's obsessed. The once proud rose has now become Foster's doormat."

"Yeah! The high and mighty socialite, with just one word from Foster, is obediently doing the work of a servant."

...

I looked towards Aiden. He just held that woman, saying nothing. Backlit as he was, I couldn't make out his expression.

Did he think the same way?

After finally finishing the weeding, I took a shower in Aiden's guest bathroom. As I was debating whether to put on my sweat-soaked dress again, Aiden knocked on the bathroom door.

"Wear this. I had someone throw away that other outfit."

I took the light-colored dress Aiden handed me, unsure of what he was thinking.

"Hurry up and change. I have something else for you to do."

My heart swelled with hope once again.