Chapter 1

Joshua and I had been childhood sweethearts for twenty years.

At the height of our love, he got into a car accident trying to save me and lost his memory.

I bent over backward, doing everything I could to help him remember our past.

But to my horror, during this time, he fell in love with the woman who had once bullied me.

Private photos of me, taken during the days I was bullied, spread like wildfire online.

And he? He wrapped his arm around the woman who tormented me and laughed along with the crowd:

“Her? Covered in scars. Just looking at her makes me sick.”

When I saw Joshua speaking softly to Ivy, my blood ran cold.

I never thought I’d see her again.

Back then, after she failed her college entrance exams, Joshua’s family used their influence to make her disappear from Bayhurst for good. I had believed I’d never have to face her again in this lifetime.

But here she was.

The moment I saw her, I couldn’t stop myself from trembling.

The cigarette burns on my arms and thighs—scars that had never fully faded—seemed to come alive again, throbbing with phantom pain.

I gripped the doorframe to steady myself, my legs weak. Yet, when I saw her leaning against Joshua’s shoulder with tearful eyes, trembling like some helpless victim, anger surged through me, overpowering my fear.

I stormed forward and shoved her away with all my strength.

“Get away from him!”

Ivy fell heavily onto the couch, looking up at me with wide, frightened eyes before glancing at Joshua, pleading silently for help.

Joshua immediately pulled her to her feet, his face full of concern, before turning to me, his expression dark with anger.

“Harper, what the hell is wrong with you?!”

I panicked, trying to explain. “Joshua, don’t let her fool you! She’s not who you think she is—she’s a terrible person!”

He took a deep breath, clearly trying to contain his frustration. “Whether she’s a good person or not isn’t for you to decide!”

“And you,” he added, his voice cold, “how long are you going to keep clinging to me just because of some old connection between our families?”

I froze, my voice trembling as I tried to reason with him. “I’m not… Joshua, we’re together—we’re a couple!”

He rubbed his temples as if my words physically pained him.

“Three years. For three years, you’ve been telling me I’m your boyfriend. But I don’t remember anything you’ve been trying so hard to make me believe. You’re the one who’s delusional—don’t drag me into it.”

“I tolerated you out of respect for our parents, but this ends here, Harper. You’ve gone too far.”

With that, he scooped Ivy into his arms and carried her out of the room, brushing past me without a second glance.

As they left, Ivy shot me a triumphant look over his shoulder. The same look she used to give me back then—the look of someone who wouldn’t stop until she’d completely broken me.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor, gripping the edge of the table for support. My entire body was cold, trembling with fear and anger.