I slept deeply and didn’t wake up until nearly noon.
Nathan’s phone kept ringing. Annoyed, he answered it, then pulled me back into his arms.
“Don’t forget the party tonight,” Jesse said over the phone.
Nathan lazily played with my hair, making me a little ticklish.
I let out a quiet tsk, not expecting the person on the other end of the call to hear it.
“What was that?
“You’re with a woman?”
Nathan hung up right away.
He silenced his phone and tossed it aside, then pulled me completely into his arms.
The space between us suddenly felt too close, his body heat rising.
I tried to push him away, but he only held me tighter.
“What are you doing?!”
I was caught between shock and anger, but Nathan didn’t budge.
“What do you think?
“We’re just doing what couples normally do.”
His lips moved in closer, my heart pounding as a wave of guilt crushed down on me.
I shoved him away, jumped out of bed, and ran into the bathroom.
Before I could close the door, I heard his low laughter.
I looked at myself in the mirror-my face was way too red.
It took me nearly half an hour in the bathroom just to calm my heartbeat.
Nathan said we used to kiss all the time, that we’d done all kinds of intimate things.
Another lie.
I was so angry, I almost laughed.
That evening, Nathan took me out to dinner. It wasn’t until we arrived that I realized Jesse, Winnie, and the rest of New York’s elite crowd were all there.
Winnie sat beside Jesse in a strapless white evening gown, wearing the Sea Star necklace Nathan had brought back for me from last week’s auction.
I couldn’t bear to wear it, so I placed it in the display case in my walk-in closet and I admired it through the glass every day.
Jesse once teased me, asking if I planned to never wear it.
Of course not.
I’d planned to wear it on my wedding day. But it seemed that day with Jesse may never come.
“Sienna!”
Winnie stood up, smiling brightly as she walked over and took my hand, just like she always used to.
“Today’s kind of a makeup engagement party for me and Jesse,” she said, her eyes locked on mine with a cheerful glint.
“I’m really glad you could come!”
Engagement party?
So today was Winnie and Jesse’s engagement party.
Winnie’s provocative smile almost made me slip up and revealed I hadn’t lost my memory. Nathan pulled me into his arms, subtly pulling my hand away from Winnie’s.
Jesse hadn’t been paying attention to us until Nathan pulled me closer. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice, “What were you talking about?”
“Nothing.”
Nathan guided me to the seat farthest from Jesse and Winnie.
Jesse and his buddies were toasting each other. The loud noise gave me a headache, while Nathan kept serving me food.
“Hey, Nathan!
“Why aren’t you drinking today?”
Nathan didn’t even look up. “I have to drive later.”
“Let Sienna drive.”
“It’s too tiring. I wouldn’t let her do that.”
The room filled with laughter and teasing, but Jesse, sitting at the main seat, became tense.
“Nathan, you’re so thoughtful.”
Jesse smirked, and the mood in the room immediately turned cold.
Someone tried to lighten things up, suggesting that Jesse and Winnie kiss since it was their engagement party.
Winnie leaned in and kissed Jesse.
Jesse’s face relaxed, and he deepened the kiss.
They kissed passionately.
I thought I was completely disappointed by Jesse, but seeing such a blatant scene still made me feel sick. Tears flowed uncontrollably.
I fled to the toilet.
Outside the door, one of Jesse’s friends asked if cheating in front of his girlfriend was exciting.
Jesse laughed, carefree and cocky.
“Exciting? Of course.
“Anyway, Sienna’s lost her memory. Even if she gets it back, she’ll never leave me.”
