I'm on my way to get married when a truck slams into my car from behind. After being unconscious for a long time, I hear the doctor telling my fiancee that I might lose my memory.

I decide to have a little fun and open my eyes, pretending to be confused. "Who are you?"

My fiancee goes completely still. I'm about to admit I'm only teasing her, but before I can, she grabs my best man's hand without a second thought.

"I'm Janice Lloyd, your best friend's fiancee. You got into a car accident on your way to our wedding."

My smile froze the second my eyes landed on my fiancee, Janice Lloyd, and my best friend, Wayne Quayle, whose hands were intertwined. He pulled her close, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Colin, you really don't remember us? We were supposed to get married yesterday. But your accident delayed it all."

A cold shiver ran from my fingertips to my chest. What had started as a spur-of-the-moment joke had turned into an unexpected surprise.

I forced my lips into a stiff smile and managed to say, "I don't remember that you two were supposed to get married."

A tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest—maybe they were messing with me too.

But then Wayne held out his hand. The blue diamond on his ring caught the light, stabbing my eyes like a shard of ice.

He grinned, his voice dripping with joy. "You lost your memory. Of course, you wouldn't remember. When I proposed to Jan, you were the one who handed me the ring."

His words were part lie, part truth.

I'd been the one who proposed to Janice, and he'd handed over the ring. And now, the ring that should have been mine was shining on his finger.

"You two look like you've been together forever," I blurted out as I watched them act so comfortably together.

Wayne cast a glance at Janice, then laced his fingers with hers. "We've been together for seven years. And now we're finally about to get married!"

Janice cleared her throat to hide how awkward she felt.

I forced a wry smile. Seven years? Janice and I had also been together for seven years and had seen each other almost every day. And yet, somehow, I'd never realized that I'd been sharing my partner with someone else.

The air went still until a knock on the door cut through it. Janice glanced over her shoulder as though she were relieved.

At the doorway stood a graceful, striking woman, Sonia Jarrett. She was Janice's closest friend—and my relentless nemesis.

She loathed me and always shot a cold glare at me whenever we crossed paths. Ever since she'd learned that I was with Janice, her glare had only gotten sharper.

Yet now, beneath the frost in her eyes, there was a flicker of worry. Maybe she thought the accident had scrambled my mind.

Before I could study her expression any further, Janice spoke. "Colin, this is your girlfriend of five years, Sonia Jarrett."

My back went rigid, goosebumps crawling over my skin.

Apparently, one lie wasn't enough for Janice—she even had to make another one. But seriously, she claimed that Sonia and I had been together for five years? That was ridiculous.

I drew in a deep breath, ready to speak, but Sonia cut me off.

A cryptic smile curved her lips as she murmured, "You've forgotten your own girlfriend?"

I stared in shock, my eyes widening. I couldn't form a single word.

Janice caught my stunned expression, winked at Sonia, and strolled off with Wayne. I kept staring at Sonia, trying and failing to figure out what she was thinking.

Then she reached out, brushing her fingers lightly over my bandaged head. "Come on, let's get you home to rest."

…

Sonia led me to a spacious apartment in the heart of the bustling city.

The place was decorated in warm colors, but it had only the bare essentials. It didn't feel like anyone actually lived here.

She opened the closet and pulled out slippers and loungewear, the tags still attached to them.

I hesitated for a moment, feigning ignorance. "Janice said we've been together a long time, so why are all these clothes and shoes brand new?"

Sonia's expression remained calm. "This is the home we picked out for after the wedding. It's your first time here."

I stared at her, saying nothing.

She gently guided me into the bedroom. "Your injury hasn't fully healed yet, so rest for a while. Let me know if you want anything to eat."

I shook my head. "I don't have an appetite."

A trace of disappointment flickered in her eyes, though I couldn't fathom why. My head was spinning, and all I wanted was a moment of solitude.

Sonia tucked me in, nuzzling her forehead affectionately against mine, and said that she had some work to take care of.

I nodded.

Ten minutes after she left, I got up and moved toward the study door. She hadn't closed it all the way. Through the crack, I caught snippets of her conversation with Janice.

"Sonia, come on, for the sake of our friendship, just look after Colin for a bit. I know I was wrong, but Wayne and I have been together for so long. He just wants a wedding."

"Janice, once Colin regains his memory, he'll break up with you."

Janice snapped over the line, "No way! Everyone knows Colin only loves me! The wedding with Wayne is just for show. Colin will understand! I love him too, and I will marry him."

Sonia snorted derisively and hung up.

I gripped the door handle tightly as a dull pain radiated through my chest, making my eyes sting.

I couldn't believe it. The woman I'd loved with all my heart had been playing with my feelings like they meant nothing. All those vows she'd made, swearing that she only loved me, were lies.

Sonia's voice came from the study again. "I've sent you the recording. Find out how the car accident happened. I want answers by this afternoon."

I froze, still trying to process what I'd just heard, when the study door swung open.

Sonia looked as calm as ever. She took my hand and asked gently, "Can't sleep? Perfect timing. The food I ordered for you just arrived. Want some?"

She led me to the couch and slowly opened the takeout boxes.

The familiar, subtle aroma reached me, and only then did I notice the food in front of me. It was my favorite comfort food. I hadn't had it in ages.

Unlike me, Janice preferred heavy, bold flavors. No matter whether we ate at home or dined out, she never chose light, simple dishes.

Sonia noticed that I hadn't touched my food and turned toward me. "What's wrong? I thought this was your favorite restaurant."

"You remember?"

We'd known each other for years, but our relationship had always been tense. Even Janice didn't know my preferences, so how could Sonia?

Sonia smirked, sounding strangely proud. "Of course I remember. I can even make many of your favorite dishes. I just didn't have time today. But next time, I'll cook for you."

I ate a few bites in silence. I couldn't deny that, despite everything, my mood improved momentarily, and I almost felt soothed.

After the meal, Sonia insisted on taking me back to the bedroom.

She leaned against me and held my hand. "Go to sleep soon. The more you rest, the faster you'll recover."

As her breathing grew slow and steady, I gently slipped free and tiptoed into the study.

The computer screen was otherwise empty, except for a single chat window. Just then, the other person sent a document.

The thought of Sonia's request to investigate the car accident made my heart skip a beat.

I opened the file. More than a dozen photos of Janice and Wayne stared back at me. Spanning their early years to adulthood, seven years of their secret lives were laid bare before me.

My breath hitched, but I clenched my jaw and continued scrolling. At that moment, the truth behind the car accident dawned on me.

Janice and Wayne had bribed the driver to wait along the path I usually took. They'd just wanted to hurt me enough to land me in the hospital.

Then, while I was bedridden, they could quietly hold their wedding. By pretending to have lost my memory, I'd unknowingly played right into their hands.

A soft fragrance drifted from behind me.

"You saw everything?"

My back stiffened instantly. I turned my head slowly, and there Sonia was, watching me knowingly.

"You knew that I didn't actually lose my memory?" I asked.

Sonia let out a chuckle. "I only suspected as much. So you were really pretending. Now that you know everything, what are you going to do?"

Her gaze grew sharper, piercing right through me as if she could read my thoughts.

I stayed silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you into me?"

This time, Sonia froze.

As I stared at her, her cheeks flushed crimson, and her eyes darted away. Finally, she couldn't hold herself back.

"So what if I am? You were blind to treat Janice like she was a treasure! I warned you she's not trustworthy, but you didn't believe me. You even accused me of having ulterior motives!"

The composed, elegant Sonia from before was gone. She looked like an embarrassed, angry little girl.

I suddenly remembered that Janice, Sonia, and I had all met around the same time, but I'd fallen hopelessly for Janice.

After Janice and I had gotten together, I couldn't wait to tell everyone.

Sonia had shown up that rainy day, soaked and furious. She'd yelled at me, calling me blind and insisting that Janice wasn't right for me.

Back then, I'd thought it was just because they were close friends and she felt I wasn't good enough for Janice. Only now did I understand it was because she was into me.

Her cheeks were still flushed, and her gaze was stubborn like a fawn's as it locked onto me. The love she'd kept buried for so long suddenly overflowed in her eyes.

I'd never seen Janice look at me that way before. My heart pounded wildly.

I whispered her name. "Will you marry me?"

"W-what?" Sonia stammered.

Before I could repeat myself, she yanked open a drawer with a trembling hand. It was empty, except for a ring box resting inside.

I watched her fumble as she opened it and took out a pair of matching rings. Her fingers shook, but she still put the ring on my finger with determination.

"I heard you loud and clear, Colin. You can't back out!"

Her flustered expression made me laugh. Mimicking her, I slid the ring onto her finger. "I won't back out."

No sooner had I said it than the phone rang. Sonia's eyes darkened instantly as she pulled out her phone.

Janice's excited voice buzzed through the line. "Sonia, how's Colin doing over there? I'll be marrying Wayne in three days. Don't forget you're my bridesmaid!"

Sonia instinctively glanced at me. I held her hand, my expression blank. Reassured, she smiled and said softly into the phone, "What a coincidence. My wedding's in three days too."

Janice paused. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

I scoffed.

Boyfriend? Please. Of course, Sonia had one. Janice had said it herself—I'd been with Sonia for five years.

Janice sounded puzzled at my scoff. "Sonia, is that Colin beside you?"

Sonia settled onto my lap, nestling into my arms. "Nope. He's my fiance."

Janice breathed a sigh of relief, her tone easy. "Then we can have our weddings together. But for now, you're playing Colin's girlfriend, so don't let him know you're getting married. If it triggers his memories, I wouldn't know how to handle the fallout."

"Alright."

Sonia muttered a few half-hearted words before hanging up in a rush.

"Three days? That's barely enough time to pull off a wedding," I said.

She shot me a glance and muttered, "I've been ready for this for a long time."

Tracing the schedule with her finger, she rattled off every detail as though she'd rehearsed it 100 times.

The wedding dress and suit were delivered that very night.

Watching her bustle around, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. I'd spent seven years with Janice, and I'd had to propose 99 times just to get her to say yes.

I'd thrown myself into every detail of the wedding, making sure nothing fell short of her expectations.

Meanwhile, Sonia could only watch helplessly from the sidelines and had even despondently prepared for a wedding that might never have a groom.

I walked up to her and pulled her into my arms, whispering, "I'm really looking forward to this wedding."

…

Three days later, I ran into Wayne at the venue. He looked me over and, as always, patted my shoulder.

"Colin, it's good to see you at my wedding with Jan again. But today's Sonia's wedding too, so don't let yourself get upset, and don't do anything rash to ruin the ceremony."

Wayne's eyes were filled with a tangle of emotions—part schadenfreude, part challenge. I probably looked like some pitiful guy who'd survived a car crash, lost his memory, and been dumped by his girlfriend.

I forced a tight smile and said nothing.

Finding my misery less entertaining than expected, Wayne stopped teasing me. His gaze drifted toward the direction from which the bride would appear.

It wasn't until Janice stepped into view, looking radiant in her wedding gown, that a genuine, heartfelt smile lit up his face.

I followed his gaze too, but mine wasn't on her. I was looking at my bride.

With the two brides in position, the host hurried onto the altar, rattling off a string of well wishes to fire up the crowd. At last, as the guests applauded, he called out, "Grooms, please take the stage!"

Wayne practically leaped up.

I walked forward slowly, joining him at the front.

No sooner had I taken my place than a piercing, panicked scream cut through the air. "Colin! What are you doing up there?"