I knew Fabian was worried about the drug's efficacy. After a brief pause, I shook my head calmly.

A flicker of emotion flashed in his eyes, and there was even a moment of doubt.

Seeing that, Yelena walked over and called out warmly, "Anya, Fabian has mentioned you so many times. I finally got to meet you for the first time."

I could see the provocation in her eyes, but I found it laughable. I finally understood why Fabian had fallen for her. She was too much like the younger me. Yelena was bright, bold, and clever. She radiated a strong, lively spirit.

What had erased those things from me? Perhaps it was the mundane routines of family life and days of not finding my worth. Maybe it was also the looks of disregard from the one I loved.

I picked up my wine glass from the table and took the initiative to clink it with Yelena's. "Thank you for always having Fabian's back. I hope the two of you will become more in tune with each other over time," I said.

For some reason, Fabian looked flustered for a moment. He interrupted our conversation and pulled Yelena over to stand among their colleagues.

After turning down their invitation to play some games together, I went on a stroll and admired the place. It was an early summer night, and fireflies flickered among the grass.

Delighted, I cupped one in my hands and watched it in the dark.

Suddenly, I heard Yelena speak coyly to Fabian behind me. "Fabian, she has a firefly in her hands. Can you let us see one too?"

Hearing that, Fabian looked at me awkwardly. But I suddenly lost interest and released the firefly.

"Get Fabian to catch one for you. He used to be really good at it," I said.

He froze for a moment because I was talking about something from when we had just started dating. My memory loss was very random and fragmented.

That night, he got drunk and whispered softly in my ear. Only then did I vaguely remember that it was our wedding anniversary.

…

After our anniversary, Fabian seemed afraid the drug wouldn't work well. Whether intentionally or not, he kept an eye on me to make sure I was taking it. Every time he saw me take it dutifully, he looked relieved yet somewhat disappointed.

I found it rather amusing. So, did he want me to forget or not? However, my memory was indeed getting worse.

"This was your birthday gift to me. Don't you remember?"

"That's a movie we talked about during our college days."

"Anya, I don't eat olives. Did you forget?"

"Anya, Benjamin is treating us to dinner. What? You don't know him? He was the best man at our wedding!"

More and more of our conversations were about what I had forgotten.

Fabian frowned slightly.

I suddenly recalled when we first met. He had a look of displeasure when he saw a male colleague walk me back to my dorm. That had been long ago.

But even though he had gotten upset then, he'd still reply to Yelena's messages with a bright smile.

Every day, he used work at the lab as an excuse when he was actually spending time with her. I couldn't help but laugh at Yelena's sneaky Instagram posts. She didn't have to worry. Soon, they would spend the rest of their lives together.

Every time Yelena and Fabian visited a place that Fabian and I had been to, she would message me to test the waters.

"Anya, my boyfriend and I went to Graydon Hot Springs. The place is great. Have you and Fabe been there?"

"Anya, has Fabe taken you to the revolving restaurant?"

"Anya, the wisterias in spring are gorgeous. Have you seen them before?"

I didn't know what was wrong with the drug Fabian had developed. The memory loss was patchy, and I still vaguely remembered these things. Regardless, I always replied to Yelena that I hadn't been to those places.

I was sick of this game of cat-and-mouse and just wanted to leave like they wanted me to.

The day of Fabian's birthday, I had truly forgotten about it, but the calendar reminder on my phone made me remember. In the past years, I would prepare his gift months in advance. I'd give him something I'd made by hand.

Over the years, I had knitted Fabian scarves, bow ties, socks, and sweaters.

That morning, I saw Yelena's post about celebrating his birthday on Instagram. The attached welcome card was from a famous hotel.

I turned off my phone notifications and focused on studying for my counseling course. I knew I needed to make a living after the divorce. Fortunately, even though my memory was fading, my ability to learn had not declined. After all, I no longer had to give Fabian my full attention and love anymore.

I was learning surprisingly fast too.

At 10:00 pm, I was ready to sleep after my shower. But I received a call from Fabian, and I wondered how he had the time to call me at this hour. I hadn't expected his tone to be off the moment I answered.

"Anya, do you really not remember what day it is today?"

I looked at the night view photo from the hotel Yelena had just shared five minutes ago.

Suddenly, I couldn't figure him out anymore. "Fabian, I'm a little tired today. I'm going to sleep now, so let's talk tomorrow."

…

Fabian was stunned when Anya ended the call on him. Memories of every birthday she had celebrated with him flooded his mind all at once. He felt a strange bitterness inside, as if something important was slipping away from his life.

That sense of loss and grievance caught him off guard. Even seeing Yelena in her seductive red nightgown suddenly felt dull.

His heart skipped a beat, and he shook off the distracting thoughts forcefully.

Fabian sank back into Yelena's embrace, and the two of them spent the whole night tangled in a passionate embrace.

After Fabian fell asleep, Yelena posed seductively and took a photo. Then, she posted again on Instagram. The designer bag beside her was as eye-catching as her red nightgown.

She wrote in her post, "My boyfriend gave me a gift on his birthday. I don't even know who's really the one celebrating. I love him so much!"

Comments flooded in with well wishes.

…

I saw Yelena's post the next morning. I was dazed for a moment before remembering her boyfriend was Fabian.

This drug was truly strange. It didn't seem to erase my memories in order of time but rather memories connected to a certain person.

I realized I had very few memories of Fabian left. The only thing I knew was that he was my husband, and he had cheated on me. But other than that, I had almost completely forgotten what had happened between us.

My feelings for him had faded so much that they were almost gone.

Unable to resist joining in the fun, I even liked Yelena's post. I swore I meant it sincerely.

Fabian was so much older than her, so it was essentially him robbing the cradle. Honestly, he was the one getting the better deal, and even I felt a little embarrassed for her.

I laughed out loud, having amused myself.

When Fabian opened the door and saw me smiling so brightly, his guilty expression darkened. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What made you so happy? Last night, I—"

I looked at him in confusion. "What happened last night?"

His words caught in his throat, and he said nothing in the end.

Seeing that, I got up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. I made sunny-side-up eggs, some toast, and a fruit salad. Then, I poured two glasses of milk.

"If you haven't eaten yet, why don't you join me for a bite?" I casually invited him.

He was happy to come over, but his expression changed in an instant.

"Anya, I'm allergic to milk. Don't you remember?"

I froze, then said, "Oh, really? Sorry, I forgot. Lately, I seem to have trouble remembering things about you. What's going on? Why did we get together in the first place? It's very strange. Why am I only forgetting things about you?"

Fabian's expression grew darker as I spoke, showing signs that he might explode.