After hanging up the phone, I headed home. It was only then that I was struck by the stark emptiness of the place.

There was nothing left but a hollow shell.

It was the house Ashton and I had made our own, where he once promised we would spend our lives together in that cozy little nest.

However, the coffee set we had lovingly designed, the knick-knacks we had chosen—all traces of him had vanished without a trace.

He must have been afraid I would cling to the memories, or maybe he did not want me to spiral out of control and ruin his upcoming wedding with Lydia. He had even turned the soil of the flowers we had nurtured together on the balcony.

Looking around the barren rooms, I could not help but smirk bitterly.

'Ashton, you've covered all your bases. Are you more afraid of my pain or the chaos of me remembering and wrecking your big day with Lydia? Would you have any regrets if you knew there was no turning back for me, no memories to reclaim?' I mused silently.

I slipped off my wedding ring, penned a final note to him, and sealed both our rings in an envelope, tucking it into the empty space of a flowerpot.

Just then, my phone rang with urgency.

It took a moment for my best friend, Noelle Mason, to find her words.

"Macie, I've got to tell you something. Ashton's cheating. I just caught him outside the hospital, all wrapped up with another woman."

I let out a nonchalant hum and replied, "It's fine. Let him do what he wants."

Noelle's voice cracked with surprise, "Macie, are you... Are you sure you're alright?"

Her concern was so genuine that it brought a laugh out of me.

"What could go wrong for me now? Ashton and I have already signed the divorce papers."

"Divorced?!"

I laid out the whole messy tale for Noelle, and when she heard about the pill I had taken, she let loose with a string of expletives.

"The nerve of him, scheming to marry that woman. He'd stoop to anything. You passed up the great opportunity at work to stand by him, poured your heart into his success—half of what he has is all thanks to you.

"Now, for some other woman, he's ready to sideline you, feeding you some cock-and-bull story about sparing you pain, slipping you a memory-wiping drug. What gives him the right? How can he even look at himself in the mirror?!"

A sharp pang shot through me, my face draining of color.

Five years back, when Ashton was down and out, I did not think twice before saying 'I do'.

I called in every favor to breathe life back into his business.

He used to cling to me every night, murmuring that I was his eternal love.

However, as time wore on, things started to shift.

Ashton's heart made room for someone else.

He brushed aside everything I had done, expecting me to be the perfect, understanding wife, even as he begged me to pardon his soft spot for Lydia.

Was it so hard to keep loving someone, just as before? Why was it that I could, and he could not?

Noelle was on the other end of the line, letting rip a storm of words, and after wearing herself out, she finally caught her breath and laid down her verdict.

"I bet my bottom dollar that he'll rue the day he divorced you and fed you those amnesia pills! Ha! He has no clue you haven't whipped up an antidote. Let him suffer the consequences, and you, you're finally free to move on."

My eyes flicked to the letter tucked away between the flowerpots.

After all the years with Ashton, I knew his routines inside out.

Ashton would often find solace in a lonely glass of liquor on the balcony when the blues hit him hard.

If he truly felt remorse on the day I walked away, that letter would surely catch his eye.

Deep into the night, Ashton came inside and turned the room upside down.

"What are you up to?"

He froze, catching sight of me in my pajamas at the bedroom door.

A crease formed between his brows as he wrapped his coat around me.

"It's freezing. Why are you dressed so lightly?"

Ignoring his concern, I pressed on, "Are you searching for something?"

"Yeah, I need to borrow your wedding dress. Lydia wants to wear it for her big day."

He added, as if I might have forgotten, "It's the one you wore at your own wedding."

I just stared at him silently.

How could I forget? He had crafted that dress with his own hands for me.

From sketch to final stitch, it had taken two whole months.

He had done it all because I once said, "I wish for a wedding dress that's one of a kind".

However, there he was, ready to hand over the dress he made for me to perfect another woman's wedding.

A laugh almost escaped me, but I held it back and asked instead, "Does the dress mean that much? Why does it have to be this one?"

My question seemed to strike a chord, and he stopped what he was doing.

When he finished the dress, he had promised, "This dress will forever be yours alone".

I held his gaze. He wavered for just a second before he blurted out, "It's a masterpiece—the only one like it in the world. Lydia adores it. Her heart is set on getting married in this dress."

As I looked down, he reassured me, "Don't worry, I'll give it back to you right after the wedding. Then, you can ask for anything you want."

However, it was just another perfect lie, and it hit me hard, once again.

On our wedding day, Ashton could not take his eyes off me.

Later, he carefully stored the wedding dress away like a precious keepsake.

"Why do you care so much about this dress?" I joked.

He replied earnestly, "It's because you made it uniquely beautiful. I want to keep this memory alive forever."

However, swayed by Lydia's simple "I like it", he gave it to her without a second thought.

The dress was no longer a cherished memory. It was just a trinket to make Lydia happy.

"It's late. You should get some sleep. I've got to head out," he said, oblivious to my feelings, and took the dress with him.

I dropped my coat to the floor, my gaze falling on the empty cabinet, my heart heavy with disappointment and grief.

"It's okay. I'm in the same boat. Once he's done cleaning up his mess, all will be well," I told myself.

It was nothing more than being cast aside.

When my memories were wiped clean, I was finally able to move on.

Lost in thought, a sharp pain suddenly pierced my mind, and another piece of my memory vanished.

I snapped out of my sadness.

The following day, Noelle mentioned that Ashton was swamped with wedding preparations for Lydia, a spectacle to rival our own.

I nodded, lost in thought. Despite his tight schedule, he still managed to have meals sent to me three times a day.

He was so thorough that he even took care of me. What a two-faced hypocrite!

On the day of the wedding, Noelle dragged me along to witness the spectacle.

Before the ceremony began, we found ourselves tucked away in the farthest corner, catching sight of Ashton and Lydia, arms entwined, the center of attention amidst a circle of giggling bridesmaids.

One of them murmured, "I can't believe it. Ashton threw a wedding just as lavish for Macie once. Who would've thought Lydia would strike it so lucky?"

Lydia's grip on Ashton's arm tightened when she heard my name.

Ashton cleared his throat and replied, "Macie and I are divorced. Today's about Lydia. Let's not dwell on the past."

The bridesmaids let out a collective sigh as Ashton put distance between his past and present.

"Lydia's young and stunning. Macie never stood a chance."

"Ashton, you're holding Lydia's future now. Don't you dare fail her."

He offered that same warm smile he once reserved for me.

"I won't let her down."

My eyes darkened, and Noelle, fuming, bit back, "What nonsense! Since when does the other woman win with grace?"

From somewhere in the crowd, a voice called out, stirring up excitement. "It's such a beautiful day. How about a kiss from Lydia and Ashton?"

The bridesmaids echoed the sentiment.

"A kiss! A kiss!"

Lydia turned to Ashton, her cheeks a delicate shade of pink, the picture of demure charm.

Amidst the chants, Ashton tenderly caressed her ear before bending down to plant a soft kiss near her lips.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

However, amidst the revelry, I was engulfed by an overwhelming silence.

His heart was already out of his control, and then, it seemed his body was too.

I gave a wry smile, thankful that I had let go of enough memories to dull the pain.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a boarding alert for my flight.

"Noelle, it's time for me to head out."

Noelle wrapped me in a tight embrace, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Go on. Leave all the mess behind and let yourself sparkle! I'll be here waiting for you to make it big and climb even higher. As for this place, I'll leave them a parting gift from you!"

"See you later, Noelle."

I grinned, giving her nose a playful flick, not really caring about the 'gift' she mentioned.

In just half an hour, every memory of loving Ashton would be wiped clean.

I pulled my suitcase behind me and walked away. Ashton and Lydia, hand in hand, caught a fleeting glimpse of me and seemed momentarily unsettled.

However, that could not be right.

If I were at the wedding, I would be there as the 'sister', not a stranger with luggage in tow.

He must have been mistaken.

The venue lights dimmed, and Ashton and Lydia stood center stage, exchanging rings and gazing into each other's eyes with syrupy sweetness.

The crowd erupted, egging them on to kiss.

Out of nowhere, a banner unfurled from the ceiling.

Noelle stood beneath it, megaphone in hand, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

[Here's to Lydia the homewrecker and Ashton the heartbreaker! May your love last forever, and may you never have kids!]

Lydia's face drained of color, and she instinctively ducked behind Ashton.

Recognizing Noelle, Ashton's irritation flared "What nonsense are you spouting? Macie and I are divorced, and Lydia's no homewrecker!"

Noelle let out a mocking laugh. "You're the poster child for wanting it all, aren't you? Clinging to your ex-wife while planning a wedding with someone else, and all the while telling Macie to hang on for a second chance with you. Have you got any clue how much she's suffered these last few days?"

Ashton's gaze turned icy. "Your concern is unnecessary. I've medicated Macie, so she won't remember any of this."

"You idiot, the memory-wiping doesn't happen instantly. It takes three days to erase the memories of a loved one. Macie's witnessed everything you've done in that time."

Noelle cocked her head with a taunting smirk.

"You're clueless about who created that drug, aren't you? It was Macie, your ex-wife.

"Here's another bombshell for you. There's no cure for the memory loss. Macie's forgotten you for good. She's not coming back to you, so go ahead and live it up with your new flame."