A screech of brakes shattered the rainy night. Emily Sullivan opened her eyes in a hospital bed. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled her nose. She blinked, disoriented, scanning the unfamiliar room. A girl slumped asleep beside her, tear stains glistening on her lashes. "Olivia?" Emily nudged her gently. Olivia Sinclair jerked upright, red-rimmed eyes widening with shock. "Emily! You're awake!" She fumbled for the call button. "The doctor said you had a concussion—" Emily suddenly frowned. "Why isn't your brother here today?" Olivia froze. "My... brother?" she repeated cautiously. "You remember Liam?" Emily tilted her head. "Who's Liam Sinclair?" The air turned to ice. Olivia seized her wrist, voice trembling. "Stop joking! You chased him for seven years—" "Seven years?" Emily yanked her hand back. "I don't even know him!" Olivia's face drained of color. She pulled out her phone with shaking hands. "Then who is this?" The man in the photo had sharp features, his gaze cold as steel. Emily studied it blankly. "No way..." Olivia whispered. She snatched Emily's phone. "What's your passcode?" "0520. My idol's birthday." Wrong password. Biting her lip, Olivia typed 0715. The screen unlocked. The gallery was flooded with stolen shots—Liam reading at a café, Liam's silhouette under a black umbrella, Liam scowling as he pushed the camera away. Every photo's timestamp ended the day before the accident. "Did I... take these?" Emily's voice wavered. She opened the notes app. The latest entry read: "Waited for him after work again. He said, 'Don’t come back.' But Liam, a life without you is harder than waiting." A sharp pain stabbed her chest. She clutched her shirt, as if a black hole had swallowed all memories of this stranger. "Did he... hate me?" Olivia looked away. "Sophia Bennett came back. That night, he left you in the rain to pick her up. You ran after them and—" Emily deleted every photo before she finished. Her fingers didn't hesitate as she emptied the trash. "What are you doing?!" Olivia gasped. "If I forgot, maybe it's for the best." Emily turned to the window. The post-rain sunlight stung her eyes. "Sounds like those memories weren't happy." Olivia's phone rang. She checked the caller ID, expression twisting. "I need to go." At the door, she hesitated. "Emily, are you really—" "I'm fine." Emily smiled. "Better than ever." The moment the door closed, her phone buzzed. Her mother's voice was tentative. "Emily, the Campbells are asking about the betrothal again..." "I'll do it." A cup clattered on the other end. "But you swore you'd never marry—" "Mom," Emily interrupted softly. "I want to come home." Hanging up, she curled into the blankets. The pillow grew damp beneath her cheek—but she couldn't remember why she was crying.