Chapter 7

In the end, Olivia left in a hurry.

I had a feeling she used to get a kick out of stirring things up between me and Ethan. But this time, I wasn't playing her game. I answered everything she said head-on. No drama. No reaction. She didn't know how to handle it, and clearly didn't understand why I'd suddenly changed so much.

If she'd stayed any longer, she would've exposed herself. So she bailed.

Good riddance. I didn't want to see either of them.

Ethan gave me a long look. "Get some rest. I'll come by tomorrow to check on you."

I nodded. "You should bring the divorce papers. If you don't draft them, I'll find a lawyer who will."

Given how much he probably had in assets, it was smarter if he handled it. Less messy. It'd also spare him from thinking I was after his money.

His expression darkened. After a pause, he said flatly, "I'm not divorcing you."

And with that, he shut the door and walked out.

He must've known staying would only piss me off more.

Not long after, I got a message, from his phone.

Wait for me here tomorrow.

I stared at my own phone. On a whim, I tried unlocking it with my birthday. No luck.

Then I tried Ethan's.

The screen lit up instantly.

I let out a dry, bitter laugh. My love-struck self had really outdone herself. I changed the passcode back to my own birthday right away.

The next day, I didn't wait for him at all. I called Zack.

"This is Aria."

I got straight to the point. "Do you have time for a drink?"

His voice was a little rough but had a playful edge. "What's this about?"

"I just wanted to thank you properly. You did save my life yesterday."

I've never been the type to leave debts or grudges hanging.

Honestly, I have no idea what was going on with the 25-year-old version of me, turning into a doormat for love…

"Alright," he said.

We agreed to meet at a nearby café. When I got there, he was already waiting.

"You're punctual," I said as I slid into the seat across from him. "So, how do you want me to thank you?"

"Any way you want," Zack said, studying me. Then he frowned. "You seem… really different."

"Do I?" I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, not wanting him to know I'd lost my memory.

Besides, I wasn't even sure what kind of relationship we had. Judging by yesterday, we weren't exactly close.

I gave a half-smile. "Maybe I'm still in shock from yesterday…"

"Aria, seriously, what's going on with you?" His voice shifted, more serious now. "We've known each other for years. You can talk to me."

That caught me off guard. "We have?"

Zack tapped the table lightly. "Don't tell me you forgot me."

I gave a wry smile. "Should I remember?"

He gave me a long look, like he was trying to read my soul.

"Something's off. Ever since you woke up from your last suicide attempt, you haven't been yourself. Is this because of Ethan?"

I let out a dry laugh. "So even you can tell I've changed, but he's still clueless. Yeah… there's no saving this marriage."

Zack looked stunned. "You're really planning to divorce him?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" I took a sip of coffee. "After what happened yesterday, what else would you expect?"

He shook his head slowly. "You used to be crazy about him. I never thought I'd hear you seriously talk about divorce."

Then he gave me a teasing smirk. "When you married Ethan, you were head over heels. You followed him everywhere, couldn't stand any woman near him, especially Olivia."

"Was I really that ridiculous?"

"More than ridiculous. You were possessive, jealous, constantly worried he'd leave you. And he, well, he found you annoying, but he never talked about ending things."

He sighed. "After you married him, you basically ghosted all your friends. Especially the guys. We were college classmates, remember? Went through a lot together. I confessed, you turned me down, but we stayed friends. Then poof, gone. I had to squeeze into Ethan's social circle just to bump into you once in a while. And even then, you'd act like I didn't exist."

He said a lot, and for the first time, everything started to make sense.

So that was it. He was a friend I met after turning eighteen, explains why my eighteen-year-old self had zero memory of him.

We met, he confessed, I rejected him, then I met Ethan… and lost myself completely in that marriage.

I became a jealous mess, a punchline. Lost my friends, my independence. And Zack, he had to find a way back into my life through Ethan, of all people.

"You must know me pretty well, then…" I said slowly, eyes lighting up.

Because right now, I didn't even know who I was.

Not my job, my friends, or even the person I'd become.

But Zack… he might help me piece it all back together.

One thing was certain: I couldn't let Ethan find out I'd lost my memory. That would only make everything messier.