Chapter 3

Tessa storms over and slaps me hard across the face.

“You slut! Are you trying to seduce my man?”

“Tessa, you misunderstood.” Ryan reaches for her.

“I don’t care!” Tessa shakes him off, lifting her chin with arrogance. “She was seducing you. I want this bitch on her knees, groveling at my feet. Otherwise, I’m not having this baby.”

Ryan falls silent for a moment.

In the end, he gives in.

“Willow, apologize to Tessa.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I’m the one he loves.” Tessa crosses her arms, smug and triumphant. “Willow, you can lose your memory a thousand times, ten thousand times. You’ll never take my man from me.”

For three years, this kind of thing has happened more times than I can count.

Tessa never got tired of showing off Ryan’s love for her.

And Ryan always, without fail, chose her side.

But this time, I’m done putting up with it.

Slap.

I slap her back, harder than she slapped me.

“Willow!”

Ryan’s face twists with fury. He grabs my wrist and snaps, “Tessa is pregnant. How could you hit her that hard? Apologize to her. Now.”

Looking at the furious man in front of me, I almost want to laugh.

Before Grandpa Cole died, Ryan knelt beside his bed and made him a promise.

“Grandpa, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Willow. I’ll love her, protect her, and never let anyone hurt her.”

But now, he has betrayed what we had.

And he is hurting me for another woman.

Every promise he ever made has turned into a lie.

Through my grief and anger, a cold voice cuts in from behind me.

“Let her go.”

Damon rushes over and pulls me into his arms, shielding me.

He looks at Ryan and Tessa coldly.

“Willow is my girlfriend now. Nobody puts a hand on her while I’m standing here.”

Damon’s arms feel strong and steady around me.

For the first time in three years, I feel safe.

I curl into his arms.

Suddenly, the whole thing feels pointless.

“Ryan, I want to go home.”

“Okay.” Damon pats my shoulder gently. “Let’s go home.”

That night, just before I fall asleep, Damon suddenly leaves the guest room.

I quietly follow him downstairs and catch him arguing with Ryan.

Damon looks furious.

“Ryan, Willow has been with you for years. You’re really treating her like this today because of Tessa?”

“Tessa is pregnant. I don’t have a choice.” Ryan’s expression is unreadable.

“What about Willow?” Damon snaps, standing up for me. “She’s been with you for years. She even lost a child because of you. How can you do this to her?”

Ryan is silent for a long time.

Then he sighs.

“You can’t have everything. If I have to choose… then I have to let Willow go.”

He had already given up on me once.

Three years ago, Tessa and I were in car accidents at the same time. When both our lives were on the line, he chose Tessa without hesitation.

I miscarried, suffered a serious head injury, and lost my memory.

And when I needed him most, he brought one of his friends to me and told me with no emotion at all,

“Willow, this is your boyfriend, Ryan. If you need anything, go to him.”

For three years, Ryan had nine of his friends take turns pretending to be him, so he could spend that time playing happy couple with Tessa.

And I played dumb and went along with the charade for three years.

But now, I am tired of this game.

I am done playing.