Chapter 1

My memory was gone, a blank slate wiped clean each day. I lived a life guided by Post-it notes-simple instructions that told me who I was, what to eat, and to be polite to visitors.

Then he came back. Jax, the man I supposedly abandoned for money seven years ago, was now a billionaire. He stood at my door with his new fiancée, his eyes burning with a hatred I couldn't place.

He forced me onto a humiliating reality show, turning my broken mind into a public spectacle. He tore down my notes, my only connection to myself, and let the world watch as I nearly drowned in a tank of ice water. When my brother tried to save me, he was arrested for assault.

To free my brother, I had to confess. I stood before the world and apologized for a betrayal I couldn't even remember, becoming the monster everyone believed me to be.

But as I spoke the lies he fed me, a single detail about a stolen necklace made his perfect world shatter. He finally saw the truth in my empty eyes. It was just seven years too late.

Chapter 1

My head throbbed. Sometimes it felt like a broken record, playing the same three seconds over and over again. Other times, it was static. Just white noise.

I forgot things. Big things. Small things. Everything in between.

There were Post-it notes everywhere. On the fridge. On the walls. On my hand. They told me what to do. They told me who I was.

Today, a note on the door said: "Expect visitors. Be polite."

The doorbell rang. It made me jump. My heart picked up speed.

I opened the door.

A man stood there. Tall. Dark hair. Sharp eyes. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. My head felt fuzzy.

Beside him, a woman. Blonde, perfectly made up. She wore a dress that shimmered. Her smile was too wide.

The man stared at me. His eyes raked over my faded jeans, my worn-out sweater.

He let out a short, cold laugh. "Seven years, Joleen. And this is what you've become."

I frowned. "Do I know you?"

The woman beside him tightened her grip on his arm. Her smile vanished, replaced by a smirk.

"Don't play dumb, Joleen," the man said. His voice was low, angry. "Or is it the rich old man finally broke your brain?"

I shook my head. "I don't understand."

He scoffed. "Still pretending? Fine. Harlow, my love, let's not waste our time."

Harlow. That was her name. It was written on a Post-it note somewhere. I think.

"Would you like some water? Or tea?" I asked. The note on the table said: "Offer guests a drink."

Jax, the man, just stared at me. His jaw was tight.

Harlow just rolled her eyes.

"Okay," I mumbled. I turned and headed to the tiny kitchen.

I needed to find the cups. A Post-it on the cabinet said: "Cups: top shelf, left."

My hands shook a little as I reached for them. The glass clinked against another.

Another note said: "Water: fridge door."

I pulled out the pitcher. But then, I paused. Where was the sugar?

I scanned the countertop. No Post-it for sugar. My brain felt like a tangled mess of yarn.

"What's taking so long?" Jax's voice cut through the silence. It was sharp, impatient.

"Just getting the sugar," I called back. My voice was small.

I finally found the sugar in a jar. Hidden behind the coffee. I poured two glasses of water. Added sugar to one, just in case.

I carried the tray out, my hands trembling even more. The water sloshed. A few drops spilled onto the tray. They made a tiny splash sound.

Jax was watching me. His gaze felt heavy.

Harlow stepped forward. She took the tray from my hands. Her fingers were long and cold.

"Look at you, Joleen," Harlow said. Her voice was sweet, but her eyes were cold. "Seven years. And you haven't changed a bit. Still a mess."

She handed one glass to Jax. He took a long, slow drink.

Then she placed the other glass heavily on the small coffee table in front of me. It made a thud.

"Who are you?" I asked again. My voice was a whisper.

Harlow's perfect smile tightened. She linked her arm through Jax's. She squeezed.

"I'm Harlow Bridges," she announced. Her voice was loud and clear. "Jax's fiancée."

She paused, just for a second. "And we're getting married. We came back to tell everyone. Especially you."

I felt a strange pang in my chest. A feeling I couldn't name.

"Oh," I said. "Congratulations." It felt like the right thing to say.

I looked down at my hands. I picked at a loose thread on my sweater.

Jax slammed his glass onto the table. The sound made me flinch.

"Congratulations?" he snarled. His eyes were blazing. "What right do you have to congratulate anyone, Joleen? Still playing the innocent act?"

He stood up. His tall frame cast a shadow over me. My breath caught in my throat.

"You left me," he said. His voice was a low growl. "For some rich old man. You threw away everything we had. Everything."

"You think I forgot?" he continued. "You think I'd ever forget how you humiliated me? How you ruined me?"

"Now look at me. I'm a billionaire. A tech mogul. Worlds away from this dump. Worlds away from you."

"And you," he spat. "You're still playing the victim. This memory loss act? It's pathetic, Joleen. It truly is."

He leaned closer. His breath hot on my face. "Don't think for a second I'm going to feel sorry for you. Don't think for a second I'm going to look back."

He reached out. His fingers clamped around my jaw. He tilted my head up roughly.

"Look at you," he said, his voice laced with disgust. "The pretty girl from high school. Wasted. Ugly."

My jaw ached. My vision swam.

"It hurts," I whispered.

He let out a harsh laugh. "It hurts? You remember pain, Joleen? Good. Because you caused me more pain than you could ever imagine."