Chapter 1

He remembered my childhood pet' s name, our first meeting, and my obscure tea brand, but for five years, Braylon couldn't remember I was allergic to shrimp. It glistened in my pasta, a cruel reminder of how little of me registered in his mind, especially as he laughed with a familiar blonde across the room. My stomach churned, not from the allergy, but from a deeper sickness.

That night, at a sprawling rooftop party, Braylon handed Dallas Huff, a young blonde, a delicate bracelet-a replica of her grandmother's, a story he'd told me a hundred times. "Dallas, this reminded me of you," he said, his voice soft, intimate. She beamed, leaning into him, her eyes sparkling, then flickered to me with a triumphant, venomous gleam.

When Dallas purred about a gallery opening, Braylon chuckled, "Eliza will be coming with us. Our anniversary dinner is that night." He turned to me, a forced smile pleading for me to play along. But I was done. "It's over, Braylon," I whispered, "And my name is Eliza." He looked genuinely lost, unable to recall my actual name, while Dallas and his friends mocked his forgetfulness.

His eyes, wide and confused, searched my face. "Eliza? What are you talking about? Your name is... it's always been..." He trailed off, genuinely lost. A bitter taste filled my mouth. He remembered every trivial detail of Dallas' s life, but my actual name? It was a blank.

Later, he left me stranded on a dark, winding road after I refused to apologize to Dallas. My phone was dead, and I stumbled, breaking my ankle. As I lay there, alone and injured, I sobbed, "Why did I stay? Why did I waste five years on him?" Braylon, meanwhile, drove away, a gnawing unease simmering beneath his anger, only to return to a horrifying scene.

Chapter 1

He remembered her childhood pet' s name, the exact day they first met, and her favorite brand of obscure artisanal tea-but for five years, he couldn' t remember I was allergic to shrimp. It was right there, glistening pink in my pasta, a cruel reminder of how little of me truly registered in his mind. I looked at the plate, then at Braylon, the man I loved, the man who was currently laughing with a familiar blonde across the room. My stomach churned, not from the allergy, but from a deeper, more corrosive sickness.

"Eliza? Is everything alright?" Braylon' s voice cut through the restaurant's chatter.

He had finally looked my way. His eyes, usually so warm, now held a flicker of detached concern. He hadn't even noticed the shrimp until I pushed the plate away.

"Shrimp," I said, my voice flat. "You know I'm allergic."

His smile faltered. A flush crept up his neck. "Oh, God, Eliza, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot. Let me get you something else. Chef, a new pasta for my girlfriend, no shrimp, please! My mistake entirely!"

He was quick to act, always. Quick to apologize, quick to fix the visible problem. But the real problem, the one festering inside me, he passed over every single time. A new plate would arrive, but my appetite had vanished. The hollowness in my chest had grown too large for any food to fill.

Later that evening, we arrived at a sprawling rooftop party. The city lights blurred below us, a glittering tapestry I barely noticed. Braylon, as always, was a magnet. The moment we stepped in, his eyes scanned the crowd, found their target, and he was off.

He walked past me, a phantom touch on my back, and headed straight for Dallas Huff. She was young, blonde, and beautiful, draped in a dress that shimmered under the moonlight. She was like a siren.

He handed her a delicate, glittering bracelet. It was a replica of one her grandmother used to wear, a story he' d told me a hundred times.

"Dallas, this reminded me of you," he said, his voice soft, intimate.

She beamed, her fingers tracing the tiny jewels. "Braylon, you always remember the sweetest things. You know just what to get me."

She leaned into him, her hand resting casually on his chest. It was a familiar gesture, one that made my jaw clench. The way she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, was an old, painful performance.

Then her eyes flickered to me, a smirk playing on her lips. A triumphant, venomous gleam. She looked away quickly, turning back to Braylon.

"We have to go to that new gallery opening next month, Braylon," she purred. "Remember? You promised we'd go together, just like old times."

Braylon chuckled, shaking his head. "Dallas, we can go, but Eliza will be coming with us. We already have plans that night, actually."

He turned to me then, a forced smile on his face. "Right, sweetie? Our anniversary dinner is that night."

His eyes seemed to plead with me, to play along, to smooth over the awkwardness. But I was done. Done with the charade, done with being an afterthought.

"It's over, Braylon," I said, my voice barely a whisper, yet it cut through the festive noise like a shard of ice. "And my name is Eliza."

The laughter, the music, the chatter-everything died. The sudden silence was deafening, crushing. Braylon's eyes, wide and confused, searched my face.

"Eliza?" he repeated, his brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? Your name is... it's always been..." He trailed off, genuinely lost.

A bitter, acrid taste filled my mouth. He had done it again. For five years, I had patiently corrected him. "It's Eliza, Braylon. Not Elisa. Not Alisa. Eliza." Every time, he' d promise to remember. Every time, he' d forget. But he could recall Dallas' s kindergarten teacher' s name, her favorite shade of blue, the precise flavor of ice cream she' d cried over when she was seven. He remembered every trivial detail of her life, but my actual name? It was a blank.

Dallas let out a high-pitched, mocking giggle. "Oh, Braylon, darling. She's just being dramatic. You always get her name wrong. It's cute, really."

Braylon's friends, a group of shallow, wealthy socialites, joined in the laughter.

"Yeah, Braylon, remember when you called her 'Brenda' at the charity gala?" one of them guffawed. "Classic!"

Another chimed in, "The man's a walking encyclopedia of useless facts, but names? Forget about it!"

Their words washed over me, numbing me. I felt my body go cold, the last flicker of warmth dying out. Braylon saw my face then, truly saw it. The mockery in the air vanished from his expression, replaced by a dawning horror.

"Eliza, I... I'm so sorry," he stammered, reaching for me. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'll do better, I promise."

It was too late. The well of emotion inside me had run dry. There was no anger left, just an aching emptiness. I couldn't make a scene here. Not now. Not like this.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the lump in my throat. "Just take me home, Braylon," I said, my voice flat.

He looked relieved, almost desperate. "Of course, sweetie. Let's go."

Dallas, ever the opportunist, stepped forward. "Oh, Braylon, my place isn't far. Can you drop me off? It's on your way, right?" She looked at him expectantly, then at me with another sneer.

Braylon glanced at me, a silent question in his eyes.

I didn't answer. I just turned and walked away, past them, towards the exit. Let them follow. Or not. It didn't matter anymore.