Chapter 1

"Before Ingrid gets here, let me ask you one more time, Ned Fletcher. With how you're treating Angie right now, aren't you worried that you're going to regret it when you finally regain your memories in the future?"

Hearing this, Angeline Emmerson's hand froze at the door handle. She had just been about to enter the room.

"Angeline is nothing but a fucking bitch who happens to be my ex. It's none of my business if you want to keep protecting that disgusting bitch, but if you still want to be my friend, you had better not bring her up again with me or Ingrid. Gross!"

Zachary Stone's voice got louder when he heard Ned calling Angeline all sorts of names. "You were the one who insisted on marrying her before! And if it wasn't for her trying to protect you when you both met with that accident on the way back from the courthouse, she wouldn't have slipped into a coma for two whole years!

"At the very least, she's your life savior. She's also your lawfully wedded wife! How could you post so many indecent photos of her all over Oceanford College? How is she supposed to hold her head high in society anymore?"

Ned spoke nonchalantly, saying, "If you want to put it that way, then if it hadn't been for me bringing her out of the country to live with us, she would have been tortured to death by the Emmersons. So, her protecting me during the accident was nothing but returning me that favor!

"Also, why are you still holding me hostage with morals and principles and shit? She was the one who spiked my drink and fucked me against my will. I was just warning her by pasting her nude photos all over college. If Ingrid hadn't asked me to stop, I'd have gone even further!"

Angeline could picture Ned's impatient frown with a hint of disdain showing in his eyes, just from hearing his voice coming from behind the door.

She used to be treated ever so lovingly by this same man in the past. He'd loved her and protected her back then, so she knew that he had already gone easy on her with what he did.

Otherwise, as Oceanford's biggest jerk, he would have done worse things to her, an ex-girlfriend who supposedly drugged him and forced him to have sex with her to spite his current girlfriend.

Angeline felt her eyes reddening and filling with tears.

The Ned she used to know wouldn't even frown at her. He would have trusted her and never accused her of spiking his drink. He would also have never hurt her by spreading her nude photos everywhere.

However, the Ned she knew had died in the car accident that happened four years ago.

Ned's other friends in the room saw that Ned was getting angrier. They raised their glasses and clinked them with Zachary's before reminding him, saying, "Ned's father has dealt with the matter. People will forget about it eventually, so it won't harm Angeline too much.

"Besides, it's Ned's birthday today. Let's not keep bringing Angeline up. Can't you see it's making him unhappy?"

Some of Ned's other friends also felt bad for Ned. "But honestly, Angeline's the one who overstepped her boundaries! She indeed had a past with Ned; so what? Ned loves Ingrid now. If Angeline really loved Ned, then she should release him and let him be happy with Ingrid! She shouldn't hang on to the past and continue bugging Ned like this!"

"We'll go back and try to talk some sense into her. She and Ned should get divorced as soon as possible. It's for her own good too."

"It's useless! Everyone here has talked to her about it, but don't you remember how she replied? She said she would only leave if Ned finally remembered the past but still chose Ingrid over her. She didn't even stop to think if her lowly background was worthy of the heir to Fletcher Corp.!

"Ned was the one who told his parents he wouldn't marry anyone else but her, so there was nothing else they could do since he was an only child. But can't she see how much Ned loves Ingrid now?"

The few people talking used to be mutual friends with both Ned and Angeline. However, her friends were now taking Ingrid's side.

From the time Angeline woke up from her coma until now, they had been telling her to let go of the past and divorce Ned so that he could be with Ingrid.

Angeline even overheard conversations wishing she'd never woken up from her coma. Everything would have been perfect, then.

It was undeniable that Angeline had been replaced, whether it was with Ned or her friends. Everything had changed within those two short years she'd spent unconscious.

Angeline inhaled deeply. She stood a little straighter and fixed her hair, feeling like a soldier preparing for war. Then, she pushed the door open.

Ned looked up and saw Angeline entering. He rolled his eyes and scoffed, not even bothering to hide his annoyance with her. He then asked Zachary coldly, "Did you bring her here?"

"Angie? What are you doing here?" Zachary asked in concern. He got up and went over to her. He never thought that she would show up unannounced.