When I got off the plane at the airport, the weather wasn't great—light snow was falling.
It was early winter, cold enough to make one uneasy.
At the airport exit, I didn't see the familiar face I was looking for.
I felt a bit anxious. Since the day before yesterday, I hadn't been able to reach my boyfriend, Jared Sinclair.
His calls went unanswered, and he didn't reply to my messages.
Even when I called multiple times in a panic, the other side would sometimes respond with an unexpected message: "The person you're trying to reach is currently on the phone."
I was afraid something had happened to him.
So, I quickly took care of all the necessary procedures and declined the evening party invitation from the event organizers.
I rescheduled my flight and rushed back.
I specifically sent him my flight details.
The conversation thread was empty, with only the timestamp of when I sent him the last message.
It felt as though the person on the other side had never existed.
I took a taxi, hurrying to get back.
While in the cab, I received a message from my best friend, Emily.
"Gabrielle, you're back?"
I quickly replied, asking, "Emily, do you know what happened to Jared? He... hasn't gotten into trouble, has he?"
These past two days, I hadn't been able to sleep or eat, feeling frantic and desperate.
Unable to reach him, my mind wandered. Could he have been out drinking? Did the company run into some major trouble?
A car accident?
Or some other unforeseen disaster?
I had been in a relationship with him for five years and had lived together for two.
He usually treated me with care and respect, always explaining the details of even the smallest things.
When there were occasional work-related social events, he would always let me know beforehand.
He even worried that I wouldn't eat well alone, so he would pre-order meals for me.
Suddenly going missing without a word was a first.
I even thought about calling the police, but since I was out of town and didn't know the exact situation, I was worried about making a huge mistake if I did.
In the end, I had no choice but to ask Emily for help.
"You called me in such a panic, I thought something really happened," Emily said, smacking her lips with a hint of annoyance.
"Gabrielle, you know Jared has an old childhood friend, Yvonne?"
I froze for a moment.
I knew Yvonne Hammond. Shortly after Jared and I confirmed our relationship, he had confessed to me about his past.
He had a love story with her. They had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, began dating in high school, and were deeply in love in college, making promises to each other for a lifetime.
However, in the end, love was defeated by wealth and power.
Yvonne had married into a wealthy family, becoming the wife of a wealthy heir.
It wasn't a big deal, who hasn't had a few crushes or unrequited loves in their youth?
Besides, Jared had openly told me about it.
"Yvonne had a car accident and lost her memory," Emily told me. "Apparently, her memory stopped at the time when she and Jared were in love."
I couldn't help but reach for my chest, a dull ache slowly spreading across my body.
My tongue felt numb, as if poisoned, causing my voice to tremble slightly.
"And what does this have to do with Jared?"
Even if Yvonne had amnesia due to a car accident, she had her own husband and children.
The focus should be on helping her recover her memory.
Jared, as her former friend, visiting her would be fulfilling his duty.
Emily sneered, "Gabrielle, you still don't know? Yvonne got divorced. After her car accident, she got back in touch with Jared, and I heard she can't stay away from him for even a second."
Can't stay away?
I wanted to say something, but no words came out.
"Don't worry, Jared is fine. He's just busy taking care of his little childhood sweetheart." Emily continued over the phone.
"Gabrielle, are you okay?"
