Chapter 1
Harper Coulson lost her memory after a car accident. She remembered everyone except Dylan Rodriguez. After keeping vigil for several days, her best friend, Jemma Rodriguez, finally realized Harper genuinely couldn't recall his name, and her expression shifted.
“Harper, it’s just us here,” Jemma said, leaning closer. “Level with me—is this some new strategy to get my brother’s attention?”
Harper looked genuinely confused. “What? No way. I seriously don’t remember him. Who is he? You’re not messing with me? Then swear on it!”
Without hesitation, Harper made a solemn promise. Seeing Harper make such a serious vow, Jemma was stunned. She grabbed Harper’s shoulders firmly. “Holy crap, you actually have amnesia, and you’ve only forgotten my brother?!”
Harper couldn’t understand why this was so shocking. “Who exactly is Dylan Rodriguez, anyway?”
Jemma’s expression grew complicated as she ran a hand through her hair. “Dylan’s my brother. Back in freshman year, when you came over to study, you fell head over heels for him the minute you saw him. You’ve been trying to win him over for seven straight years…”
As Jemma rambled on, Harper’s mind went completely blank. “So…he’s my boyfriend now?” she asked hopefully.
An awkward expression crossed Jemma’s face. “God, no. My brother has always been ice-cold toward you. He’s hung up on someone else, so he rejected not just you but everyone who’s shown interest. He’s completely stuck on his first love, Baby Hale. When they broke up years ago, he was such a mess he drank himself into the hospital and nearly died. He’s never moved on. Actually, this accident happened because he left you stranded on the highway in the pouring rain to go pick up Ruby, who’d just returned from Europe.”
These revelations left Harper speechless, her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. “Let me get this straight,” she said slowly. “Your brother treats me like garbage, is obsessed with another woman, and literally abandoned me in a storm because of her? What on earth did I see in him? Are you sure you’re not making this up?”
“Why would I lie about something like this? Everyone knows you’ve been crazy about my brother forever.” Jemma shook her head and quickly handed Harper her phone. “See for yourself.”
Harper skeptically took the phone and tried typing in a familiar password, but couldn’t unlock it. “Your password isn’t your favorite band anymore—it’s my brother’s birthday: 1105.”
Following Jemma’s instruction, Harper successfully unlocked the phone. When she opened the photo gallery, thousands of pictures of an unfamiliar man flooded her screen. She stared at his stunningly handsome face for a long time. Maybe Jemma was telling the truth after all. Dylan Rodriguez was exactly her type.
In all these stealthily taken photos from various angles, his gaze toward her was consistently cold and distant. As she continued scrolling, Harper felt a knot forming in her chest. She opened her notes app. Inside were meticulous records of everything related to Dylan—his favorite foods, music preferences, daily routines, and things he couldn’t stand.
Beyond these, there were daily diary entries chronicling her unrequited love.
Valentine’s Day #7. After rehearsing countless times for two weeks, my confession was predictably shot down again. Dylan, you may never happen, but I tried again today and he mistook me for her, calling her name over and over. You said you couldn’t forget her, and even knowing she’d never respond, I’d wait like a moth to a flame. In that moment, I realized we’re the same—both pathetically in love with someone who’ll never love us back…
Though she had lost her memories, the pain and disappointment saturating these words hit Harper hard. Her heart felt like it had been stabbed, sending waves of dull pain through her chest. Her nose stung as tears threatened to fall. She stood frozen, unable to pull herself together for what felt like forever.
The hospital room remained silent until Jemma finally spoke up. “What’s your plan now? Do you want to continue treatment? My uncle’s a brilliant psychiatrist, though he’s overseas right now. What do you want…”
“Let’s forget it,” Harper said firmly. “I don’t remember anything, but even still, I must have been miserable when I liked your brother. Since I’ve forgotten him now, maybe it’s actually a blessing in disguise.”
Harper took a deep breath, then deliberately deleted all the photos and notes. Jemma watched in shock and was about to say something when her phone suddenly rang. After hanging up, she grabbed her bag and hurriedly stood. “I need to head home—family emergency. Rest up, okay? I’ll swing by when things settle down.”
The door closed with a thud. Just as Harper was about to rest, her home phone rang.
“Harper, remember that childhood engagement Mom mentioned? This arrangement has been on hold for several years now. Have you given it any thought?” Her mother had braced herself for rejection, making this call only as a last-ditch effort.
But after a few seconds of silence, Harper surprisingly agreed. “Sure, Mom. Once I wrap things up here, I’ll come home and honor the engagement.”
Her mother was completely floored, her voice filled with disbelief. “What—what? You’re over your friend’s brother? Before, you refused to move back to Boston because of him, chasing after the guy for years. What changed your mind so suddenly?”
Harper didn’t know how to explain her memory loss and didn’t want her family to worry about the accident. So after careful consideration, she gave a simple response. “I don’t like him anymore. I never will again.”