I Lost the Memory of the Man I Love after an Accident - Chapter 1

After the fall, something inside me fractured.

Not just my body, but my memory. I remembered almost everything except him.

Dylan.

My best friend, Alice, had been watching me closely for days until finally she couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Why haven’t you said a word about him or his brother Ree?” Her voice was sharp, laced with suspicion.

“What’s going on? Did you really forget about Dylan? Or is this some act to get him to notice you?”

I blinked at her, confused.

“What are you talking about? Why would I act in front of your brother?”

Her jaw clenched, fists tightening at her sides.

“Because you love him. Have you forgotten how you chased him for 5 years even though he pushed you away? Because he liked someone else.”

My chest tightened at her words.

I whispered, “I did that.” She laughed bitterly.

“Yeah, you must have really hit your head to forget all that.” Then she grabbed my phone from the nightstand and shoved it into my hand.

“Check it or you don’t even remember your password, do you?” I stared at the screen.

The truth sinking in.

I didn’t.

“It’s his birthday,” she said coldly. “Your password is Dylan’s birthday. That’s how deep you went.”

My fingers hesitated before tapping in the date.

The phone unlocked.

My heart pounded as I saw a folder labeled him.

Inside, dozens of notes, scribbled thoughts, daydreams, heartbreaks, descriptions of Dylan’s favorite coffee, the book he once held on the train, the way his voice softened when he was tired, painful entries about him ignoring me, dismissing me, and how I still tried.

Then one note stood out.

Today, I saw him with Katarina. They held hands at the cliff’s edge, and he smiled at her the way I always wanted him to smile at me.

Maybe it’s time to let go, but I don’t know her. That was the last note.

Alice looked away, voice softer now.

“You loved my brother Ree, but he never loved you. He never cared. Still, you have to remember what happened. I’m going to call the doctor.”

She turned and hurried out, leaving me alone with the ache settling deep in my chest.

I sat still, breathing through the confusion and hurt.

Why did my heart ache so much over someone I couldn’t even picture clearly? Why did his name feel like a wound? Then voices from the hallway urgent just outside my door.

Well, that’s good.

A man’s voice said, sharp and familiar.

“Reys can’t remember what happened that day, so she won’t know where the reason she fell. ”

“That’s great. At least she’ll stop stalking me.”

“God, I hate her.”

My blood ran cold.

“Dylan,” a woman whispered.

“Are you sure? What if she’s just pretending? Dylan, what if she remembers everything?”

“I’ll make sure she never does.”

“We have to act like we’re visiting her so my sister won’t suspect, especially since she told me to visit her.”

I didn’t realize I was crying until I tasted the salt on my lips.

My hands trembled, gripping the sheets.

I had fallen for that man, fought for him with everything, and he hated me, wanted me gone.

What kind of fool had I been? Suddenly, everything inside me hardened.

The pain didn’t disappear, but it twisted into something else, something final.

I reached for my phone and dialed the one number that still made sense in my life.

Numb.

My voice shook, but I forced the words out.

“I want to go back. I’m ready.”

Silence on the other end, then a worried voice.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m done.” I said quietly. “Please arrange the marriage.”

“What? Wait. What about Dylan? Didn’t you tell me he was the only man you ever wanted to marry?”

I let out a bitter breath.

“I must have been out of my mind. I’m done loving a man who doesn’t care about me.”

I hung up.

I stared at the bouquet resting on my hospital table.

White lilies, blush roses, and a few wild daisies.

A card tucked between the petals and signed.

Alice practically bounced into the room, her grins stretching ear to ear.

“Ree, my brother sent you flowers.”

I blinked.

“Your brother?”

“Dylan,” she clarified as if I should know. “He came earlier, but you were asleep. He left those before he left.”

I glanced at the flowers again.

Soft, delicate, like something chosen carefully.

“That’s nice,” I murmured.

Alice beamed, grabbing my face and holding it like a trophy.

“You used to wish for this.”

Just one flower from him.

You even said you’d cry if he ever looked your way.

I managed a weak smile.

“It’s hard to feel happy when I can’t even remember the feelings I once had.”

Her smile dimmed slightly.

Her voice grew gentle.

“Which is why we’re starting the doctor’s treatment tomorrow. It’ll help you remember.”

“No,” I said firmly. “There’s no need for that. I don’t want to remember your brother. Whatever memory I lost. Maybe my mind knew it wasn’t good.”

Alice blinked in surprise.

“Are you really sure?”

I nodded.

“More certain than ever. Some things are better left forgotten. If my brain’s doing me a favor, I won’t undo it.”

After days, I was finally discharged.

Standing at the doorway of my apartment, the key shook in my hand.

It felt strange, familiar, and unfamiliar all at once.

Like stepping into someone else’s life that only clung to its corners.

Everything was as I left it.

But nothing felt like mine until I stepped into my room.

Photos, letters, drawings of Dylan.

Some pinned on my walls, others tucked in drawers like secrets I once cherished.

Notes in my handwriting.

I sat on the bed, letter in hand, despite the emptiness in my memory.

How could I have loved someone this deeply so blindly? Even now, drugged with unspoken pain.

Then I remembered his voice outside my hospital door.

“God, I hate her.”

“She won’t remember.”

“We were the reason she fell.”

With that, my decision was clear.

I gathered every photo, every note, and lit a match.

Flames crackled as the edges curled black and vanished.

I watched everything burn.

Everything that used to reduce me to ash, but not all.

Some things, trinkets, little gifts, letters I had prepared for him.

I packed carefully in a box and left it at the courier’s desk.

Days later, I stopped by a quiet cafe near the hospital, the kind I liked.

The barista knew me, which made things easier.

I stirred my coffee, feeling eyes on me.

I looked up.

Dylan, taller than I expected.

Sharp jaw, hands tucked into his pockets like he had somewhere better to be.

“You sent me something?” He asked bluntly as he approached my table.

I nodded slowly.

“I found them in my apartment. I figured they were meant for you.”

His brow twitched.

“Isn’t it clear by now I only see you as my sister’s friend? You should stop with this obsession,” he said coldly.

“Isn’t it enough that you fell off a cliff stalking me?” I flinched but steadied my breath.

“I’m sorry. I lost my memory. I didn’t know. I just thought those things were important.”

His expression softened almost.

“Wait, you really lost your memories?”

“Yes,” I said quietly. “Maybe you can help me. What happened that day? Were you on the mountain?”

He looked away for a moment, then back.

“You followed me and Katarina. I told you to stop. You wouldn’t listen. Then you said you’d kill yourself if I didn’t choose you. And then you jumped.”

I stared at him.