My fiancée’s first love came back to the country. With cancer. Ever since she found out, she’s been… distant. Lost in thought. I didn't think much of it. There was no point in getting worked up over a dying man. But then he whispered one sentence to her: “I want to spend my last days with you.” And for that, my fiancée drugged me. Hypnotized me. “Three months, Thomas. Just give me three months.” “Forget me. After three months, I’ll be all yours again.” And just like that, the woman named Ava Johnston vanished from my memory. Later, she walked down the aisle in a white dress, married that man, and lived out three months of idyllic bliss before returning to me as promised. “Thomas, let’s get married.” I just stared at her, completely lost. “I’m sorry, who are you?” 1 “Ava, you have to try this one.” Inside the bridal boutique, I held up a gown I’d painstakingly chosen, certain it was the one for her. When my eyes met hers, I noticed they were rimmed with red. “What’s wrong, Ava?” I chuckled, gently stroking her hair. “Why the tears all of a sudden? Getting emotional thinking about the wedding?” Her voice trembled as she looked up at me, barely a whisper. “He’s back.” “Hmm?” I leaned in, not quite catching it. That’s when her phone screen tilted into my view, completely by accident. A familiar name burned into my retinas. Jacob Lin. Ava’s first love. I’d known about him for years, of course. But whenever his name came up, Ava was always so dismissive, as if he were a stranger she barely remembered. It had been, what, six or seven years since they broke up? That’s an eternity. Long enough to bury even the deepest feelings. I just never imagined his return would hit her this hard. The smile faded from my face, my voice becoming flat. “So? What if he’s back? Does that mean we stop trying on dresses? That we don’t get married?” Ava flinched, her voice strained. “No, Thomas, you’ve got it all wrong. It’s just… he said he has terminal cancer. He won’t live more than three months.” “I don’t mean anything by it,” she rushed to add. “It’s just sad, you know? Someone so full of life just… gone.” “Thomas, he’s in the past. There’s nothing between us anymore.” “Don’t overthink it.” But Ava, all I did was ask a simple question, and you look like you’ve just committed the crime of the century. The mood for dress shopping was shattered. We left in silence. The drive home was heavy, thick with unspoken words. Back at our apartment, Ava threw herself onto the sofa, her gaze unfocused, lost somewhere I couldn’t follow. I took a deep breath and knelt by her feet. “What else did he say to you?” A long time passed before she answered. So long I thought she hadn’t heard me. Then, her voice drifted across the room. “He wants me to be with him, at the end.” My hand, holding a glass of water, paused mid-air. I asked, trying to sound casual, “And you said yes?” “No.” She seemed to pull herself together, forcing a brittle smile. “Of course not. Who am I to him? Why would I agree to something like that?” A lie. She couldn't even look at me. I closed my eyes, deciding not to call her on it. “You’re right not to. If anyone should be by his side, it’s his family, his friends.” Ava’s rebuttal was instant, automatic. “He doesn’t have any close friends. His parents died a couple of years ago. He’s always been—” She cut herself off. 2 Facing my gaze, which felt like it could see right through her, Ava scrambled for an excuse. She grabbed a jacket. “I just remembered, there’s something I need to check on at the lab.” She’d forgotten. She had specifically cleared her schedule today for the dress fitting, arranging everything at the lab beforehand. She didn’t need to go. Her heart was in chaos. I carried my glass to the balcony and watched her hurry away, saying nothing. People hold on to the past. I get it. Even if Ava’s reaction was more intense than I’d expected, I could tolerate it. After all, what kind of trouble could a dying man really cause? As for Ava, I would give her time to sort herself out. Being sentimental isn’t a fatal flaw. I tried to be understanding. Ava didn’t come home that night. When she finally returned, she acted as if nothing had happened. She threw her arms around me, her voice sweet and clingy. “I’m so exhausted, honey. You have no idea how draining that experiment was.” She didn’t mention him, and neither did I. It was one of those unspoken pacts adults make. She then offered to cook dinner for me. I took it as an apology for her behavior the day before and gladly accepted. At the dinner table, she brought up where she’d been. “Actually, I went to see Jacob last night.” “He’s changed so much. I barely recognized him from the person I remember.” “Thomas, we had something real, you know? A real connection.” “If we hadn’t been so young and reckless back then, we might never have broken up.” “Honestly, we were childhood sweethearts. Seeing him like this… I just can’t leave him high and dry.” She kept talking, and a strange thing happened. I knew I should be angry. But a heavy grogginess washed over me. My limbs felt like lead, and even speaking was an effort. A bitter realization dawned on me. She had done something to my food. I managed a weak, wry smile. “So you agreed?” To his three-month request? Ava’s hand drifted to a small box she’d brought back with her. She gave a soft, “Mmm.” My eyes fixed on it. “What’s that?” 3 Ava went silent. Her fingers traced the edges of the music box, her expression a storm of indecision. I asked her again what was in the box. She slowly lifted her head, the conflict in her eyes finally giving way to a soft apology. “Thomas, I’m not going to hurt you. I just need you to forget me for three months. After three months, we’ll go back to being us, the loving couple we’ve always been.” Forget her for three months? The horrifying truth clicked into place. I stared at the box. “Is that a hypnosis device?” “Yes. It’s the latest project from my lab. It can make you forget me for exactly three months.” The hesitation in Ava’s eyes was hardening into resolve. I knew her. Once she made a decision, she saw it through. I didn’t move. I didn’t try to run. A knot of grief tightened in my chest, a bitter sting rising in my nose. A wave of profound sadness crashed over me. “Since it’s a new prototype,” I asked, my voice thick with self-mockery, “aren’t you worried something could go wrong? What if… what if I forget you for longer than three months?” Ava, her hand poised to open the box, froze. The certainty in her eyes wavered, replaced again by doubt. But it was only for a second. Her resolve returned, and she continued opening the lid. “I have faith in my work. In three months, I will come back to you, and you will still love me!” Her words hung in the air as she threw the music box open, giving herself no chance to back down. A brilliant white light bloomed from within, accompanied by a strange, ethereal melody that assaulted my senses. The world began to swim, and Ava’s voice echoed in my ears, a soothing, hypnotic chant. “Thomas Song, I love you. I really, really love you. But Jacob is dying, and I have to be with him for this final journey.” “Thomas Song, forget me. Forget Ava. Your life has never included a person named Ava.” “10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 1…” Her voice grew fainter, more distant. I slumped onto the sofa, the last two words circling in my mind: Ava Johnston. But… who was Ava Johnston? 4 When I woke up, sunlight was streaming into the room. I ran a hand through my messy hair, confused by the blanket draped over me. Did I fall asleep on the sofa? Who covered me? Maybe one of my buddies crashed here? Just then, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Leo. He launched right in, his voice a chaotic buzz. “Thomas! Dude, you’re getting married tomorrow! I’m heading over in a bit to help decorate. Don’t you dare touch anything, you and your disaster-zone decorating skills would make the place look like a dumpster fire.” Huh? Married? I was completely lost. I checked the caller ID. Yep, definitely Leo. Sounded like him, too. Only he would insult my decorating abilities so creatively. But… since when was I getting married? “I’m getting married? What are you talking about?” “What?” Leo sounded even more shocked than I was. “Thomas, are you still half-asleep? You’re marrying Ava! You seriously don’t know?” Ava? Who the hell was Ava? I shot back immediately, “Don’t mess with me, man. I don’t know any Ava. I’ve been single forever!” “You’ve been dating for years! Are you messing with me? Look at the damn wall, dude! Your wedding photos are all over the place!” No way. I scrambled to my feet and looked around. There were no pictures anywhere. The walls were bare… wait. On the living room wall, there was a strange, blank rectangle, with faint traces of adhesive around the edges. It looked like a frame used to hang there, but it had been taken down. I tried to remember what I might have hung there, but drew a blank. I shrugged it off. “Leo, there are no wedding photos here. And who is Ava…?” A sudden, absurd thought hit me. “You didn’t set me up with a ghost, did you? After all we’ve been through, you’d do that to me?” “A ghost? I’ll show you a ghost! Stay put, I’m coming over to knock some sense into you!” 5 Leo stormed in, yelling that I deserved a punch in the face. But I honestly couldn’t remember anyone named Ava, or any wedding. He snatched my phone and pulled up my social media feed. “Eight out of every ten posts are about her! See for yourself!” I looked. Nothing. My most recent post was from three years ago: “Happy New Year.” Leo froze, scrolling furiously up and down, completely baffled. “Did you delete everything? Or did Ava? Did you two have a fight?” I threw my hands up. “I seriously don't know her.” Leo studied my face, then quickly started a video call with this “Ava.” The call connected, revealing a sterile, but cozy, hospital room. The woman named Ava smiled calmly into the camera. “Leo, what’s up?” “Ava, what did you do to him? He’s acting crazy, says he doesn’t know you!” Leo shoved the phone in my face, forcing a confrontation. I looked at the woman on the screen. A complete stranger. No recognition at all. Her eyes flickered, studying me with a mix of probing curiosity and expectation. “Thomas, hello.” “Oh, hi. You must be Ava?” I said politely. She subtly relaxed, a flicker of relief crossing her face. She seemed pleased with my reaction. “I’m Ava. We were together, but you fell and hit your head at home and forgot about me. When you remember, I’ll come back to you.” “For now,” she continued, her gaze shifting slightly, as if inventing the story on the spot, “my brother has cancer, and I have to take care of him. I hope you don’t mind.” Her story sounded so rehearsed it made me suspicious. Who was this person, and why was she lying to me? Before I could ask, a man in the hospital bed behind her started coughing violently. Ava’s attention snapped to him. She gave me a quick wave and ended the call. Leo was completely lost. “What the hell does she mean? Like you forgetting her is no big deal? And that guy in the bed is her brother? Since when does she have a brother?” The man was bundled up, wearing a cap that obscured his face, but I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. I didn’t know him. So I didn’t care. “You guys have fried my brain. I’m done. Let’s go grab some wings.” “Hold on. Something’s not right with Ava,” Leo said, shaking his head. “I’m going to the hospital to check things out for you. You stay here.” And with that, he appointed himself chief detective and rushed off to the hospital, determined to get to the bottom of it. By the time he came back, I’d bought a mountain of snacks and was vegging out in front of the TV. Leo burst in, shouting, “Thomas, how can you just sit there and eat? Ava’s cheating on you! She’s at the hospital taking care of some guy named Jacob Lin! He’s not her brother!” I didn’t even pause, just stuffed another chip in my mouth. “Don’t know him. Not my problem. Not interested.” “She’s your fiancée! She’s about to check that guy out of the hospital, and they’re going to have a wedding and go on a honeymoon!” Leo’s face was dark with anger. He’d heard it all from the nurses. They were all touched by Ava’s devotion, praising her for sticking by her cancer-stricken boyfriend to fulfill his dying wish. A true saint, they called her. I thought about it for a second, then broke into a grin. “Look on the bright side. If she really was my future wife, this is great news, right? At least we didn't actually get married.” “And if she was going to cheat on me anyway,” I added, “isn’t forgetting her the best thing that could’ve happened?” Leo stared at me, speechless. 6 Leo couldn’t argue with my logic, but he wasn’t ready to let it go. He went back to digging for more information on Ava. Just three days later, Ava and this Jacob Lin held their wedding. It was a simple ceremony in a small chapel. No family, no friends. Just the two of them, hand in hand, exchanging emotional vows. Leo showed me a video he’d secretly recorded, his anger simmering. “What is wrong with her? You, her actual fiancé, forget who she is, and she just turns around and marries someone else? What is she playing at?” “Probably just helping the guy fulfill a last wish,” I reasoned. “You said he has cancer, right? Marrying Ava must have been his dream.” Leo considered this, which only made him angrier. So he went digging again. This time, he came back with an update: Ava and Jacob were on a trip. Looked like a cross-country tour. They probably wouldn’t be back until they’d seen it all. And he was right. Leo couldn’t find a trace of Ava after that. He decided he’d just have to wait for her to come back to give her a piece of his mind. I was perfectly happy with that. At least Leo would finally stop bugging me. For the next three months, I slipped back into my blissful single life. I couldn’t have been happier. Except… sometimes, in the dead of night, I’d wake from a dream and my arm would reach for the empty space beside me. It would find nothing, but the gesture felt so natural, as if someone was supposed to be there. I’d jolt awake, staring at the empty side of the bed, a hollow ache in my chest, my eyes surprisingly damp. It was the strangest feeling. Could it be… The place was haunted! Yeah, that had to be it. Definitely haunted. I started crashing at Leo’s place after that. On the last day of the third month, I went back to my apartment to grab some things and found a package at the door. I opened it. Inside were photos. Piles and piles of them. Wedding photos, landscape shots, selfies, posed pictures. They all had one thing in common: only two people appeared in them. Ava and Jacob. Their happiness radiated from every print. Beneath the stack of photos was a letter. I opened it. It was from Jacob, addressed to me. Thomas Song, I don’t know how Ava convinced you to be so understanding, but your generosity has moved me deeply. I’m dying. These photos are the last remnants of my time on earth. I’m sending them to you, hoping you can feel my joy and my sorrow, and that you’ll keep them safe for me. I’m back in the hospital now, waiting for the end. Ava is already on her way home to you. She said she had to be back today. I couldn’t stop her. I suppose I lost in the end. 7 The letter was long and rambling. It gave me a headache. What a psycho. I tossed the photos and the letter into a corner. I’d deal with them tomorrow. At that exact moment, the front door opened. The woman herself, Ava, burst in, clutching a music box, her face slick with sweat. I scowled. “What are you doing? This is my home.” “Thomas, I made it back! In one more minute, you’ll remember me!” She sat down without being invited, placing the music box on the table in front of me. “What is that thing? I’m calling the cops!” I snapped, my instincts screaming that the box was dangerous. I felt a visceral urge to stay away from it. Ava ignored me, her eyes glued to her watch. Just as I was about to dial, she flipped the lid of the music box open. Instantly, a flash of white light and a strange melody flooded my senses, making me drowsy. Ava smiled, her voice full of affection. “Thomas, I’m back. I’m still your fiancée. Let’s pick a date and get married.” “I’ve been thinking about you constantly these past few months. I knew you’d never forgive me if you knew the truth, which is why I had to resort to this… making you forget.” “Now, I’m going to make you remember me, but you’ll forget the unpleasantness of these last three months. For you, these three months never happened…” Her voice was a soft, gentle murmur. As she began her countdown, I grew heavier, my consciousness fading. “[10… 9… 8… 7… 3… 2… 1]” On the final count, my eyes snapped open. I stared at the anxious, hopeful face in front of me. This was so weird. She didn't seem to think so. Her gaze was deep, filled with a tenderness that could melt any man’s heart. She whispered my name. “Thomas, you’re awake. I love you!” She buried her head in my chest, clinging to me as if terrified of losing me, her words spilling out in a rush. “It’s okay, it’s all over now. Let’s get married!” I blinked, confused and repulsed. I pushed her away and asked, very seriously, “I’m sorry, but who are you?”