It had been three years since the accident that left me with intermittent amnesia.

Three years since the night I overheard my husband, Aiden Manvell, laughing with his friends.

"Aiden, your wife forgets everything every few months. Each time, one of us steps in to play you. Aren't you afraid someone might actually cross the line?"

"Afraid of what?" Aiden's tone was careless, his wine swirling in the glass.

"Hannah doesn't care. As long as you don't touch her, she'll never want anything. But don't forget—she's still mine. When I've had my fun, I'll go back to my family."

Since then, every time I woke up without my memories, the man holding my hand, whispering to me, even lying beside me at night—was never truly Aiden.

Nine times in three years. Nine different men playing the role of my husband.

What they didn't know was this—

I had regained my memory two years ago.

And this time, I wasn't going to play along.

* * *

When my ninth "husband" arrived home, I sat on the couch, lost in thought.

A distinct voice broke through my train of thought. "Hannah, I'm back."

I glanced over at the man standing at the entrance.

"Who are you?" I asked, pretending to be perplexed. "Isn't my husband's name Aiden?"

The man hesitated briefly before quickly responding. "No! Well... I'm your husband's friend. Hannah, don't worry. I'll call your husband to come back immediately."

After saying that, the man grabbed his phone and quickly headed toward the balcony.

"Aiden, Hannah's lost her memory again. Whose turn is it now? Come over and take over from me."

I stayed hidden by the window, listening to Aiden's friends making excuses through the speaker.

"Aiden, your wife is so clingy. We have to be with her around the clock. We can't handle it!"

"Yeah, she's great otherwise, but she's just too uptight. What guy can say no to temptation?"

"What about you, Aiden? Why don't you head back yourself?"

"No," Aiden's laid-back voice replied through the speaker. "I'm not done enjoying myself. I don't want to go back. Which one of you will step in for me? It's pretty lame as friends to turn down such a minor favor."

Amid their attempts to dodge the question, a distinct and unwavering voice spoke up, "I'll volunteer."

I knew that voice—it belonged to Caleb Radmore, Aiden's best friend.

In our social circle, Caleb was known as a heartthrob who had supposedly stayed single all 30 years of his life.

Initially, when Aiden suggested finding someone to pose as my husband, Caleb was the first to disagree. But now, was he intrigued by the idea of participating in this domestic charade?

Half an hour later, the house's door quietly swung open. Caleb entered, silhouetted by the light.

"Hannah, I'm home," he said, his cool voice laced with a touch of allure.

I rose to my feet, fixing my gaze on the tall, handsome figure before me.

"So, you are my husband, Aiden?"

"Yes," Caleb responded, gently clearing his throat. "I'm sorry, I had to work late tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, Caleb's phone rang.

He mouthed an apology, picked up the phone, and stepped out to the balcony.

Aiden's relaxed voice came through the line. "Hey, Caleb, just a reminder. You can hold her hand or give her a hug, but don't even think about sleeping with her. She's still my wife, no matter how much fun I'm having."

"I understand," Caleb responded quietly.

For the last three years, regardless of how those men tried to mimic Aiden, they never did more than hold my hand or embrace me. They never overstepped any boundaries.

During this time, there wasn't a single photo of us in the house, nor any personal items belonging to the man.

Without parents and suffering from amnesia, I had no friends to connect with. They assumed I would remain oblivious.

I pretended to be ignorant, acting as though I was unaware.

However, this time, I intended to change the game.

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Caleb's waist.

"Darling, even though I've lost my memory, I felt an especially familiar connection the moment I saw you. You must be my husband, there's no doubt."

I held onto Caleb's waist tightly, my hand brushing against his toned abs.

Caleb's body tensed briefly, and he awkwardly pushed me away.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked, pretending not to know. "Darling, now that I've lost my memory, do you not like me anymore?"

"It's not that," Caleb replied, his gaze shifting slightly, his voice rough, "I like you."

I moved closer, starting to unbutton his shirt and letting my hand rest on his chest.

"It's chilly today, darling. Shall we go to bed and warm up together?"

Caleb swallowed hard. "Alright."

That night, Caleb and I shared the same bed. We didn't speak much, as if we had an unspoken agreement.

The following day, Caleb took me to a bar, saying he wanted his friends to see me again.

Upon entering the private room, I noticed Aiden embracing a woman and kissing her deeply. Caleb cleared his throat softly, catching their attention.

When Aiden noticed us, he paused briefly before rising to his feet.

"Hi, I'm Caleb, Aiden's childhood friend," Aiden said slowly as he extended his hand toward me, "and this is my girlfriend, Karen Gibson."

"Oh," I nodded, but didn't extend my hand in return.

Of course, I knew Karen. She was Aiden's first love.

They had parted ways back then due to family issues. Later, they got back together while I was dealing with amnesia. The reason Aiden stayed away from the family for three years was entirely because of her.

In the private room, many of Aiden's friends were present, including several who had impersonated my husband. At this moment, they all jested with me as if nothing had occurred.

"Hannah, you've lost your memory again? Aiden is truly a great guy. No matter how often you forget, he'll always be there for you and never abandon you!"

"Yes, Hannah, you should truly value such a wonderful man!"

I smirked sarcastically and remained silent.

Caleb wrapped his arm around me, and we settled onto the couch.

Once we sat down, I grabbed a piece of fruit and offered it to him. "Darling, have some more."

In the dim light, I noticed Aiden glancing our way.

I moved closer to Caleb's ear and playfully nibbled his earlobe. "Darling, you were so intense all night last night, it really hurt."

Caleb's expression tightened, and he awkwardly squeezed my hand. "Honey, stop fooling around."

Aiden clenched his wine glass tightly, looking displeased.

Karen, sitting next to him, made a sarcastic comment in an overly sweet tone. "Hannah, you certainly have a talent. Even the most reserved guy in our group, who always keeps women at a distance, is completely infatuated with you like a love-struck teen."

As soon as she said this, Aiden's friends, worried I might notice something off, let out awkward laughs to ease the tension.

"Heh, it just proves how strong the connection is between Hannah and Aiden."

"Yeah, even amnesia doesn't stop them from flaunting their love."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Aiden raising his wine glass to his lips, his expression as somber as ever.

Feeling a wave of satisfaction, I stood up and made my way to the restroom.

As I stepped out, Karen came straight toward me.

As we crossed paths, she suddenly emptied her entire glass of red wine over me.

"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry. My hand slipped."

I raised my hand and slapped her across the cheek.

"I'm sorry, my hand must have slipped as well."

As soon as I spoke, a stern voice sounded from behind. "Hannah Ackrea, what do you think you're doing?!"

Aiden approached quickly.

Karen rushed into his arms, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cried, "Darling, I accidentally spilled wine on Hannah. She got mad and slapped me. Now my head's spinning."

Aiden's expression was grim with clear dissatisfaction. "You owe Karen an apology."

I chuckled icily. "And who do you think you are to command me?"

"Hannah!" Aiden's eyes grew dangerous, his face darkening ominously. "How did you become so conceited and overbearing after losing your memory?"

"What I've become has nothing to do with you."

I was exhausted from dealing with him. Just as I was about to turn away, Aiden kicked my knee, making me drop to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Hannah, don't think you're free to do as you please just because you've forgotten everything. Apologize to Karen immediately!"

As I gazed at the man standing before me, his hair bristling in anger, all I could think was how pitiful and absurd he seemed.

Having no parents, Aiden was my sole support in this vast city.

We had been in love since our college days, and it had been a decade since our journey together began. When he proposed, he promised to protect me, love me eternally, and never betray me for as long as we lived.

However, he had not only been unfaithful to our marriage but had also been harsh with me because of another woman.

Amidst my grief and anger, a cold, stern voice interrupted from behind. "Don't touch her!"

Ignoring the pain in my knees, I stood up, swiftly slapped Aiden's face, and then sought refuge in Caleb's arms, complaining. "Darling, your friend was so mean, he bullied me!"

Caleb's expression soured, a shadow crossing his eyes. He shot Aiden a warning look. "Don't bully Hannah."

Aiden clenched his jaw tightly, his stern expression exuding an intimidating vibe.

Karen snuggled closer to Aiden and scoffed, "A bus and a fool, what's so impressive about that?"

"Be quiet!"

Aiden and Caleb shouted in unison.

"Karen, even if Hannah made a mistake, that's no excuse to talk about her like that," Aiden said coldly.

Caleb's brows knitted together as he glared at Karen, his gaze frostily intense. "I don't want to hear you speak ill of Hannah ever again."

With those words, he wrapped an arm around me and walked away.

We headed straight home. Once inside, I embraced Caleb's waist, my hand resting on his solid abs for a moment.

"Darling, you were so dashing when you stood up for me earlier. I truly loved it!"

A subtle blush appeared on Caleb's ears. He cleared his throat softly and said, "I'm happy you enjoyed it."

I moved to unfasten his belt. "Darling, it's really chilly. Why don't we head to bed and get cozy to warm up?"

"It's still early."

"Who says there's a specific time for bedtime?" I murmured softly, planting a kiss on his neck. "Darling, I've forgotten everything, even what closeness feels like... Could you help me remember?"

Caleb swallowed hard, his voice gruff and raspy. "Hannah... don't play games."

Ignoring his protest, I gently nudged him onto the couch.

Caleb resisted for a moment but eventually flipped us over, pinning me beneath him.

From the afternoon until late into the night, Caleb was like a ravenous wolf that had just found prey—relishing every moment, unable to get enough. I was so worn out that I fell immediately into a deep sleep.

In a foggy state, I heard Caleb's rough voice murmuring in my ear.

"Hannah, do you truly have amnesia?"

I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Did it even matter if I was or wasn't?

I wanted to ask Caleb the same thing.

You acted like you didn't believe in this pretend game, so why did you end up participating?

* * *

The following day, Caleb took me to the hospital for a follow-up on my cranial nerves.

To our surprise, we bumped into Aiden and Karen in the lobby. Karen was the first to greet us.

"Hannah, Ca... Aiden, fancy seeing you here." She placed a hand on her lower abdomen, speaking with a bit of flair, "I'm pregnant—just here for a prenatal appointment. What about you two?"

Caleb glanced at her coldly. "I'm here with Hannah for a follow-up appointment."

Aiden remained silent, staring at Caleb and me holding hands.

Then, his gaze shifted upward, landing on the cluster of hickeys scattered across my neck.

"What happened to your neck?" he questioned, his voice growing louder.

I gave Caleb a playful look and replied, "You should ask my husband about that."

Aiden glanced at Caleb, his stern eyes darkened with an intimidating shadow.

I seized the moment to excuse myself. "I have to get a CT scan. You two can have a chat first."

After I departed, Karen entered the ultrasound room.

With the room silent, Aiden fixed a cold stare on Caleb, his voice chillingly icy. "Caleb, did you lay a hand on her?"

Caleb lit a cigarette.

As the smoke spiraled upward, he replied ambiguously, "No, I didn't."

"So, how do you explain those red marks on her neck?"

After a brief pause, Caleb said, "Probably mosquito bites."

Aiden frowned, caught between belief and skepticism.

Caleb blew out a smoke ring and chuckled dismissively, "Even if I did, what difference does it make? You don't even want to be with her. Why not just get a divorce?"

Aiden responded with intensity, "I can't divorce her! We've been together for so long. There's still something between us. Plus, Karen is expecting a baby now, and I can't abandon her in this situation."

Caleb sneered, "You're eyeing someone else's plate while you're eating your own. Aiden, that's pretty low."

Aiden paused briefly before deciding, "Caleb, when Hannah loses her memory again, let's switch back."

"We'll discuss it when she loses her memory next time."

Without a clear response, Aiden's unease grew.

He looked intently at Caleb, his expression serious. "I can't shake the feeling that something is off between you and Hannah. Caleb, promise me you won't ever get involved with her!"

Caleb put out his cigarette and was about to speak when I walked over with the CT report.

"Darling, I've got great news. The doctor confirmed that my cranial nerves have fully healed, and I won't suffer any more memory loss."

Aiden was stunned, as if he had been struck by lightning.

"How can that be?"

In contrast, Caleb was thrilled, his face beaming with happiness. "Really? That's amazing, honey! Let's head home and celebrate."

I linked arms with Caleb, ready to leave.

But Aiden suddenly grabbed my arm. "Hannah, don't go! Actually, I..."