Chapter 4

Evelyn's eyes welled up right away. She stayed silent but never left Cecily's hospital room for the next few days. She brought up Clyde several times during that stretch—sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident. It seemed like she was trying to figure out how Cecily really felt about him. "Cece, from what I know about Clyde, if anyone else had confessed as much as you did, he would've done everything to push them away. Yet, he put up with you for years. "That's got to mean he cares about you on some level, even if he doesn't see it himself. Are you really just going to forget about him?" If Cecily had heard this right after waking up, she might have believed it. But after almost drowning, she felt like believing those words would just be lying to herself. She showed Evelyn the photos her colleagues had sent over the past two days. They were snapshots of Clyde with Isabel—shopping, dining, and watching movies together—all caught by chance. Cecily's voice was as calm as a still lake. "He's only doing this for you, Evie. Since I lost all my memories of him, I guess we were never meant to work out. Now that the person he's been waiting for is back, I should step away from this dead-end relationship." Seeing that Cecily had made up her mind, Evelyn didn't try to persuade her otherwise. She let out a deep sigh. "All I ever wanted was for Clyde to see that he should be with you. Then, you'd be my sister-in-law, and we'd always be together. "But I won't stop you if you've decided to walk away. I won't get in the way of Clyde and his first love either. Our friendship will last no matter what." Cecily gave a firm nod before pulling her into a gentle hug. The two of them murmured a few more words before Evelyn went to handle the hospital discharge forms. Once that was done, she guided Cecily to the car. "You've been cooped up in the hospital forever. You're probably dying to get out. I'll throw a gathering, call some friends over to brighten the mood, and celebrate your homecoming." Knowing this could be her last opportunity to see these friends, Cecily didn't argue and went along with Evelyn to the club. Yet, they stopped dead when they arrived at the private room and opened the door. Right at the center were Clyde and Isabel. Evelyn looked completely floored. "Clyde? Why are you here?" The friends who'd helped organize the gathering pulled them inside and said, "You said the more, the merrier, right? So I invited Clyde, and he showed up with Isabel. Now it really feels like a celebration, doesn't it?" Evelyn gave the speaker a sharp glare. Cecily grasped her concern and quickly steered her aside. "It's okay. They're here now, so there's no point getting worked up. I don't remember what happened before, so it doesn't bother me." Only then did Evelyn ease up and lead her to their seats. The room stayed lively all night, but there was still an undercurrent of tension. Clyde took off his jacket and draped it over Isabel's shoulders. He shielded her from every toast, peeled fruit for her, and fed her like they were the only two people in the room. Everything he did was full of tenderness, and he made no effort to hide his devotion. Cecily watched quietly. Her chest felt a little tight, but it wasn't painful. Maybe letting go of those memories had been for the best after all. Evelyn, however, took her silence as a sign of sadness and quickly gathered a group to play truth or dare, hoping to take her mind off things. Cecily had an incredible streak of luck. She won over ten rounds in a row before finally losing once, and everyone immediately demanded a penalty. Since she had no interest in silly games, she chose truth. Right away, all eyes flicked between her and Clyde, and the room buzzed with excitement. "Alright, then tell us about the most unforgettable love of your life!" Clyde's expression darkened before Cecily had a chance to respond. He shot her a cold look without thinking. She took it as a warning to be careful with what she said around Isabel. But now, with her memories gone, even if she wanted to take the penalty honestly, all she could offer were a few vague remarks to satisfy the group. "The most unforgettable love was probably my first love. He was my best friend's older brother. I think it was love at first sight. "I wrote countless love letters and printed so many candid photos that they filled thick photo albums. Everyone knew I was crazy about him, but he never felt the same way..." She smiled as she spoke, acting like it was no big deal, but the private room fell into an uneasy silence. Isabel, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, sensed the shift in mood and grabbed Clyde's arm. His expression had darkened. "Cly, you and Ms. Sweeney…" A sudden tension shot through Clyde. He squeezed her hand tightly and quickly denied it. "There's nothing between us. It was all in her head from the start."