Chapter 1

The day before the wedding, I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

In the two hours I waited for Rod Dickerson to come home, I turned it over and over in my head, trying to figure out how to convince him to break things off.

After all, marrying me was the reason he'd cut ties with his own family.

But before I could get a word out, he took my hand, his voice urgent.

"Sonia Swanson, tomorrow's wedding might have to be pushed back."

"You already know?"

My hand tightened on the medical file without thinking. But what he said next left me frozen where I stood.

"Sybilla's back in the country. She's been diagnosed with cancer, and her last wish is to marry me."

"Sonia, we have all the time in the world. Once she's gone, we'll have our wedding. Okay?"

He looked at me with his eyes full of hope, the same way he had the day he proposed.

Except this time, what he wanted me to agree to was him marrying another woman.

1.

The sudden ring of a phone cut through my thoughts.

Rod let go of my hand almost instantly and hurried over to the floor-to-ceiling window to answer it.

"Okay, don't be scared. Wait for me."

He hung up, turned back to me, his eyes anxious.

"Sonia, something urgent came up at the hospital. I have to go right now."

"Tomorrow's wedding, can you let the guests and the venue know first."

I looked at him, my throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.

"And my parents?"

Rod rushed to the entryway to put on his shoes, not even lifting his head.

"You explain it to them first. Sonia, you're the kindest, the most understanding. I know you'll handle it."

Once his shoes were on, he seemed to feel a flicker of guilt. He came over and patted my head.

"Don't read too much into it. Sybilla and I are just childhood friends. She has cancer now and no one to lean on. I can't just leave her to fend for herself."

"The wedding gets pushed back six months at most. We have all the time in the world. Once she's gone, I promise you the grandest wedding."

All the time in the world.

But he didn't know. We didn't have all the time in the world anymore.

The doctor's words echoed in my ears.

"Early-onset Alzheimer's like yours is extremely rare. The disease progresses very fast. You'll start forgetting soon."

Maybe in less than six months, I'd forget him completely.

Rod reached the door, and his body suddenly went still.

He turned his head, looking at me with a trace of confusion.

"Right, Sonia, you were in such a rush to get me home earlier. What did you want to tell me?"

I gripped the medical file so hard my nails nearly tore through the paper.

"It's nothing."

I drew in a deep breath and smiled at him.

"I'll explain everything to my parents."

Rod let out a breath of relief, tossed out a "good girl," and shut the door with a bang.

In the empty living room, there was only me.

I gave a small, self-mocking laugh and slowly smoothed out the medical file crumpled in my hand.

Then I picked up my phone and dialed the number of the overseas neuroscience laboratory the doctor had given me.

"Hello, I'd like to enroll as a clinical trial participant for your new drug."

After I hung up, I opened the notes app on my phone.

【I'm sick. I'm going to forget a lot of things.】

【Rod is the man I love.】

【My wedding with Rod has been postponed.】