He Hated A Love I Forgot

My memory was gone, a blank slate wiped clean each day. I lived a life guided by Post-it notes-simple instructions that told me who I was, what to eat, and to be polite to visitors.

Then he came back. Jax, the man I supposedly abandoned for money seven years ago, was now a billionaire. He stood at my door with his new fiancée, his eyes burning with a hatred I couldn't place.

He forced me onto a humiliating reality show, turning my broken mind into a public spectacle. He tore down my notes, my only connection to myself, and let the world watch as I nearly drowned in a tank of ice water. When my brother tried to save me, he was arrested for assault.

To free my brother, I had to confess. I stood before the world and apologized for a betrayal I couldn't even remember, becoming the monster everyone believed me to be.

But as I spoke the lies he fed me, a single detail about a stolen necklace made his perfect world shatter. He finally saw the truth in my empty eyes. It was just seven years too late.

Chapter 1

My head throbbed. Sometimes it felt like a broken record, playing the same three seconds over and over again. Other times, it was static. Just white noise.

I forgot things. Big things. Small things. Everything in between.

There were Post-it notes everywhere. On the fridge. On the walls. On my hand. They told me what to do. They told me who I was.

Today, a note on the door said: "Expect visitors. Be polite."

The doorbell rang. It made me jump. My heart picked up speed.

I opened the door.

A man stood there. Tall. Dark hair. Sharp eyes. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. My head felt fuzzy.

Beside him, a woman. Blonde, perfectly made up. She wore a dress that shimmered. Her smile was too wide.

The man stared at me. His eyes raked over my faded jeans, my worn-out sweater.

He let out a short, cold laugh. "Seven years, Joleen. And this is what you've become."

I frowned. "Do I know you?"

The woman beside him tightened her grip on his arm. Her smile vanished, replaced by a smirk.

"Don't play dumb, Joleen," the man said. His voice was low, angry. "Or is it the rich old man finally broke your brain?"

I shook my head. "I don't understand."

He scoffed. "Still pretending? Fine. Harlow, my love, let's not waste our time."

Harlow. That was her name. It was written on a Post-it note somewhere. I think.

"Would you like some water? Or tea?" I asked. The note on the table said: "Offer guests a drink."

Jax, the man, just stared at me. His jaw was tight.

Harlow just rolled her eyes.

"Okay," I mumbled. I turned and headed to the tiny kitchen.

I needed to find the cups. A Post-it on the cabinet said: "Cups: top shelf, left."

My hands