He Took the Memory Potion Instead of Me Chapter 01

He Took the Memory Potion Instead of Me Chapter 01

Seven years with Callum Whitmore. Over seven hundred breakups. He’d finally hit his limit and made me drink a memory-wipe potion.

He tasted it first, to prove it was sa0fe. By the time he looked at me again, there was nothing behind his eyes.

“…You got a boyfriend?” First thing out of his mouth.

I nodded.

Then, without missing a beat: “Is it me?”

I shook my head.

Callum’s face darkened.

His eyes swept over my clothes—ratty, worn—then flicked across the windowless basement.

He pressed a hand to his forehead. “What the hell. Was I insane before? Did I seriously kidnap a woman?”

It took him less than two seconds to roll with it.

“Whatever. You’re already here. Until I figure out who you are, you’re not going anywhere.”

He snatched my cup and dumped the potion down the sink.

“Don’t drink that. Someone could’ve spiked it. Honestly? I wouldn’t put it past whoever I was before.”

The last of it spiraled down the drain. I let out a breath.

No one had spiked it. I was the one who’d poured the weedkiller—pure paraquat.

I’d heard him on the phone the day before, talking to his childhood friend.

“…Once she’s forgotten me completely, I’ll marry you.”

…

Callum headed upstairs.

His sister Tessa Whitmore was on him the second he walked out.

“Well? Did it work? Do you still remember Maren?”

Callum rolled his eyes.

“Maren who? Never heard such a dumb name in my life.”

Tessa’s whole face lit up. She was half a second from clapping.

Then Callum kept talking.

“But that girl in the basement—I like her. A lot. What’s her name? She seeing anyone?”

Tessa looked like she was going to lose her mind.

“That is Maren! She’s dating you, you idiot!”

Callum’s eyes lit up.

“Wait, really? I’m her boyfriend?”

Then his brow furrowed.

He pulled out his phone and unlocked it with Face ID.

Default lock screen wallpaper. Not a single photo of us in his gallery.

He scrolled to the bottom of every social media app. Searched “Maren.” Searched “wife.” Searched “baby.” Nothing.

Callum scoffed. “Yeah, no. This is not what a relationship looks like.”

He slid his phone away and clapped Tessa on the shoulder.

“Look, Tessa. I get it. You’re my sister—of course you’d cover for me. Locking someone up is a felony. So you’re telling me she’s my girlfriend, making it sound like she wanted to be here. I get the play.”

Tessa blinked. Then scrambled to run with it.

“Yes! Exactly! I’m just protecting you, so let her go, okay? You can’t make someone love you!”

“No.” Callum’s voice went flat. “That’s a separate issue.”

“I already went through the trouble of kidnapping her. Whether she loves me is her problem.”

He leaned in, eyes bright.

“How old is she? What’s her favorite flower? What’s her ring size?”

Tessa threw her hands up. “Callum, are you screwing with me right now? Did that potion work or didn’t it?”

“How should I know? It just feels like a chunk of my brain got scooped out…”

Callum rubbed his temples irritably. “Forget it. If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask someone else.”

Tessa grabbed his arm.

“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything, okay?”

She took a deep breath.

“Maren really was your… first love.”

“But she’s toxic. A manipulative, money-hungry nightmare.”

“Seven years together, and you weren’t happy for a single day. Most nights, you were either staring at the ceiling until dawn or blackout drunk, crying your eyes out.”

“You got into a fistfight with your own brother because of her. You know how easygoing he is, and you two nearly stopped speaking! Do you know how terrified I was the day you knocked him to the ground?”

Tessa’s voice cracked.

“Please, Callum. Forget her. I’m begging you. You and Sienna are meant for each other! If you stay with Maren, you’ll never be happy!”

Callum dropped his gaze. Said nothing.

Tessa’s jaw clenched.

“Fine. Fine! You’re impossible! Mom, Dad, and our brother fly back in two days. You better keep her out of sight.”

She sneered. “That ex of yours knows exactly how to play the victim.”

She had barely gotten the sentence out when I walked up from the basement.

All three of us froze.

Callum recovered first. “Hold on—didn’t I lock you up? How’d you get out?”

I managed a thin smile.

“You didn’t lock the door… Do you want me to go back down?”