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Elias Sullivan became entangled with the girl he had saved. She claimed to have a terminal illness and expressed her desire to have a dream wedding before she passed away. In response, Elias secretly purchased a diamond ring and arranged for her to try on a wedding dress without my knowledge. If she ever complained of discomfort, he would disregard our third anniversary and leave me behind to fulfill her wishes.
However, what he didn’t know was that I, too, was sick, and my upcoming surgery would result in permanent amnesia. The night before Elias donned his groom’s suit, I left for treatment abroad alone. Later, he searched for me worldwide, but when I returned, everything had changed.
“Honey, you’re finally back!” he exclaimed.
I stared blankly at the unfamiliar man before me. “Who are you?”
On the third anniversary of their marriage, Mira arrived at the fire station dormitory and overheard a
conversation.
“Captain Sullivan… are you sure she will agree?”
“Vera has ALS and won’t live past two years,” Elias replied, his voice low. “Her greatest wish is to have a wedding. With Mira going abroad on a business trip next month, I plan to take this chance to grant her wish.”
His voice softened with affection. “It’s just a formality, and we won’t register for a marriage certificate. Don’t make it public–Mira won’t know.”
“Alright, no photos then!” came the reply.
“Yes, we wouldn’t want Mira to misunderstand…”
Mira froze in place, her throat tight with emotion. She hurried out of the Westfield Fire Department and caught a taxi. The driver, noticing the “MRI” label on her bag, asked casually, “What’s wrong with you, miss?”
“Brain tumor,” Mira said flatly.
The driver’s sympathy was evident, but Mira’s condition wasn’t as dire as it seemed. The tumor wasn’t life–threatening, though it was dangerously located. If removed, it would damage the hippocampus and cause permanent memory loss. The doctor had recommended conservative treatment to slow its growth, but surgery was inevitable in the near future.
Mira couldn’t hide the bitterness in her heart, the thought of forgetting Elias completely after her surgery weighing heavily on her. She had just come from the hospital with the MRI results, intending to share them with him. After all, they had been childhood sweethearts for years–dating, then marrying–never keeping secrets from each
other.
But what she hadn’t expected was to discover that her husband was planning a wedding with another woman. It was absurd. If he truly had no guilt, why would he go to such lengths to hide it from her?
Her phone rang, snapping her from her thoughts.
“Hello?” Mira answered, her voice calm
“Mira, I have a mission tonight and won’t be able to spend our anniversary with you,” Elias‘ voice came through, regret lacing his words. “When things settle down, we’ll make it up.”
“Okay,” she replied, her tone flat.
Just as she was about to hang up, her eyes caught something on her screen. Vera had posted a new Twitter
update two minutes ago.
[The ingredients are ready, waiting for someone to get off work-]
The post included a picture of sliced meat and vegetables, alongside a selfie of Vera wearing pajamas and
sitting in a wheelchair.
Mira’s mind raced. Three months ago, Vera had been in a fire. Right before a major dance competition, she had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS and, in despair, had tried to end her life by lighting charcoal at home–only to accidentally start a fire. The neighbors had called for help, and the fire brigade, led by Elias, had saved her
Mira could still picture the image from that day when Elias had made the headlines. He had carried the fragile, depressed girl in his arms, his tall frame towering over her as thick smoke swirled around them. His sharp features were set in determination, and his strong, sun–kissed arms contrasted starkly with Vera’s pale skin
The pictures had been striking–capturing both the drama and intensity of the moment. They went viral on Twitter, and short videos had flooded the platform. Netizens had eagerly commented, joking that the two looked perfect together, with many even suggesting that Vera should commit to him.
