Traces of Snow, Scattered in Her Spring

After the memory-erasure procedure, I forgot my boyfriend of ten years.
I forgot the sister Id raised with my own hands, only to be stabbed in the back by her.
I forgot everything about Sterling City
I went south, alone, and opened a small flower shop. Everyone thought I was just throwing a tantrum, that Id be back before long.
Until a strange customer walked into my shop one day and asked in surprise, "After all these years, why have you never contacted Peter Ford? Do you have any idea he's been waiting for you for five whole years?"
I answered, completely lost. "I'm sorry, I had a memory-erasure procedure. Who's Peter Ford?"
The words hung in the air, followed by a dead silence.
A sudden, baseless panic seized my heart. I subconsciously turned to look.
Outside the window, framed by the sunken, heavy darkness of the night, a man stood staring at me, his eyes rimmed with red.

In the tenth year of our relationship, Peter cheated on me.
With the sister I had practically raised myself.
The moment I saw them kissing, I slapped Peter across the face without hesitation. The next thing I knew, my sister, Beth, had pushed me down the stairs.
As I tumbled down, a sickening, familiar certainty washed over me.
Everyone I cared about would eventually be stolen by Beth.
Beth was my father's illegitimate daughter. When she was thirteen, my mother, in the throes of a severe bipolar episode after discovering the affair, had a catastrophic breakdown. She was institutionalized and passed away not long after, leaving me, at twenty, as Beths sole guardian.
My work was demanding, so I had no choice but to bring her to the office with me. She was a bright, effervescent girl, a little ball of sunshine. My friends and colleagues, initially wary, slowly fell under her spell.
"Your sister is so much more charming than you are," was something I heard more than once.
Now, even the man I had loved for a decade thought so too.
When I woke up in the hospital, Peter was sitting by my bed. "That kiss," he said, "it was a mistake. An accident. It won't happen again... As for Beth, she's your sister, and she's so young. Don't hold it against her, okay?"
I looked down and let out a soft, bitter laugh.
"You're saying all this because you're afraid I'll kick her out, aren't you?"
He flinched, then tightened his grip on my hand. "Sera, I know you're still angry. It's okay. I'll stay with you until you're not."
I pulled my hand away and turned my back to him. I heard him sigh behind me, as if I were a petulant child.
His phone rang. I could clearly hear Beth's voice, small and trembling. "Peter, I'm so scared all alone at home. Can you come back and stay with me?"
He murmured a few comforting words to her, then said to me, "There's an emergency at the office. I'll be right back."
He rushed out the door before I could even answer.
He never came back that night.
I lay there, staring blankly at a hospital brochure on the nightstand.
New Memory-Erasure Procedure: Forget 99% of Your Troubles.
I've always been decisive. When something is spoiled, I throw it out.
So, Peter, our ten years together I was done with it all.
Coming out of the operating room, my mind was a thick fog. The past was shrouded in mist, and I felt like a detached observer, calm and rational.
Following the address on my hospital file, I went home.
I opened the door to a chorus of cheers.
"Happy birthday, Beth!"
I walked into the living room. Everyone was gathered around Beth, singing. She had tears in her eyes as she hugged Peter tightly, a picture of surprised delight.
A friend spotted me and cleared her throat.
The room fell silent.
After a moment, a slightly awkward Peter asked, "Sera, you're out of the hospital already? Why didn't you call? I would have picked you up."
I sidestepped his attempt to take my bag. "The hospital wasn't exactly peaceful. I figured I'd be better off at home."
His words hung in the air, and a wave of discomfort washed over the guests.
My best friend of many years, Leah, stepped forward to smooth things over. "Sera, you're just in time! It's Beth's birthday. We all chipped in for a gift. Since you're her sister, you should be the one to give it to her."
An exquisite little box was pressed into my hands. I stood frozen for a second before taking it and holding it out to Beth. I had been her sister for years. This gift would be a final closing of that chapter.
As I offered it, Beth reached out, but somehow it slipped and fell to the floor. The box burst open, and a beautiful Murano glass bracelet inside shattered into pieces.
Beths eyes immediately filled with tears. "Sister, you still can't forgive me? That was an accident, I swear! I've been so worried about you while you were in the hospital"
Seeing her cry, everyone rushed to comfort her, their eyes turning on me with reproach.
"Sera, seriously, you're her older sister. Are you still going to be mad at her?"
"It's her birthday! Can't you just let her be happy for one day?"
I looked at the faces accusing me. In the center of them all, looking at me with profound disappointment, was the man I had loved for ten years.
A roaring filled my ears. My vision blurred, and I swayed on my feet.
"Alright, everyone, don't blame Sera. She just got out of the hospital," Peter said, stepping to my side. His voice was gentle. "Don't be hard on Beth. She's just a kid."
He picked up the broken pieces and the box, trying to hand them back to me.
"She just fumbled it by accident. Just give it to her again you two need to get along from now on."
His voice was soft, but the hand on my shoulder was pressing down, a silent command.
I took a deep breath, stepped away from his touch, and said quietly, "There's no need. She and I we probably won't be living together anymore."
"I actually came back today to pack my things."
The moment I finished speaking, Beth burst into loud, wrenching sobs.
"Sister, are you are you kicking me out?" She looked helplessly at Peter. "Peter, what do I do? You promised me"
Peter patted her head soothingly before turning to me, his brow furrowed with impatience. Before I could explain, the accusations started again.
"Sera! That's going too far!"
"If you kick Beth out, where will she go?"
"What if something happens to her out there all alone? Do you have a heart?"
Leah looked at me with pity, pleading Beths case. "Come on, Sera. Look how upset she is. She's so young"
I stared at Leah, a desolate emptiness spreading through my chest. When shed been scammed out of her life savings, I had given her every penny I had to help her get back on her feet. She had hugged me then, tears of gratitude in her eyes, calling me her best friend in the world.
Now, she stood against me, rebuking me for the sake of the sister who had kissed my fianc.
"Leah, no matter how close we are, this is my family's business Besides, I'm the one moving out. This house"
Peter cut me off. "That's enough, Sera. Leah is just trying to stand up for Beth. Beth is your sister. This house belongs to her too."
He comforted Beth with one hand while glaring at me. "At the end of the day, you're still holding a grudge about what happened. But she's just a kid. If you have a problem, take it up with me. Don't take it out on her."
The words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat, choked off by their accusations.
Beth timidly approached, taking my hand. "Sister, please don't be mad at me. I promise I won't say a single word to Peter ever again. You're the only family I have left"
I didn't speak, but a sharp pain shot through my hand. I felt a sharp sting, like a needle prick.
Instinctively, I yanked my hand away. The force sent Beth stumbling backward, and she fell to the floor.
I reached out to help her up, but Peter shoved me aside.
"Don't you touch her!"
I had never seen him so furious. A sharp pain lanced through my heart.
"Peter, my ankle I think I twisted it" Beth whimpered.
Peter swept her up into his arms and glared at me. "I'm taking her out of here. You need some time to cool off and think about what you've done."
His jaw tightened. "Sera, you have really, truly disappointed me."
My hand twitched almost imperceptibly. I sniffled quietly, trying to fight back the burning in my eyes.
No one else said a word, but their condemning gazes were enough. They decided to go with Beth to the hospital, to celebrate her birthday elsewhere.
As they were leaving, a boy whod been pursuing Beth for a while said loudly, "If it wasn't for Beth, I wouldn't even come to this dump."
"Someone's just jealous that Beth's more popular than her! An old hag trying to compete with a young girl, it's disgusting."
Peter's shoulders tensed for a moment, but he didn't turn back. He just carried Beth away in silence.
After they left, I immediately called a real estate agent to sell the house.
The agent was puzzled. The location was prime, the value was only going to increase. He advised me not to rush.
I just smiled and shook my head.
After he left, I sat on the sofa and murmured to the empty room, "Grandma, I'm leaving. I couldn't keep the house. Please don't be mad at me."
My phone buzzed. A message from Peter.
You left your necklace at my place. When are you coming to get it?
He had attached a picture. It was the gift he'd given me for our tenth anniversary. A custom Chaumet piece, with a fiery ruby at its center.
It was beautiful, but it stirred nothing in me.
I replied flatly: Just keep it for now. We'll figure it out later.
After sending the message, I fell into a deep sleep.
When I woke up, Peter was sitting by my bed.
His voice was hoarse. "You're awake? I came to check on you and bring you the necklace."
I didn't get up. I just took the necklace from him and placed it on the table.
"Thanks. You didn't have to bring it over so late."
He shook his head. "This necklace is important."
"Looking at it reminds me of everything we've been through all the storms we've weathered. And now we're fighting over something so small it's not worth it."
I thought of the past, too.
The time he drove through the night in a storm to bring me medicine when I had a fever, nearly getting into a car accident.
The time a monk at a temple predicted a life of loneliness for me. He had insisted on prostrating himself with every single step up the mountain, his forehead bruised and his knees bleeding, praying with his eyes squeezed shut, "I wish Sera a life of peace, fulfillment, and happiness."
When I was diagnosed with uterine cancer and told I could never have children, he got a vasectomy, making his stance clear to his disapproving mother.
It was so good back then
I held out my hand, the bruises and pinpricks from the IV still visible on the back.
He ignored them. "Beth is having a rough time at the hotel. She got food poisoning from takeout and had to go to the hospital. Let's go pick her up together, okay?"
I asked calmly, "Pick her up and bring her where? Peter, I told you, I'm selling the house."
His brow furrowed. "When did you decide that? Why would you sell the house?"
I sighed. "The day of Beth's birthday. I told you then, I'm moving out."
His lips pressed into a thin line. After a moment, he stood up. "Well, you get some rest. I'm going to the hospital to check on Beth. She shouldn't be alone when she's sick."
After I heard the door click shut, I waited a few minutes, then got up and deleted his fingerprint from the smart lock.
I lay back down and closed my eyes.
I didn't sleep at all.
The next morning, a wave of dizziness hit me as I got out of bed, and I stumbled into the nightstand. The necklace fell to the floor.
Worried it might be damaged and I'd have to pay for it, I picked it up to inspect it. That's when I saw the inscription on the inside of the clasp: "LOVE C".
C for Beth.
There was no question who this necklace was really for.
I got up, opened my safe, and there it wasmy necklace, lying safely inside, engraved with "SERA".
I stared at it for a long time, and then I started to laugh.
I laughed until my eyes burned with tears.
So, my anniversary with Peter was also his anniversary with Beth.
The agent quickly found a buyer for the house. With the money in my account, I moved into a hotel. My days were simple: medical treatments and long walks. Peter and Beth seemed to have faded from my life. For the first time in a long time, I felt a sense of peace.
Until Peter called.
"Get to the hospital! Now! Immediately!"
I didn't want to go, but the thought that we hadn't officially broken up made me get up and go.
When I arrived, everyone was crowded into a hospital room.
Peter looked at me, the disappointment in his eyes so thick it was practically spilling over.
"Tell me, why would you do this to Beth!"
"Beth has always had depression, and you hired people to go to her hotel and terrorize her! What is wrong with you?!"
His grip on my shoulders was excruciating. I tried to pull away, but he was deaf to my protests. The others just watched, indifferent. Among them was the best friend to whom I had given my life savings, the subordinate I had helped mentor. All of them looked at me with hatred.
"It wasn't me! I haven't even seen her! And I had no idea she had depression until today."
Leah couldn't hold back. "You're still denying it? If you didn't know, how did you use your status as her legal guardian to stop the doctors from giving her medication?!"
"If Beth had been taking her medicine, she wouldn't have been triggered like this! She's on the verge of death, and you're still lying!"
Only then did I see Beth, cowering behind Peter, trembling.
"Beth? What's wrong?"
At the sound of my voice, she flinched violently, then went still, her head bowed.
I stepped closer, trying to see what was happening to her.
Suddenly, Beth shrieked, "Stay away from me!" and started frantically grabbing whatever was nearby and throwing it at me.
I had no time to dodge. Something heavy struck my forehead. A sharp, searing pain, and then warm blood was streaming down my face.
Peter immediately shielded Beth, roaring at me, "Get out! Don't you come near her!"
I took a deep breath, pressed a hand to the gushing wound, and walked out of the room.
Through the glass window, I saw Peter gently applying ointment to Beth's hands. The others were comforting her, telling her the "bad woman" was gone.
I turned away and found a nurse, asking for bandages. Seeing the blood covering my face, she was horrified and rushed me to get stitches.
While my wound was being treated, Peter found me.
He froze for a second when he saw the gauze on my forehead.
"Beth's not stable. She didn't mean it. Don't take it to heart."
I shook my head. "It's fine. I'm not going to argue with a patient. You, on the other hand it must be exhausting taking care of her."
He blinked, thrown off. He had clearly been prepared for a fight. Now, he was speechless.
"You it's good that you understand. Does it still hurt? Is it bad?"
He reached out to check the wound, but I flinched back, avoiding his touch. His hand froze in mid-air, then fell limply to his side.
Before he could speak, I said, "What happened to Beth, it wasn't my doing."
He immediately shot back, "The thugs who harassed her identified you! Who else could it be? Are you saying she scared herself?"
I was silent. "If that's what you want to believe, there's nothing I can do."
"I came here because I need to talk to you. We need to break"
Before I could finish, Leah ran up, panting. "It's bad! Beth woke up, and when she didn't see you, she had a complete breakdown!"
Without a moment's hesitation, without another word, Peter turned and sprinted back toward Beth's room.
I watched him go, and in my heart, I said goodbye.
In nine days, I would have my final memory-erasure treatment. Then I would forget everything.
I turned and walked away, leaving behind a decade of my life, leaving behind all the pain and turmoil.
But I hadn't even made it out of the hospital when someone grabbed me from behind. Before I could struggle, a sharp pain exploded at the back of my head, and everything went dark.

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