My Last Days, and I Don't Remember Her

On our fifth anniversary, my girlfriend, Andrea Hill, turns down my proposal. She then takes the money I've saved up for my medical treatment and runs off to Ivalor to catch the aurora borealis with her first love, Spencer Metcalf. The moment the lights dance across the sky, they make a heartfelt wish together. "Let's be together for the rest of our lives." But when my late-stage Alzheimer's wipes out my memories and I forget who she even is, she goes absolutely crazy searching for doctors all over the world, all just to make me remember her. Chapter 1 Today marked the fifth anniversary of my relationship with Andrea Hill. I'd reached out to all our friends and family ahead of time and gotten everything ready. I'd filled the space downstairs from our apartment with flowers and candles to let everyone know I was planning to propose to Andrea. After I had everyone come over two hours in advance, I made sure they gathered downstairs at my apartment complex. We waited for hours, and before we knew it, it was already midnight. Some people were so tired that they'd started grumbling to me. Tony Baird's wife had already dozed off standing up, slumped against his shoulder, but Andrea was still nowhere to be seen. The little fairy lights I'd bought were flickering out one by one as their batteries died. I called Andrea over and over, but she just wouldn't pick up. Just as I was about to send everyone home, Andrea finally appeared. She arrived in a taxi, and climbing out after her was Spencer Metcalf, her one that got away. Spencer had that cool, aloof air about him. Moonlight dappled his white shirt, and his slender frame still made him look younger than he was. I, on the other hand, had been saving every penny to buy a house and give Andrea a good life, so I was dressed in the plainest clothes imaginable. I'd always known Andrea had loved Spencer since they were kids. Since Spencer was three years ahead of us at school, he'd graduated long before us. And just like Andrea, he was passionate about photography. They shared that passion, and whenever they were together, they always had plenty to talk about. The moment I saw him, an uneasy feeling settled inside me. Andrea seemed to be in a real hurry. She practically speed-walked toward the building entrance, so much so that she didn't even notice us just a dozen feet away. I couldn't help calling out, "Andrea!" Only after hearing someone call her name did Andrea finally turn around. She narrowed her eyes slightly, then realized it was me. The lively expression on her face suddenly turned cold. She took in the elaborate proposal setup I'd put together for her, but her face showed no trace of joy. My friend Tony nudged his wife, Anya Madden, and she woke with a start. She blurted out, "Andrea, you're finally here! Do you have any idea how long Vincent's been waiting for you? He's been here since 7:00 pm! Why didn't you answer his calls? If you'd taken any longer, we'd all have been gone." For some reason, Andrea looked a little annoyed when she heard that. She shot back, "Anya, I never asked any of you to wait around for me." Anya's smile faltered. She suddenly found herself at a loss for words. All of us, myself included, were caught off guard. Andrea suddenly directed her anger at me. "Vincent Shafer, why'd you have to propose today of all days? Don't you know that I've been swamped lately?" Her questions left my mind blank. I stepped forward, wanting to ask, "Wasn't this what you wanted?" But before I could speak, Spencer's voice cut through the air. "Andie, we're going to be late." Spencer's words immediately drew Andrea's full attention. She turned to Spencer and said softly, "Okay." When she looked back at me, hesitation flickered in her gaze. In the end, she just said, "Vincent, I've got things to do today. Let's save the proposal for another day." She spun around and rushed into the building, leaving me standing there, looking like a complete fool. No one had any idea what was going on. As I turned to Spencer, he gave me a mild, seemingly harmless smile. "Vincent, you don't mind lending me your girlfriend for a few days, do you? I'm the new guy in Andie's photography department, and the company's sending us on a business trip. Our flight takes off shortly." Chapter 2 I stared at Spencer, who was acting like he had nothing to hide. Everything he said sounded perfectly reasonable, which made it seem like I was being small-minded and standing in the way of my girlfriend's career. His smile never wavered. Looking straight at me, he went on, "Andie's gone home to pack. We'll be leaving soon." Everyone fell silent when they heard that. My heart ached with bitterness. Was Andrea turning me down because of the man standing right in front of me? I knew this proposal wasn't going to happen now. I looked at everyone around me and said, "You guys should head home. Thanks for sticking around for me all this time. Sorry for all the trouble. Dinner's on me some other day." Everyone said it was fine, but naturally, a few people couldn't help grumbling as they left. Tony was the only one who looked genuinely worried. When he got closer to me, he leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Vince, you'd better keep tabs on your girlfriend. That guy is obviously trying to make a statement." I merely smiled instead of replying. Then I met his gaze, saying, "Apologize to Anya for me when you get back for making her wait with me. She even had to get an earful from Andrea on top of that." Tony patted me on the shoulder and left. A moment later, I heard footsteps. Andrea came over to Spencer with a bag slung over her shoulder, excitedly saying, "Let's go!" All she had eyes for was Spencer. And when she glanced back at me, all I saw was indifference. After the taxi disappeared into the distance, I felt completely lost. That was because I'd just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Any day now, I could start losing my memories. Little by little, I'd forget everything. When that day came, I wasn't sure if I'd still remember Andrea at all. The only treatment available was expensive medication that could slow the progression of the disease. Andrea used to ask me all the time when I would propose to her and when she could finally marry me. When I found out I had the disease, I knew I was no longer in any position to marry Andrea. After all, chances were, I couldn't give her a normal life. I just wanted to make her wish come true and propose to her before I lost all my memories. But now, it seemed she didn't need it anymore. By the time I pulled myself together and made it home, I was shocked to find Andrea had taken my bank card. She knew the PIN, and that account held the money I desperately needed for treatment. I called Andrea right away, but her phone was off. Alarm bells went off in my head, and I immediately tried to freeze my card on my phone. But before I could, a notification came in saying someone had withdrawn all my money. I kicked myself for not acting faster. If only I'd been quicker, I might've been able to buy myself a few more years to look after my grandma back in the countryside. Grandma was the only person who'd stayed by my side throughout my entire life. She used to walk miles on foot just to buy the things I loved to eat. When I was little, and we couldn't afford my tuition, she'd sling a basket on her back and go around borrowing potatoes. She'd then sell those potatoes so that I could afford to go to school. But what was I supposed to do now? I was completely broke, with nowhere left to turn. And my memory was already starting to fail me. I started forgetting work instructions almost immediately after receiving them. Even when a coworker asked me to buy them lunch, I'd walk out the door and suddenly forget what I was supposed to do. I'd buy groceries, bring them home, leave them in the kitchen, then forget I'd bought them and head back out to buy them all over again. Chapter 3 For a long time, I thought I was just stressed from work and working too hard. It wasn't until I mentioned my symptoms to the doctor during a routine company health check that I realized something might be wrong with me. He immediately recommended that I get some tests done. That was when I finally found out about my disease. I could no longer give Andrea the life she deserved. Still, we'd shared so many beautiful memories. Back in college, Spencer was the guy everyone had a crush on. And Andrea was known as the prettiest woman in her department from the moment she stepped onto campus. Andrea, Spencer, and I all grew up in the same residential neighborhood. Ever since Spencer was a kid, he had been everyone's idea of the perfect child. He was good-looking and got along with just about anyone. As for me, I was just someone who wasn't very good with words. Andrea was naturally cheerful, but whenever Spencer ignored her, she'd come hang out with me instead. Since she was undeniably beautiful, I couldn't help being attracted to her. So every time she approached me, I gladly accepted all the warmth she showed me. In our sophomore year, she confessed to me. I was over the moon and said yes right away. It wasn't until later that I realized she'd come to me because Spencer, the guy she liked, had left the country with another woman right after they graduated. She really was going through a rough time back then. So I stayed by her side the whole time, taking her to the best food spots off campus and to the aquarium to look at the fish. Little by little, I helped her pull herself out of that dark place with all the care and support I gave her. That was why, even now, I still couldn't wrap my head around her running back to Spencer. He was obviously a man who kept making promises to her but never followed through, someone who'd hurt her over and over again. As I sat on my bed, replaying everything in my head, Tony's parting words came back to me. It finally dawned on me that Andrea might have been lying to me. Otherwise, why would she take my bank card just to go on a business trip? I picked up my phone and called Jason Lawson, Andrea's boss. He was one of my closest friends, and it was through my relationship with him that Andrea got her job in the first place. Andrea wasn't even qualified for the job, so she wouldn't have gotten it without him. Jason picked up on the first ring, a grin already in his voice. "Well, look who's calling! What's the occasion?" "Jason, does Andrea have a business trip lined up right now?" "Nope. She took three days off. I figured you two had plans to travel together." In that moment, I knew Andrea had lied. I just had no idea where she and Spencer had actually gone. But the very next day, a forwarded post landed in my messages. It was from Tony. The photo captured a breathtaking display of the aurora borealis across the sky. Andrea and Spencer had their faces pressed together, grinning happily at the camera. The location tag showed Ivalor, and the caption read, "Let's be together for the rest of our lives." After everything I'd seen, even the ache in my heart had started to fade into numbness. All that remained on my face was indifference. Stone-faced, I bought a ticket to Ivalor. By the next day, I'd already landed. I got lucky. After asking around for a bit with the photo, I managed to find the exact location. There was only one hotel nearby, too. The front desk told me they couldn't give out guest information. With no other options, I sat by the entrance and waited. About an hour later, I spotted Andrea in the hotel lobby. I called out to her from a distance. "Andrea!" The moment Andrea heard my voice, she thought she'd imagined it. She stared at me in disbelief before finally realizing it was really me. Chapter 4 Andrea hid the panic in her eyes as she walked over to me. She asked, "What are you doing here?" I slowly made my way toward her, but before I could reach her, Spencer came through the hotel entrance. He walked straight to Andrea's side, and they stood together, looking at me. I stopped in my tracks. It felt like a clear line had been drawn between them and me. But the fact remained that Andrea was my girlfriend. We'd never even agreed to end our relationship. In an instant, the thought of telling Andrea about my illness vanished from my mind. I slowly walked toward them. Standing right in front of Andrea, I demanded, "Why did you take my bank card?" Andrea acted as if she had done nothing wrong. "I have other expenses to deal with while I'm working, Vincent. Can you stop being so petty? You seriously came all the way here over this little bit of money? I bought you most of the clothes you used to wear, didn't I?" I stared at Andrea coldly. All the clothes she'd ever bought me had been on sale, and they were always the cheapest ones. I'd been careful with every penny I spent, all so she could have a little more breathing room financially. But this time, she'd really gone too far. She'd used my money to come to Ivalor with Spencer. The thought suddenly made me let out a bitter laugh. "So, you used my money to go on a vacation with Spencer?" Andrea's eyes went wide. She clearly hadn't expected me to find out. Still, she wouldn't admit it. "Vincent, what makes you say that? I've already told you it's for work. Do you really not trust me at all?" Watching Andrea lie through her teeth and show me such an ugly side of herself, I suddenly felt disgusted with her. She was no longer the cheerful, outgoing Andrea I'd once known. And whatever feelings I had left for her went cold. Fixing Andrea with a sharp look, I said coldly, "Andrea, pay back every last cent, and I might think twice about pressing charges." Andrea's eyes began to well up with tears. She met my eyes, exclaiming, "It's not like I wasn't going to pay you back, Vincent. Do you really have to be this heartless?" I exploded, yelling, "I want my money back now!" I looked at her with bloodshot eyes, feeling like my heart was being torn apart. If I lost that money and ended up with dementia, who would take care of my grandma? My outburst seemed to frighten Andrea. She suddenly turned to look at Spencer beside her before stammering, "It's gone. I've used all of it to buy photography equipment for Spencer." My gaze snapped to Spencer. He gave me a cold, malicious look. "Vincent, I never touched your money. Every cent was a gift from Andie. And even if I had spent your money, what proof do you have? Besides, Andie's with me now." I was stunned for a moment, then it all made sense. Even if I sued, what would it get me? I suddenly felt myself swaying, my vision starting to blur. A wave of dizziness hit me out of nowhere, and before I knew it, I collapsed to the floor. When I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed, with Andrea standing over me. My very first thought after waking up was that, at least, Andrea hadn't left me to die. I turned my head to her, saying, "Thank you for taking me to the hospital." Andrea stared at me. "Then that makes us even. I saved your life, so you owed me. And I got what I was owed using your money." Chapter 5 Andrea added, "The doctor said you have severe hypoglycemia. If I hadn't gotten you to the hospital in time, you could've died." I stayed silent as I more or less knew why. My memory had been getting worse these past few days. I kept forgetting whether I'd eaten or not, so I'd eat when I was hungry and skip meals when I wasn't. And lately, I'd been feeling so down that I just didn't feel like eating. As my memory continued to deteriorate, I was finding it harder and harder to remember things. Sometimes it felt like I couldn't even get a complete sentence out anymore. A sudden, unsettling thought crossed my mind. I might already be in the late stages of the disease. As it progressed, I'd lose more and more of my memories, forget everyone I knew, and eventually lose my ability to speak. At that point, there'd be no point in continuing treatment. As such, I turned back to Andrea and said, "Fine. We're even." By the time I was done talking, I didn't feel a thing anymore. Andrea, on the other hand, visibly froze for a moment when she heard my words. The light in her eyes suddenly disappeared. After a beat, she spoke in a slightly hoarse voice. "Think it over a little more. We both need to cool off and give each other some time." I kept my emotions to myself, offering only a small smile as I replied, "Alright." After Andrea and I parted ways at the hospital, she eventually got what she'd always wanted and ended up with Spencer. I would still occasionally see their social media posts showing off how happy they were together. Before long, I flew back to my old city and found a care facility for myself. I was afraid that once I'd truly forgotten everything, I'd no longer be able to take care of myself. After getting everything sorted out, I made a trip back to my hometown. I wanted to bring my grandma back with me so she could live with me. But just as I got on the bus, I received the news that my grandma had passed away. Just like that, I had lost the only family I had left in this world. After laying my grandma to rest, I returned to the city. I quit my job, and when I saw the news that Andrea and Spencer were getting married, I deleted every last way of reaching her. By then, I'd already lost the ability to speak. All that lingered of her in my mind were a few fleeting memories. What I never expected was that Andrea would suddenly have second thoughts just before marrying Spencer. She went back to the rental apartment where we'd once lived together. But when the door opened, a stranger was standing there. No matter where she looked, she couldn't find any trace of me. Tony and Anya had long since moved away. And I'd never told anyone about my memory loss. She broke down and sobbed, but there was nothing she could do to change anything. Then one day, Jason spotted her from a distance while he was out on the street. He told her the truth. "Vincent was diagnosed with Alzheimer's before he proposed to you. He's in a care facility now. "He told me not to interfere with your life. But since you're asking about him now, I think the least you could do is apologize to him. If you hadn't taken all his savings, he wouldn't have gone all the way to Ivalor for you. "His grandma fell critically ill right around then, and she passed away. He couldn't save his family, and he couldn't save himself either. Do whatever you want with that information."