𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 • 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧

five

Leah sat on the edge of Beth's sofa, her hands clenched tightly in her lap as she awaited the explanation that had eluded her for days. Beth and Viv exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions reflecting a shared burden of knowledge that weighed heavily upon them both.

"Beth, please," Leah urged, her voice trembling with a mix of anticipation and dread. "What's going on?"

Beth took a deep breath, her gaze steady as she prepared to unveil the truth that had shaken Leah's world. "Leah," she began gently, "there's something you need to see."

With that, Viv reached into a nearby drawer and retrieved a small card, which she handed to Leah with a solemn expression. Leah took the card hesitantly, her fingers trembling as she unfolded it and began to read.

*"Your friend/family member Y/N L/N has come to us to have all memory of Leah Catherine Williamson erased. Please do not mention their past relationship to her again.
Kind Regards,
Sunshine Inc."*

Leah's breath caught in her throat as she read the stark message, the words sinking in like weights upon her heart. She looked up at Beth and Viv, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain. "No..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Beth nodded somberly. "Leah, I thought it was a joke at first," she admitted, her voice tinged with regret. "But I looked into Sunshine Inc., and... it's real."

Leah felt a surge of confusion and hurt. "But why would Y/N do this?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "Why would she erase me from her memory? Did i mean that little to her?"

Beth hesitated, her own anguish evident in her eyes. "I don't have all the answers," she admitted softly. "But whatever Y/N went through, it must have been something significant for her to take such a drastic step. Believe me Leah, she wouldn't have done this if you didn't mean the world to her. she'll have wanted to move on. I saw how she was, she was in constant pain after your breakup."

Leah's mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions—betrayal, heartache, and an overwhelming sense of loss. She clutched the card tightly in her hand, as if it were the last tangible connection to the memories she held dear.

Viv reached out to Leah, her voice filled with genuine remorse. "Leah, I'm so sorry," she whispered, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "She really doesn't remember you."

Leah looked up at Viv, the weight of Viv's words crashing down upon her like a tidal wave. Tears streamed down Leah's cheeks as she struggled to process the magnitude of what had been revealed. The woman she loved had chosen to erase every trace of their shared history—a history that Leah held onto with all her heart.

Beth interjected softly, her voice laden with empathy. "Leah, you're not alone in this," she said, her tone gentle yet resolute. "All of your teammates received the same card. Even Coach Jonas. I reached out to your mum, too—she got one as well."

Leah's heart sank further, the realization that Y/N's decision had affected everyone close to her amplifying her anguish. She wiped away her tears, her mind reeling with the implications of Y/N's choice.

As she sat there, enveloped in the embrace of Beth and Viv's empathy, Leah realized that she was facing not just the end of a relationship, but the erasure of a chapter of her life—one that had shaped her in ways she could never fully comprehend.

And amidst the pain and confusion, one thought echoed persistently in Leah's mind: how could she ever move forward when the past had been so abruptly erased, leaving only her memories of what once was?