Chapter 1

On the day of the first snow, I didn't get the proposal I was waiting for from my boyfriend, Luke Perry.

Instead, I came across a post on Twitter. Luke was putting on a romantic drone light show for Katie, with thousands of drones lighting up the sky.

I looked up at the massive "I love you" and "Katie Lawson" glowing in the snowy night, and suddenly realized the boy who once swore he'd propose to me with thousands of drones was gone forever, lost to this first winter snowfall.

Later, I married the heir to a fireworks family in an arranged marriage.

At my wedding, when the drones filled the sky with my name, Luke snapped on the spot.

*****

My assistant, Zoya Hale, called, "Jemma, Mr. Perry just sent the whole drone crew down by the river. He's totally going to propose to you. Oh my god, this is so exciting."

When I got Zoya's call, my heart did a happy little dance.

Three years ago, when Luke and I first started our business, nobody believed in our drone light show idea.

After getting turned down by clients again and again, Luke set up a dazzling virtual drone light show for me on his laptop in our tiny, cramped apartment.

It was a freezing winter night, and we were so broke that we couldn't even afford to turn on the heat.

Luke held me close, wrapping the only blanket we had around me, his eyes full of love.

He said gently, "Jemma, when we win that international award, I'll use thousands of drones to write your name across the night sky. The whole city will see it. I, Luke Perry, am going to marry Jemma Henderson!"

I never thought that after three years, he'd still remember the promise we made back then.

Just the day before, Luke won a gold medal at the Global Drone Fireworks Competition for the company.

At the celebration party, champagne bubbles reflected in Luke's eyes, which were bright and a little tipsy. Amid all the teasing and cheers, he looked over at me, giving me a smile I couldn't quite read, which was complicated and hard to describe.

Actually, I caught wind of Luke's plans last night while hiding out in the bathroom.

A few of the company's core employees were whispering, "Everyone got the memo, right? Mr. Perry's throwing a massive drone show at the riverside platform tomorrow at eight, but shh, Jemma can't know a thing."

At that moment, happiness exploded inside me like fireworks, completely overwhelming me.

He remembered!

He still remembered our three-year promise.

After hanging up, I practically skipped out of the office, my heart light and full of joy.

Snow was falling.

Tiny snowflakes drifted down from the sky, landing on my eyelashes and blurring my vision.

This was the first snow of the year.

I wanted to tell him, "Luke, it's snowing.

"See? Even the first snow is here to witness our promise."

I rushed over to the riverside platform. It was ten minutes to eight.

Zoya was right. Luke had every single drone pilot from the company out here.

The whole place was roped off, and thousands of drones just stood there in the snow, waiting to light up the sky.

I lost myself in the lively crowd, quietly waiting for my name and Luke's to shine in the magical first snow.

Right at eight, the silent night sky suddenly burst into life with countless points of light.

Those lights, twinkling like stars, quickly swirled together to form a massive "I love you."

A sweet feeling bubbled up inside me, but before my smile could even fade, the drones shifted formation, and in the night sky appeared a name, sharper, brighter, and more dazzling than ever: Katie Lawson.

My smile froze on my face.

Katie? Was she the art student who'd only been interning for less than three months, the one Luke just promoted to be his personal assistant?

I'd seen her at the office a few times. She was young, vibrant, and every time she looked at Luke, her eyes were filled with blatant, burning adoration. She didn't even try to hide it.

In that instant, it was like every drop of blood in my body got sucked out, and my veins froze solid.

The wind off the river hit me, not just cold, but sharp and burning, cutting right through me.

My phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with a special Twitter notification.

Katie had just posted several photos on Twitter.

The center photo showed her snuggled up in Luke's arms, with the "I love you" and her name glowing in the night sky behind them.

Luke's face was turned away, so I couldn't really see his expression, but I could see the way he held her was pure tenderness.

The caption read, [The first snowfall is for being with the one you love. Thank you, Mr. Perry, for spoiling me like a little princess.]

The likes and comments were pouring in. Almost everyone I knew from work was jumping in, giving all the same stuff, [Wishing you two forever. You guys are perfect together. Mr. Perry is totally head over heels for his girl.]

His girl? Did they just say Katie was Luke's girl?

So what about me? I was the one who stuck by him for three years, helped him build everything. Did I even matter to him anymore?

The snow kept falling, heavier and heavier, blanketing my hair and shoulders. I was numb to the bone, but I refused to look away. I just kept my head up, stubborn to the end.

The name "Katie Lawson" blazing in the night sky burned into me like a brand, impossible to ignore, leaving me raw and exposed.