Chapter 1

After my boyfriend of five years betrayed me, I brought home some fool I'd picked up off the street.

I wanted revenge. I wanted to throw my life away.

I cleaned him up and shoved him onto the bed, but in the end, I was the one who broke down crying.

He clumsily wiped away my tears. In the middle of the night, he quietly climbed onto my bed, tucked the blanket around me, and mumbled, "Sophie, don't cry. You're not cold anymore."

The next day, my ex showed up with a bunch of men in dark suits, kicked my door open, and dropped to his knees before the fool on my bed. "Uncle... why are you here?"

*****

Henry Grant slapped a prenatal exam report down in front of Sophie Stone. There wasn't a shred of guilt on his face, only the impatience of a man finally feeling relieved.

"Sophie, let's break up. Christine is pregnant with my child. I have to take responsibility." Henry said.

Sophie's mind went blank. Christine Powers was her best friend. Henry Grant was the man she'd dated for five years. She'd been with him since freshman year, pinching pennies and giving him the best of everything.

He had stomach problems, so she learned to make soup for him. When he couldn't afford a proper suit, she spent her part-time wages to buy him the best one she could.

She'd thought they'd get married and build a home together. Instead, he'd made a fool of her.

Sophie looked at the man she had known so well and suddenly felt like she was staring at a stranger. Her lips moved, her voice dry and rough. "Why?"

Henry frowned as if she'd asked the dumbest question in the world.

"What do you mean, why? Sophie, can you stop being so childish?"

"Christine and I are in love. She's not like you. You're always trying to boss me around. She's gentler, and she gets me better than you do."

Sophie shook with anger.

Sophie thought, 'Controlling? Would he be where he was today if I had not kept pushing him?'

'Who stayed beside him after he drank himself into the hospital? Who fixed his proposals when work went wrong?'

And now all of that had become proof that she was "too controlling." What a joke.

Sophie's voice turned cold as she called him by his full name. "So after five years together, all I get is that you're with someone else because she's your true love?"

Irritation flashed through Henry's eyes. "You can't explain feelings that clearly. When the love's gone, it's gone. "

"Sophie, you're a good girl, but we're not right for each other. I'm about to be promoted to director, and Christine's family can help my career. We're a better match."

So that was the truth. It wasn't just because Christine was pregnant. It was because her family could hand him a ten-year head start.

Sophie's heart went cold. Looking at the man she'd loved for five years, all she felt was disgust.

"I rented that apartment," Sophie said. "You move out." Henry froze for a second, then his face darkened.

"Sophie Stone, do you really have to make things this ugly? I'll compensate you. Didn't you say this place was our home?"

Home? Sophie laughed so hard her eyes nearly watered. "Not anymore."

She stood up and went into the bedroom. She didn't own much; one suitcase was enough. Without the slightest hesitation, she grabbed it and headed for the door.

Watching her leave, Henry panicked, rushed after her, and grabbed her wrist. "Sophie, don't do this. Let's talk."

Sophie shook off his hand, her eyes cold as ice.

"There's nothing to talk about. Henry, trash like you two deserve each other. Hope you stay together forever."

Then she stepped into the elevator without looking back.

Just before the doors closed, Henry tried to say something else, but her icy stare shut him up. Outside the complex, rain was pouring down.

The cold rain hit her like a slap and cleared her head. She didn't cry. That bastard wasn't worth her tears.

She dragged her suitcase down the street with nowhere to go. Rain blurred her vision, and the city's neon lights melted into hazy halos. For five years, she'd poured all her youth and heart into that man, only to end up with nothing.

When she reached the mouth of an alley, she stopped. In the shadows, a tall figure sat huddled up, soaked to the bone and motionless as an abandoned statue.

For some reason, Sophie's heart tightened. This stranger looked even more pitiful than she did.