Chapter 2

When I saw the people in the private room about to come out, I snapped back to reality. My legs felt like lead as I made my way downstairs.

Outside, rain was pouring down, and the cold rain slapped against my face.

My tears finally fell.

My phone buzzed in my hand. It was a call from the bank's customer service.

When the automated voice on the other end told me happy birthday, my vision blurred. I couldn't even tell if the wetness on my face was from tears or the rain.

The words I'd just heard kept replaying in my head.

It turned out Grayson had always known today was my birthday, but he never once cared enough to celebrate it with me because, years ago, today was the day his first love left the country.

All the memories of my time with Grayson came flooding back. The more I remembered, the more I felt like a fool, like the joke was always on me.

Grayson always claimed he was slow to warm up in relationships.

But when I heard him talk about all the crazy, out-of-line things he did with his first love, it hit me that it wasn't that he was slow to open up.

He was only indifferent to me.

I looked down at the dazzling, delicate diamond ring on my finger.

I'd spent a fortune having this ring custom-made when I decided to get engaged to Grayson. There was only one set like this in the entire world.

This was my way of telling Grayson he was irreplaceable. He was the only one in my world.

I thought back to how happy I was when he agreed to our engagement, but now it all just feels like a cruel joke.

I couldn't help but find it all painfully ironic.

So he never truly wanted to be with me.

The world around me faded into a haze. Right before I lost consciousness, Grayson appeared before my eyes.

He gazed at me softly, concern in his voice. "Hey there, are you alright? Do you need some help?"

Four years ago, after being invited back, I came home to take up a TA position at Neniara University.

On my way to class, my heart started acting up out of nowhere.

With shaky hands, I dug around in my pocket for my medicine bottle.

But I was too weak to twist it open, and in my panic, the bottle slipped right out of my hand and rolled away.

By then, I had zero strength left, huddled up on the freezing ground. The life-saving meds were so close, yet so far.

I just couldn't reach it, no matter how close it was.

I was overwhelmed with regret for choosing this empty alley just to save a few minutes.

Just as I lay there in despair, waiting for the end, Grayson appeared out of nowhere.

I would never forget how he looked that day—wearing a crisp white shirt.

He gazed gently at me, curled up on the ground, and asked in a soft voice, "Hey, are you alright? Do you need some help?"

Finally, I was able to let go and slip into unconsciousness. The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Grayson's face, full of worry.

Grayson was the one who came to my rescue.

As I watched Grayson peeling an apple for me by my hospital bed, one word echoed in my mind.

Life felt quietly beautiful.

He smiled and handed me the apple.

Seeing that soft, easy smile on his face, my heart started pounding like crazy.

Grayson frowned and said, "It's the new TA's first day, and I actually showed up late! Hey, you gotta back me up, okay? I wasn't late. I was just being a hero."

He tugged at my sleeve, looking all pitiful.

My heart melted completely, and I quickly agreed to help him out.

I even handed him my medical record so he could show it to the counselor and explain everything.

When he saw my name, Grayson scratched his head in surprise. "Whoa, your name is exactly the same as our new TA!"

I grinned. "What if I'm actually that TA?"

Grayson burst out laughing. "No way. You look way too young to be the new TA."

I just smiled and kept quiet.

We swapped numbers.

Grayson showed up to see me every day, and his cheerful laughter made the hospital feel a lot less lonely.

But sometimes, when he looked at me, his eyes would drift, like he was thinking about someone else.

After I got better, he showed up with a huge bouquet of roses. I wanted to tell him I was allergic to flowers, but seeing that big smile on his face, I just couldn't bring myself to ruin the moment.

So I put up with the discomfort and took the roses anyway, even though my allergies were kicking in.

Our relationship kept getting better every day. When he saw me up on the podium, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

After class, he came over to me, completely shocked. "You're actually Alondra Richardson, the TA? And I was badmouthing the school right in front of you."

I just sighed, feeling helpless. "Well, you didn't believe me when I said I was Alondra Richardson, did you?"

Grayson muttered, "It's because you look so young."

I smiled without saying anything.

I had always been ahead of the curve. I went abroad for college years before my peers, and after just one year, I fast-tracked straight into a Ph.D. program.

Grayson pouted, insisting I owed him for all the emotional damage I'd caused. I looked into his bright, sparkling eyes and grinned, asking what kind of compensation he wanted.

To my surprise, Grayson suddenly stole a quick kiss from me, catching me completely off guard.