Chapter 1
It was our sixth year doing the long-distance thing, and I had secretly flown into Riverdale to surprise my boyfriend for his birthday.
I was standing in line at the city's highest-rated bakery when I caught sight of a custom cake the girl next to me was picking up. Penned across the top in elegant icing were the words: [Love, Alex Carter.]
My boyfriend's name was Alex Carter, too.
Noticing my lingering stare, the girl turned to me and struck up a conversation.
"Are you here to order a cake?" she asked with a bright smile. "You have great taste. I get my boyfriend's birthday cake here every year."
The friend standing next to her nudged her playfully. "Not just the boyfriend anymore! Sounds like someone's about to put a ring on it."
The girl blushed and lightly shoved her friend. "Oh, stop it."
She eagerly pulled out her phone, swiping through an album of custom cakes she had ordered in the past.
"These designs are all so pretty. You can totally use them for inspiration. See if there's anything you like," she offered sweetly.
But I wasn't looking at the cakes. I was looking at the couple holding them. In the photos, the girl was snuggled up against a man's chest, both of them beaming happily.
It wasn't just a coincidence. It wasn't just the same name. Her soon-to-be fiancé was my boyfriend, Alex Carter.
*****
The photos she swiped through weren't just for birthdays. There were cakes for anniversaries, Valentine's Day, and New Year's Eve.
The last photo showed a cake with the words "999 Days" written on it.
I froze, my blood running cold as I did the math.
We had been long-distance for six years. That meant Alex had been with this girl since our third year apart.
His voice echoed in my head. "Quinn, please understand. I'm swamped with the startup, and traveling back and forth costs so much money. If we just save up now, we can afford to get married sooner."
I had felt so incredibly guilty for wanting his time. So, I swallowed all my loneliness and frustration and just said, "Okay."
Because of that, we barely saw each other. We barely even talked. And the entire time, he was spending every holiday and every spare moment with someone else.
I gripped the edge of the bakery counter, digging my nails in as I fought down the suffocating wave of betrayal and absolute rage rising in my chest.
The girl didn't notice my inner meltdown. She just kept smiling and introduced herself as Sophia Lane.
"What a coincidence!" Sophia chirped. "Are you celebrating a birthday today, too? I actually rented out the entire rooftop revolving restaurant tonight. If you don't mind, you should totally come join us!"
My head was spinning. Operating completely on autopilot, I nodded.
I couldn't let it go. I had to see Alex with my own eyes. I needed to witness the destruction of my life firsthand.
The elevator shot up to the 49th floor. The view from the restaurant was breathtaking, offering a panoramic sweep of the entire Riverdale skyline.
"Go ahead and grab a seat! I need to set a few things up," Sophia said cheerfully. "Alex went totally all-out for New Year's and Valentine's Day, so I really want to surprise him tonight."
I forced a tight smile and nodded, my heart twisting violently in my chest.
Alex always told me he hated celebrating those holidays. In ten years together, we only ever celebrated our birthdays.
But for her, he made an exception.
"Ugh, you guys are so sickeningly sweet. It's like the ultimate romance," Matilda Simpson, Sophia's friend, sighed enviously as they set up the table.
"Seriously," Matilda continued, looking at me. "You have no idea. The very first big payout Alex made from his startup? He spent it on a diamond necklace for Sophia. It cost over three hundred grand.
"And every single year for her birthday, he rents out a barge and sets off a massive fireworks display over the city. He literally spends a fortune just to see her smile."
I caught my breath, stunned.
Alex had lied to me. He constantly told me the startup was bleeding money and struggling to stay afloat.
Because of that, I worked brutal overtime hours, desperately finding any excuse to transfer him cash or send him money, terrified he was skipping meals or stressing over rent.
Last year, on my birthday, Alex told me he was too slammed at the office to visit. He ordered me a tiny, cheap grocery-store cake through a delivery app.
I sat alone in my apartment, ate every single bite, and filmed a little video to send to him.
"Look, I'm eating the cake! This totally counts as us celebrating together," I had said to the camera, smiling. "My only wish is that we can finally end this long-distance thing and just live together!"
He didn't text me back until the next day: [I know. You're so understanding, Quinn.]
Sophia hummed happily as she started clipping Polaroid photos onto the decorative ribbons hanging from the ceiling.
"Are you celebrating alone? Where's your boyfriend?" she asked casually.
My eyes swept over the photos she was hanging. Every single one was a snapshot of her and Alex, looking sickeningly in love.
There were photos of them kissing with their eyes closed, him carrying her bridal-style, and her sitting on his shoulders, laughing at the camera.
"We're long-distance," I said. "I came here secretly to surprise him."
I stared directly into Sophia's eyes. "I was actually planning to move to his city and propose to him tonight. I wanted to end the long-distance for good."
When we graduated college, Alex chose to stay in Riverdale to launch his startup. At the same time, my father got diagnosed with a severe illness, so I had no choice but to move back to my hometown to work and care for my parents.
Alex always told me to just wait a little longer. He promised that once his company took off, he would marry me. Once things were stable, he said he would relocate his headquarters to my city so that we could finally be together.
He promised that once he had enough money, he would just fly back and forth every week for me.
I never, ever doubted his love for me. So, the second my parents' health stabilized, I packed my bags and flew straight to him.
If he were willing to commute across the country for me, I would be more than willing to do the same for him.
But I never could have imagined I would be walking into this.
"Really?" Sophia said, her bright smile never faltering. "Wow, you must really love him.
"But honestly, it's kind of desperate for a girl to propose. If a guy truly loves you, he'll never make you wait for him to ask."
Before I could even respond to that, Matilda let out a dramatic gasp.
"Sophia, get ready! Mr. Carter just pulled up downstairs!" she exclaimed.