Chapter 1

A sudden thunderstorm trapped me under the office building.

Alex Carter rushed over with an umbrella, but without hesitation, he angled it toward Sophia Blake, the girl beside him.

"Emily Stone, Sophia's shoes can't get wet. Wait here. I'll get her in the car and come back for you," he said.

I watched as one side of his shoulder got soaked by the rain.

I'd seen this before.

Time was a hell of a teacher. It sure taught Alex how to show his favoritism loud and clear.

Time was a hell of a teacher. It sure taught him how to show his favoritism loud and clear.

"Don't bother," I said, slipping off my heels and tossing them into the nearby trash can. "Mr. Carter, your umbrella's way too small for both of us. No point forcing it."

Then I stepped out barefoot into the pouring rain.

*****

Alex called out to me from behind. "Emily!"

I didn't look back. The rain pelted my bare feet, and the little stones on the ground jabbed at my soles.

I'd always been a bit of a princess. When I was a kid, stepping on a seashell at the beach would have me crying my eyes out for hours.

Alex knew that better than anyone. He used to laugh at me, saying my feet were only made for carpets, never for anything tough.

But today, when he saw me barefoot, his first instinct was still to tilt the umbrella toward Sophia.

By the time I got home, I was soaked to the bone.

My mom had come downstairs. When she saw me like that, her face turned stormy. "Who did this?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. I finally get it," I said.

I bent down to grab my slippers, and the sole of my foot rubbed raw. Every step stung.

Back then, even a little injury like this would have Alex acting like it was a huge deal.

When I twisted my ankle in senior year, he carried me two blocks to the hospital, and the next day, he cut up those shoes that hurt my feet and threw them out.

Turned out, a man's devotion had an expiration date.

As I finished my shower, my phone rang. I thought maybe Alex had finally thought of me at last.

But when I picked up, he said, "Emily, Sophia got caught in the rain, and her shoes are soaked. Do you have any new clothes she could wear? I'll have the driver swing by and grab them."

I didn't say a word.

"Emily, did you hear me?" he pressed.

I let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, I heard you. And while you're at it, why not hand over the boyfriend I never even got to use? She can have him, too."

With that, I hung up.

The next second, Alex sent me a message: [Don't be so snarky. Sophia's really sensitive. She can't handle you coming at her like that.]

My mom sat across from me and asked, "Are you still going to keep this up?"

I didn't play dumb. "No, I'm done."

She nodded, like she'd seen this coming all along.

"You and Alex grew up together. Your dad and I always thought, even if he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, at least he'd treat you right. Looks like we were way off," she said.

I lowered my head and applied some disinfectant to the sole of my foot. The moment the alcohol touched my skin, the sting made my hand flinch.

My mom took the bottle from me. "Come back and live here tomorrow. That house was meant for you. Your dad bought it for you. No reason to let anyone else have it."

I nodded.

Actually, that house was already furnished before Alex and I got engaged.

I picked out the living room sofa, the dining table, and the set of dishes in the kitchen. I brought them back one by one from my business trips.

Back then, it felt like marriage was around the corner, and Alex was right there with me.

But now I realized, being close didn't mean we wouldn't end up apart.

At one in the morning, Alex called again. "Are you still sulking?"

"No," I said.

"Sophia came down with a fever. She keeps blaming herself, saying she shouldn't have bothered me to pick you up. If you're free tomorrow, could you come talk to her? Otherwise, she'll keep beating herself up over it," Alex said.

I almost thought I'd misheard him. "You want me to go comfort her?"

"Emily, Sophia was really shaken up today."

"So just because she was scared, I'm supposed to be the one to make her feel better?"

Alex went quiet for a couple of seconds. Then he said, "You never used to be this petty, Emily."

I hung up on him.

Early the next morning, I had the driver take me to the house Alex and I were supposed to live in together.

I wanted to grab a few clothes. But as soon as I opened the door, I spotted a pair of drenched white canvas shoes left by the entrance. On the coffee table, there was a half-finished glass of milk.

And there was Sophia, dressed in my pajamas, sitting in my usual spot, nervously looking up at me. "Emily, please don't misunderstand."

Alex walked out from the kitchen with an apron on, carrying a bowl of oatmeal. "Just in time. Sophia had a fever last night, so I had her stay the night."