Chapter 1

I had fought tooth and nail for that project, three brutal months of sleepless nights, and when I finally secured it, I raced home, eager to surprise my boyfriend.

All he said were indifferent words. "Oh, really? Congrats."

Then came the buzzkill. "That client's notorious for being difficult. Don't get too happy too soon."

My victory was worth no more than a second of his perfunctory praise.

But on our fourth anniversary, I watched him smile, really smile, for the first time in ages.

Not at me, but at his phone, at a stupid cat emoji from a new junior at work.

Her playful teasing earned his full patience, his undivided attention.

Later, that same girl sent over a surprise tiramisu to our anniversary dinner table.

He blamed me for making a scene over something so trivial, calling me unreasonable and praising her for being sweet and innocent.

It turned out my hurt was nothing more than petty jealousy, while her boundary-crossing gifts were innocent gestures that deserved understanding.

Years later, that same man, the calm, condescending one who always held me to a double standard, stood before me with reddened eyes.

With laughter echoing around him, he screamed through a breaking voice, asking why I didn't love him anymore.

*****

The moment my phone buzzed, I saw Project Landed pop up on my screen.

My heart leapt, a rush of excitement flooding through me.

I practically jumped out from my desk, grabbed my bag, and rushed out, my heels tapping out a chaotic, joyful beat on the floor.

I had to see Landon Price right away.

I couldn't wait to give him the good news myself, right away.

Passing by a flower shop, I dashed in and grabbed the brightest bunch of sunflowers.

Then, at the bakery, I picked up the Black Forest cake I'd ordered earlier.

I felt like a kid with a pocket full of candy, just itching to share it all with the one I loved most.

I pictured the look on his face when he opened the door.

Would he sweep me off my feet and spin me around?

Would he kiss me hard and say, "You're amazing, baby"?

I thumbed the lock open and swung the door wide.

"Landon, I did it. I got the project." My voice shook, every word spilling out in pure excitement.

He was sitting on the couch, reading a financial report, his gold-rimmed glasses glinting under the lamp, making him look even more distant.

He looked up slowly and took off his glasses, unhurried as ever.

His face was as blank as ever, not a flicker of emotion.

His gaze skimmed over the sunflowers and cake I was holding, barely pausing before settling on my face.

"Yeah? Congrats," he said, voice totally flat.

His words landed in my stormy heart like tiny stones, not even making a ripple.

Then he looked back at the report as if his reading had only been paused for a moment.

"But," he added, "the follow-up on this project is going to be a real grind. The client has a reputation for being a pain in the neck, so don't get your hopes up too soon."

The whole world just went quiet.

I stood frozen in the entryway, clutching the bouquet of sunflowers and the box of cake.

All my joy, excitement, and hope were shattered in an instant at his offhand words, scattered all over the floor.

I felt like a balloon someone had just popped—one second full and bouncing, the next, nothing but a sad, crumpled skin.

Suddenly, I remembered something I'd read a long time ago. "Spend enough time around certain people, and you'll start feeling negative, drained, sensitive, and numb.

"No matter how much of a little ray of sunshine you used to be, you'll end up like an old, burnt-out bulb, barely giving off any light."

I looked up and caught my reflection in the entryway mirror.

What stared back at me was a stiff, forced smile and eyes that had already gone dull.

I placed the sunflowers in that old vase in the entryway I hadn't touched in forever. As for the Black Forest cake, I buried it at the very bottom of the fridge.

I couldn't even stand to look at them anymore.