Chapter 1Five Years of Love, Shattered by Hidden Truths

The summer of my sophomore year, Logan Hart lured me into his bed.

From that moment, he seemed addicted—devoted to me for the next five years.

My friends would tease him, calling him overly lovesick:

"Even simps aren’t this devoted."

Until one day, I stumbled upon his secret WhatsApp account.

Thousands of status updates—all filled with pictures of his childhood sweetheart in plaid schoolgirl skirts.

The girl in the photos was youthful and captivating, her charm impossible to ignore.

I then realized that these five years were nothing but a trade-off.

While his body was with me, his heart had long since found its way to her.

Content

The night Logan came home.

He swept me into the bedroom with impatient hands when he stepped through the door.

Logan’s appetite in that department was insatiable; a few days apart were all it took for his restraint to snap. There was no time for romance, just a rush to satisfy his needs.

It was familiar, mechanical even. Quick and over. I collapsed onto the bed, barely conscious.

Ding! His phone chimed with a notification.

Logan glanced at the screen, immediately getting up to leave.

“Where are you going this late?”

He kissed my forehead softly.

“Something came up at work. I won’t be long.”

A strange sense of unease crept over me. Call it women’s intuition, but something didn’t feel right.

Summoning my energy, I called his office:

“Are many people working overtime tonight? I was thinking of sending everyone BBQ as a treat.”

“No one’s working late tonight,” his assistant replied. “Mr. Hart gave us all the night off. The office is empty.”

I hung up, staring blankly at the bed.

If Logan wasn’t at work, where had he gone so late?

By early morning, Logan returned with my favorite dumplings from Sullivan’s in Chicago.

The dumplings were perfect—thin skin, rich filling, and a burst of savory broth.

He grinned, ruffling my hair.

“Anything you want, honey, even if it’s the moon, I’ll find a way to turn it into a pie for you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe I was just overthinking things.

The idea of Logan not loving me? My best friend Marlow Hayes wouldn’t believe it for a second.

“Sierra, you’re being paranoid again. Logan’s head over heels for you—he’d probably die without you.

“You’ve been dating for five years, and every time you argue, who’s apologizing and begging you to make up?

“Stop making him wait. Just marry the guy already.”

Marlow wasn’t wrong. Logan had indeed given more in this relationship.

But she didn’t know the truth—Logan had never proposed to me.

He’d always say, “I want to give you the best, baby. Let me build a solid foundation before we talk about marriage.”

I was young and didn’t want to be tied down by marriage. So we dragged on like this for five years.

As I reheated the dumplings, I caught Logan on the couch, staring at his phone with a soft smile on his lips.

“What’s making you so happy?” I asked.

Hearing me, Logan quickly erased the smile from his face.

“Nothing, just a funny video.”

“Show me.”

Instead of sharing, he put his phone away and scooped me into his arms.