Chapter 1Divorced Three Years Ago

Years after graduation, Caleb Howard was a name everyone knew.

At our high school reunion, someone decided to play matchmaker, nudging him towards me.

"Caleb, my man! Remember the little shadow who used to follow you around everywhere?" he slurred, reeking of whiskey. "You're single, she's single... why not give it another shot?"

Caleb slowly raised his left hand, a humorless smile on his lips. "I'm married."

The table erupted in shocked whispers.

Only I stayed silent, my head bowed. I couldn't understand why he was still wearing that ring.

We'd been divorced for three years.

* * *

The reunion was in full swing when the class president burst through the door, his voice booming with excitement. "Everybody, look who's here!"

I followed their collective gaze, and my breath caught in my throat.

It was Caleb. Three years had carved a new maturity into his features. As he greeted old classmates, the corners of his eyes crinkled into a subtle, charming arc. He carried himself with the quiet confidence of a man who knew his own worth. I’d heard he was recently named the city’s “Outstanding Young Entrepreneur of the Year,” already a multimillionaire before thirty.

While the others swarmed him with handshakes and back-pats, I ducked my head and pretended to be absorbed in my phone.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him take the empty seat diagonally across from me. His gaze swept over me without a flicker of recognition, not lingering for even a second.

But I noticed something he didn't. Against the dark fabric of his trench coat, I saw a dusting of crystalline flakes clinging to the shoulders.

It was snowing outside.

My phone buzzed again. The woman next to me, a former classmate whose voice had always been two decibels too loud, leaned in with a smirk. "Carol, is that your boyfriend? Someone's keeping you on a tight leash."

My eyes instinctively shot toward Caleb. He was deep in conversation, his expression calm, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

I forced a smile and shook my head. "No, it's just my mom. She's reminding me about the blind date she set up for next week."

We were all in our late twenties. Some were married with kids, but most, like me, were fielding the relentless pressure from our parents. A few women at the table groaned in solidarity.

"I swear, my mom's in such a rush, you'd think she was breeding prize livestock," one of them griped. "As long as it's the right gender and looks healthy, nothing else matters."

"You've gotta be careful, Carol," another warned. "All the good ones get snapped up before they even hit the open market."

Just then, a burly guy, flushed with alcohol, slammed his hand on the table and staggered to his feet.

"Caleb, my man!" he bellowed. "Remember the little shadow who used to follow you around everywhere?"

Caleb said nothing.

The guy, assuming Caleb’s memory needed jogging, pressed on. "You know! The one who spammed you with, like, a dozen love letters and confessed to you in front of the whole damn school at the graduation party—Carol Vance!"

It took me a moment to recognize him under the extra weight. It was Big Mike, our old football captain. His favorite pastime back then was stirring up drama, and apparently, some things never change.

"You're single, she's single... why not give it another shot?"

In an instant, every curious, gossiping eye in the room swiveled between Caleb and me. A decade hadn't been long enough for them to forget. They were all waiting, hungry for the next chapter of the story that had been the backdrop to their own teenage years, no matter how it ended.

Caleb finally turned to look at me, his expression unreadable.

Our eyes met.

He slowly raised his left hand, a humorless smile playing on his lips.

"I'm married."

The words dropped like a bomb.

"What? Caleb, when did you get married? You didn't even invite us to the wedding!"

"Seriously, man, you kept that under wraps! We haven't even seen a picture of the lucky lady on your feed!"

Only I stayed silent, my head bowed, staring into my lap.

I couldn't understand it. Why was Caleb Howard still wearing that wedding ring?

Except... we'd been divorced for three years.