Chapter 1

Back when I was finishing college, my thesis got rejected three times in a row. I was so worked up I couldn't sleep all night, so I messaged my boyfriend, Tom Estes:

【My thesis got shot down again. I can't sleep.】

Two hours later, he replied:

【Trying to get me to buy you a midnight snack again? You should eat less anyway!】

I stared at his message, stunned. Tom and I were both small-town kids who'd clawed our way up through good grades, both of us out of nowhere places. We met in college, fell in love. Our families were ordinary, so we lived frugally as a rule, but his frugality went far beyond mine.

That was why we always split everything evenly, right up through graduation and into work. We even landed at the same company, two nobody employees with no name to speak of.

My proposal had been rejected by our supervisor. It was the third time I'd revised it, and each time her reply was that Tom's version was more suitable.

That night, Tom told me to head home alone first. When I got in, I opened my messaging app and saw his social media post.

【Grateful for my boss's trust.】

Just a short line, paired with a photo of a restaurant dinner, candlelight glowing low, looking for all the world like a date.

I told myself he'd only taken the supervisor out for a meal to say thanks. But then I saw the beautiful supervisor's post, and I couldn't stay calm.

【Your ability is as reassuring as your drive. So is your proposal.】

At the end of her words she'd attached a screenshot of part of his proposal. I opened it, and I froze.

That proposal was clearly mine. Every time I'd revised mine, he'd come by under the pretense of checking on me.

Furious, I messaged him straight away.

【Why did you steal my proposal?】

【The exact same proposal, and she passed yours. On what grounds?】

【What is going on between you and her?】

My string of questions got no reply. He didn't come home that night either.

…...

The proposal I'd stayed up night after night to build had become the company's proposal this way, and in the end it had nothing to do with me.

The next day I went into the office and found Tom. I demanded answers again, but all he said was, "Stop making a scene. The supervisor values me, I can get promoted and get a raise, you should be happy for me."

"I'll cover ten percent more of the rent going forward."

"Ten percent more? Ha, how generous of you!"

He didn't have an ounce of shame in him. He actually thought I was the one causing trouble. Buried in that proposal wasn't just his promotion and raise, it was everything I'd poured myself into.

"Then what is your relationship with the supervisor?" I asked him, and he blew up.

He shouted himself hoarse, eyes wide with fury. "What are you talking about? Hazel Coleman, don't drag your filthy little ideas onto the supervisor! She's nothing like you!"

I remembered how he used to sneer whenever we talked about other women, always saying I was different from them, that they were gold diggers, vain little creatures. And now here he was losing his temper at me over the supervisor.

We had it out on the rooftop. I'd barely gotten back to my desk when the supervisor came to find me.

She handed me a proposal. "This is Tom's proposal. There are still a few things that need filling in. Get it done as soon as you can."

She said it like an order. I didn't refuse. I just put the proposal in my drawer and ignored it.

But at the end of the day, he came storming over and hauled me up to the rooftop before I could get a word in.

"Why didn't you do it? Do you have any idea how important this proposal is to me, to the supervisor?"

"Hazel, that's our work, the thing we poured ourselves into. Get it right and we'll have everything. We won't have to be crammed into a place like that anymore!"

I watched him rage, and then I asked him back, "We? Which we?"

Tom took my hand, all tender. "You and me, of course. Hazel, I'm doing this for our future. I don't have a choice."

"Just get this proposal done properly. Once I'm promoted and getting a raise, we can do so many things."

He said it with such sincerity, even a little emotion, and looking at him, my heart softened a little in spite of myself.

From freshman year until now, a full five years, I'd grown used to his everyday frugality, used to being with him. It was rare for him to get this worked up.

My heart went soft. Or maybe I was letting myself hope a little too.

"Get married?"

"What?"

"I'm asking, will we get married after you're promoted and get the raise?"

I looked at him straight on. Five years without a break. Talking about marriage was the most natural thing in the world.

Except he still hesitated.

"Hazel, our situation isn't that good right now. Let's talk about that later."

"I'll go get you a coffee. Just focus and finish the proposal."

With that he hurried off, as if terrified I'd keep pressing him.

I lowered my head and looked at the proposal on the desk, my heart wavering, and in the end I sat down to put it in order.

The proposal was my work to begin with, and I'll admit his words had stirred something in me.

I worked late that night. Tom had a coworker bring over the coffee he'd bought. Seeing me still busy with the proposal, she got indignant on my behalf.

"Hazel, this isn't even your job. Why are you so eager about it? I just saw Tom head out with the supervisor again."

"The supervisor assigned it. There's nothing I can do."

I paused for a second, then brushed it off.

I was just an ordinary employee. When the supervisor assigned something, there was no fighting it. Only, looking at the coffee in my hand, I brought it to my lips and set it down again.

For some reason, that pick-me-up coffee felt like it would only weigh my heart down more.