Chapter 1

The day my ex and I woke up back at our college graduation, we both knew things were different.

Neither of us mentioned trying to make it work again.

She followed the upperclassman to New York City for a job, and I stayed home to start my own business.

Seven years passed.

She shot up the ladder to become a VP at some major corporation, with the perfect guy and the perfect career.

And me, I was still grinding away at my startup.

The next time we met, it was at an alumni gala.

She was on the arm of that same upperclassman, chin held high, smirking at me as I stood there soaked from the rain.

"All those years trying to build a business, and you still can't afford a car?"

I didn't give her the satisfaction of a response.

Later, when Sophia Astor, the Astor heiress, called me her husband.

That’s when Jenna finally lost her cool.

"Liam! How could you marry someone else?"

...

It was our alma mater's anniversary gala.

Jenna was back.

She’d transformed into a high-powered VP, pulling in a seven-figure salary.

When I arrived, our old classmates were fawning all over her.

"Jenna, you're the real star of our class!"

"I heard you donated half a million to the school this year, that's incredible. If I'd taken a risk and moved to a big city back then, maybe I'd have made something of myself too!"

"Come on, money is all about luck and timing. What I want to know is how our girl here managed to land Nathan! He was the big man on campus back in the day!"

Jenna smiled, a slight, practiced curve of her lips.

"It was just meant to be."

Then, someone brought me up.

"Hey, speaking of, how come you and Liam broke up? We all thought you two were endgame!"

Jenna’s smile frosted over, but she managed a casual little laugh.

"Everyone has a few pairs of shoes that don't quite fit, right?"

Everyone in the room was sharp enough to get the hint, and the topic quickly shifted to how perfect she and Nathan were together.

I brushed the rain from my jacket and walked over, trying to act like I hadn't heard a thing.

A classmate I knew spotted me first.

"Hey, look who's here!"

"Liam! My man, bring it in!"

"Dude, what happened? You're completely soaked!"

I just smiled and mumbled some excuse.

As I turned, my eyes met Jenna’s.

She tilted her chin up, her gaze dripping with disdain.

She wore a long, elegant trench coat, her makeup was flawless, and a bag that probably cost more than my first car was dangling from her hand.

Standing beside her, Nathan, dressed in a tailored suit, had his arm gently around her waist.

They looked like they’d stepped right out of a magazine.

And then there was me.

A drowned rat.

But I didn't care.

I gave her a polite nod and then turned my attention away, chatting with some other people I recognized.

"By the way, does anyone remember Sophia Astor?"

"Of course! The campus queen! The Astor heiress!"

"I heard she's coming tonight, too. She's the keynote speaker, closing out the whole event!"

"Well, she's earned it. She’s poured a ton of money into the school over the years..."

They kept whispering among themselves.

I glanced down at my phone.

The ceremony wasn't starting for a little while.

Being this wet was just miserable.

I got up and headed to the restroom to dry off as best I could.

When I came out, Jenna was standing right there by the door.

I figured she was waiting for someone else.

But as I moved to walk past her, she stopped me, her voice laced with mockery.

"All those years trying to build a business, and you still can't afford a car?"

"Getting caught in a downpour like this, you really are something else."

I turned to face that woman, whose face was once more familiar to me than my own, and replied flatly.

"I like the rain."

Jenna’s jaw tightened.

"Then I hope you enjoy it for the rest of your life."

She pivoted, her heels clacking sharply on the marble floor as she walked away.

But halfway down the hall, she spun back around, her face a mask of fury. "Liam! You're just the same as you always were... just suck it up and pretend you're fine!"

"But no matter how much you pretend not to care, I know you regret it!"