PART 1: THE PHONE CALL

I thought I was coming home early to surprise my husband with an anniversary gift. Instead, I overheard one sentence that made me question every memory we had shared.

Matthew and I had known each other since childhood. Our families lived next door, and he was beside me through school, birthdays, and every awkward stage.

When another child mocked my large glasses in fourth grade, Matthew pushed him down and accepted detention without regret.

“No one gets to make you cry, Ashley,” he told me.

That was who he had always been—loyal, patient, and protective.

I was the opposite. I hesitated over everything. I nearly joined student council, nearly auditioned for plays, and nearly applied to my dream college. Matthew was the only person who noticed how often I abandoned opportunities just before something good might happen.

By high school, everyone expected us to fall in love.

They were right.

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