Chapter 1

The day my students got into a fight, I ran into Nora Hayes, my ex from ten years ago.

The girl involved in the scuffle was wiping her tears, calling her Mom.

Nora froze the moment she saw me, taking a long moment before remembering to apologize.

"Mr. Brooks, I'm so sorry for causing you trouble."

I kept everything strictly professional, settling the compensation details by the book.

When it was over, she lingered behind everyone else, looking like she had something to say.

"I remember you never wanted to be a teacher."

I offered a faint, polite smile as I walked her to the office door.

"People change, and so do their minds."

Just like my feelings for her, which had turned into ancient history long ago.

1

Kids move on from arguments fast.

The two girls who had been fighting were already giggling as they ran outside, with the other father trailing behind them.

Only Nora stood frozen in place, staring at me quietly.

Her gaze was neither burning with passion nor entirely steady.

"How have you been all these years?"

I gave her the same polite nod I gave any other parent.

"The teaching workload is heavy, but thankfully the kids are mostly well-behaved."

"Maisie's mom, please talk to her more when you get home. She apologized this time, but if she gets physical again, the other parents won't let it slide."

Her throat moved slightly, and she abruptly changed the subject.

"I meant, have you… all these years…"

"Mom!"

I took an instinctive step back as Maisie's voice echoed from the end of the hallway.

"Let's go home! Dad will be pissed if we're late!"

Nora's outstretched hand hung awkwardly in midair, while my polite smile remained unchanged.

"Drive safe, Maisie's mom."

By the time I turned back to my desk, she was already gone.

Leo Finch, the math teacher, walked in and casually asked me, "Did Maisie Hayes get into another fight?"

My pen paused over the stack of homework. "Another one?"

"Oh, right, you just transferred here, so you wouldn't know. Maisie is the resident hellion of Class Three."

"Her parents get called in almost every single week. The crazy thing is, her attitude is always great. She cries, admits her mistakes, and even asks to be punished, but she turns around and does it again next time."

"I honestly don't know what her parents are doing."

I frowned, pulling out Maisie's detailed student file.

Mother: Nora Hayes.

Father: Owen Ross.

"You know that big tech firm downtown, Nova Dynamics? Her mom runs it."

"Her dad owns an upscale art gallery. Both are high-society intellectuals―one an entrepreneur, the other an artist. You'd think they had it all, but they raised a complete nightmare."

Leo sighed, shaking his head as he handed me a form.

"By the way, the vice principal said you only listed yourself under the family section and asked you to fill out the rest."

I answered softly, "I grew up in a group home. I don't have any family."

"Oh, man, I'm so sorry. I'll hand it back to the office for you."

He stood across from me organizing paperwork, glancing at me several times with an apologetic look before finally working up the nerve to speak.

"Mr. Brooks, don't worry about it. Once you date, get married, and start a family, you won't be alone anymore."

With that, he pulled out his phone to show me pictures of his single friends, offering to set me up.

I shook my head, thanking him for his kindness.

"Many years ago, I had someone. We were close to having a home together."

"What happened after that?"

"After that…"

After that, she built a family with someone else, and I was left alone all over again.

Leo grimaced in disgust. "You ran into a total user, didn't you? Where'd you find her, a dumpster or a sewer?"

I couldn't help but chuckle, my eyes drifting down to the line listing Maisie's mother.

Against the noisy backdrop of students heading home across the field, I suddenly remembered meeting Nora in freshman year of high school.

That meeting had started with a fight, too.

I had punched my desk mate for calling me a nameless bastard.

She had beaten up the class athletic rep for calling her a jinx.

Neither of us was willing to admit fault, and neither of us had parents to call, so we were made to stand side by side under the flagpole, put on display for the entire school.

Through the principal's booming lecture, she noticed the cotton ball stuffed in my bloody nose and the cut on my index finger.

Her dark eyes narrowed. "You lost?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Skipped breakfast, that's all. Next time, I'll make him beg for mercy."

She paused for a second before saying casually, "Next time you fight, call me. I'll make sure you win."

Leo held up a hand.

"Wait, wait. You fought because a jerk ran his mouth, but why did she get into fights?"

I rubbed the faint scar on my index finger, my eyes moving past the word 'Mother' on the file to 'Grandmother.'

"Her father passed away when she was little, her grandparents died in elementary school, and her mother fell critically ill in middle school. Her tuition was scraped together by neighbors and relatives."

"Her classmates all called her a walking curse."

Leo stared in disbelief, letting out a long breath after a heavy silence.

"Two broke, miserable kids finding each other."

I pressed my lips together.

Actually, once we got into a top university, the duo became a trio.

My best buddy from the group home, whom I hadn't seen in years, happened to attend the same university.

He had sprinted toward me in sheer excitement, accidentally knocking into Nora's cup.

The milk tea she had brewed for me splashed all over the two of them.

Afraid they would get off on the wrong foot, I had quickly introduced them.

"This is my girlfriend, Nora."

"Nora, this is my best brother from the home, Owen."