Chapter 1

After five years of breaking up and making out with Miles because of Daisy, I was exhausted. I chose Caleb, the boy who had grown up next door and had always stayed by my side.

We had been together for seven years, and everyone said Caleb loved me to death. He took care of every little detail in my life.

But right after we submitted our marriage application to the local registrar, I found a stack of letters.

They were letters Caleb had written to Daisy.

They were a detailed record of how deeply Caleb loved her.

The end of the last letter read:

"For Daisy's happiness, I am willing to sacrifice myself. I will spend the rest of my life with a woman I don't love, as long as she can be happy."

It turned out the happiness I thought I had was nothing but a cage he had meticulously built with lies just to keep me trapped.

I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, I quietly submitted a request for a transfer to the National Agricultural Research Center in the Northwest.

1

After retrieving the marriage documents from the clerk's office, I walked to a public phone booth on the street corner.

My father's voice on the other end was full of heartache. "Sweetheart, have you really decided not to marry Caleb? Are you sure you want to come all the way to the research center in Montana?"

I gave a soft hum of affirmation. My father probably heard the sadness in my voice because he started telling jokes to cheer me up.

After a long silence, he sighed. "Don't worry, baby. Your dad is here. I won't let anyone treat you like garbage."

A wave of warmth hit my chest. The grievances I had bottled up over the past few days made me want to sob, but I held it back. I chatted with him for a few more minutes before hanging up.

When I pushed the front door open, I saw Caleb sitting in the shadows. He quickly hid something before standing up to embrace me.

"Why are you back so late? Are you hungry? I can make you a grilled cheese or some soup if you want."

I shook my head and looked at him intensely.

Caleb gave a light laugh. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

My voice was raspy. "Caleb, are you hiding anything from me? Do you really want to marry me?"

I saw his expression stiffen for a split second, but he masked it quickly.

He rested his head on my shoulder. "Of course I want to marry you. You have no idea how much I love you."

My heart grew colder by the inch.

If I hadn't seen those letters, I would have never known. This man, who looked like he loved me to his core, actually had someone else in his heart.

Just then, a shouting match broke out outside. It was Miles and Daisy fighting again.

Caleb's grip on my hand tightened instantly.

"I'm going to go check on them," he said.

Without waiting for my response, he grabbed his jacket and bolted out the door.

The wind blew the door wide open. I saw Caleb wrapping his jacket around Daisy's shoulders with a look of pure agony on his face.

This man, usually a refined intellectual, was now screaming at Miles for Daisy's sake until his face was red.

I suddenly lost interest in watching the drama and simply shut the door.

I pulled out the thing Caleb had been hiding earlier.

It was a hand-knitted scarf, bright red―Daisy's favorite color.

In all our years together, he had never made me a handmade gift; everything he gave me was store-bought.

I had asked him once to knit me a scarf, but he had just laughed and said his hands were too clumsy.

Now I realized he was only clumsy when it came to me.

Even though I had already read the letters, my heart still throbbed with a dull ache.

You're so noble, Caleb. Sacrificing your own love for Daisy's sake.

But what about me?

I let out a cold laugh as I gathered every gift he had ever given me and threw them on the floor.

I don't want them anymore. I don't want any of this, Caleb.

A while later, Caleb returned. Daisy followed him, still draped in his jacket.

He looked at me with a hint of apology. "Sutton, Daisy has nowhere else to go tonight. She's going to stay with us for a bit."

I didn't say anything, just stared at him. He finally noticed the pile of things at my feet and recognized them as his gifts.

"What's this?"

"They're broken. I don't want them anymore," I replied flatly.