Chapter 1

After three years at the company, I finally received my promotion notice.

It was an overseas assignment. Terrified of putting distance between us, I called her immediately to talk it through.

"Babe, come home early tonight. There's something really important we need to discuss."

A brief silence hung on the other end of the line.

"Not tonight. Julian is craving those viral garlic oysters, so I promised to wait in line with him. Afterwards, we're heading to the beach to watch the sunrise."

"When I asked you to watch the sunrise with me, you said it was a complete waste of time."

"Why do you always have to kill the mood? He's all by himself in the city. I can't just abandon him."

Right after she hung up, a message from her childhood friend, Julian, popped up on my phone.

[Hey bro, she's mine for the night. I'll watch the sunrise in your place.]

I looked down at the transfer order in my hands and let out a dry laugh.

Then, I typed back:

[She's all yours from now on.]

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

I sat alone on the living room couch, watching the sky outside turn from pitch black to pale gray, and finally to bright morning light.

Not a single text came through.

Lauren was probably too busy—busy watching the sunrise with Julian.

At nine sharp the next morning, I arrived at the office.

I walked straight into my boss's office.

"I accept the overseas relocation."

Mr. Davis was thrilled. He pulled out a document and handed it to me.

"Fantastic! This is a once-in-a-lifetime career move for you."

"Fill out this transfer form and hand it back before the end of the day."

"Will do."

I completed the paperwork in minutes and submitted it.

After work, I caught an Uber home.

The moment I pushed the door open, bursts of laughter echoed from the living room.

Lauren and Julian were sitting close together on the sofa, with takeout boxes of barbecue and open beer cans scattered across the coffee table.

They were scrolling through photos on his phone, laughing hysterically.

"Look at this angle! The morning sun hitting the water is pure magic," Julian said, pointing at the screen with smug, youthful pride.

Lauren tilted her head toward him, wearing a bright, tender smile I hadn't seen in years.

A smile that once belonged exclusively to me.

I stood by the entryway kicking off my shoes, completely ignored.

It wasn't until I walked over to the kitchen counter to pour a glass of water that Julian finally glanced up.

His eyes lingered on my face for a split second.

Then, a grin spread across his lips.

"Hey bro, you're back? Where've you been all day? You look like crap."

Only then did Lauren turn around. She immediately frowned.

"Where the hell did you go? You didn't even bother calling to let me know."

I didn't answer. I just took my glass and sat down at the dining table.

Julian chimed in again, his tone dripping with fake innocence. "Is he mad at us for staying out to watch the sunrise?"

My hand tightened around the glass.

Lauren's face instantly hardened, and she glared at me.

"Chase, are you serious right now? It was just a sunrise! Who are you making that miserable face for?"

I looked up into her eyes.

There was no concern, no guilt—only pure annoyance.

"I'm not making a face."

"Then why are you sitting there pouting like a child?"

"Julian rarely has a good day, and you have to ruin it the second you walk through the door?"

Julian gently tugged at Lauren's sleeve.

"Lauren, drop it. He's probably just exhausted from work today."

His touch softened her demeanor immediately.

"At least you know how to be considerate," she sighed.

She stood up, walked into the kitchen, and pulled a takeout container from the fridge.

"By the way, we had a few grilled oysters left over from last night. Saved them for you."

She shoved the box in front of me like she was tossing scraps to a stray dog.

"Eat up. We stood in line forever to get those."

I stared at the greasy shells, smothered in minced garlic and chili oil.

"I'm not eating that."

"Why not? Don't you love seafood?"

"I'm severely allergic to seafood."

The room fell dead silent for two seconds.

Lauren's face stiffened momentarily, but she brushed it off just as fast.

Julian tilted his head, smiling sweetly.

"You know, Chase, a lot of people have mild seafood allergies. It's really not that big of a deal."

"A bite or two won't kill you."

"My friend gets mild hives sometimes, but honestly, most of the time it's totally fine."

Hearing this, Lauren nodded in instant agreement.

"See? Even Julian knows. You're just being dramatic as usual, blaming every little thing on an allergy."

"It's just a couple of oysters. What could possibly happen?"