Chapter 1

The ninth time the bike my boyfriend gave me got ridden off by accident, I didn't scramble to pull the security footage again.

I just smiled at the girl. "All right. Guess I really did mistake it for mine."

It was my last day as an honorary lecturer at Carrington University, and my bike had been taken nine times. If I still couldn't figure out what was going on, I'd have to be an idiot.

The girl's cheeks went a little pink, and she said timidly, "Professor Lawson, the bike belongs to my boyfriend. I heard those bike people all have group chats. Let me have him help you look for it."

"No need." I shook my head and took one last look at that bike, gone for only half an hour and already hung all over with plush charms.

It was the first gift Reuben ever bought me. Even the paint job was hand-drawn by him, with both our names printed on it.

One of a kind.

On my last day as honorary lecturer, I realized I'd just uncovered my boyfriend's secret.

1

"Professor Lawson," Penelope said with a shy little smile, "you don't need to worry. My boyfriend and I will help you look for it."

Looking at that bike covered in plush charms, I pressed my lips together, then asked anyway. "Your boyfriend is Reuben Greer?"

"Yeah, why?" Penelope caught the edge in my voice at once, and her expression changed in a flash. She looked me up and down without bothering to hide it, then gave a sweet little laugh. "We've known each other since we were kids. We're very close. He's coming to pick me up soon. Want to come along, Professor?"

I registered the hostility from the girl and paused. I had no interest in arguing with a young girl. "No, thank you."

On the walk back, I gripped my phone but couldn't bring myself to dial Reuben's number.

There are five years between Reuben and me. When my company was first making a name for itself, he was still a college student.

That year, my company had just seen a little success and was lucky enough to be invited to give a talk at Carrington. He said it was love at first sight and started pursuing me.

Everyone around us doubted the relationship, but he chased me for a full year without missing a beat.

This year makes five years together. A few days ago, on our anniversary, we'd just announced our engagement.

Today I was invited back to his alma mater to give another talk. I received congratulations from his advisor and the students in the years below him, and I discovered the other girl he'd been hiding.

By the time I made it back to the temporary lounge, the raw sting in my heels made me realize just how far that walk had been.

The truth is, I don't even like riding bikes. It's just that when he was still a student, he saved up for months to pick out that one for me.

A light bike, one made for a woman.

And because he was afraid I'd think it looked plain, he kept coming over whenever he had time to buy the materials with me, design the pattern, and paint it himself.

At the end, he took my hand in his, and together we added our initials to the design.

【Y&L】

Reuben Greer & Sabrina Lawson.

I'd just finished putting on a bandage when a Carrington local feed notification popped up on my phone.

Three photos. The first was that bike covered in cute stuffed toys. The second was a strawberry-pink 718 fresh off getting its plates. The last was that girl nestled in a tall pair of arms, smiling with a face full of happiness.

The caption read: 【Just said I couldn't be bothered to ride, and somebody insisted on giving me a little toy. Love you~】

I zoomed in on the last photo. The shirt clip was the Valentine's gift I gave last year. The tie was the custom piece P's just sent over this year...

The boyfriend the girl kept talking about really was Reuben.

For some reason, a strange, absurd sense of things finally settling came over me.

The next second, the ringtone I'd set just for Reuben went off.

The moment I picked up, out came his sticky, doting voice. "Babe, I miss you. Come pick me up, okay? I booked that French place you said you wanted to try yesterday. Let's go for lunch."

He was always like this, never stingy about telling the person he loved how he felt.

He always caught it the moment I felt anxious and unsure, and answered it with the plainest possible declaration of how much he missed me, how much he loved me.

That was exactly why, that year, his eager pursuit had made my heart give way despite myself.

He gave me an address, and it happened to be right near that dealership.

The smile froze on my face.

"Reuben," I said. I wanted to ask him calmly, but my voice shook no matter how hard I tried. "Do you know Penelope Fox?"

The instant the question left my mouth, my heart was pounding. Maybe a second passed, maybe ten minutes, and then Reuben's cold voice came through. "No. Who's been running their mouth in front of you? Babe, I only love you."

I dug my nails into my palm, knowing some things had to be settled face to face. "I'm coming to pick you up right now—"

Before I could finish, the flat beep of the line going dead reached my ear, and I froze.