Chapter 1

The reunion hall buzzed with noise, too loud.

Five years.

Five years since I last saw any of these faces.

My friend, Amy, had dragged me here.

"It'll be fun, Sarah," she said. "Closure," she said.

I didn't need closure. I had a new life.

Then, I saw him. Ethan.

He walked onto the small stage at the front of the room.

The chatter died down.

He looked older, a little tired around the eyes.

But the confidence, or maybe arrogance, was still there.

He tapped the microphone. It screeched.

"Hello everyone," Ethan started, his voice filling the sudden quiet.

"It's great to see so many familiar faces."

My stomach tightened. I wanted to leave.

"There's someone special here tonight," he continued, his eyes scanning the crowd.

His gaze landed on me. He smiled. It was the same smile that once made my heart beat faster.

Now, it just made me feel cold.

"Sarah. Sarah Miller."

He said my maiden name.

He walked off the stage, moving directly towards me.

People turned, whispering.

He stopped a few feet away.

Then, he got down on one knee.

A gasp went through the room.

He pulled out a small velvet box. Opened it. A diamond ring glittered.

"Sarah," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I've made so many mistakes. I know that now. I've regretted every day for five years. Marry me, Sarah. Let me make it up to you."

The air felt thin.

My mind flashed back.

Graduation day. The sun was bright, too bright.

I was supposed to be valedictorian. My speech was in my hand.

Instead, the Dean stood at the podium, his face grim.

"An accusation of academic fraud has been made," the Dean announced.

My name. Chloe' s name. Our theses were identical.

Chloe, Ethan' s childhood friend, stood beside him, tears in her eyes. She looked like a broken doll.

"It was mine," Chloe whispered, loud enough for the microphone to pick up. "Sarah stole my work."

Ethan stepped forward then. He put his arm around Chloe.

He looked at me, his face hard.

"I believe Chloe," Ethan declared to the entire assembly, to our professors, to our families. "Sarah has been bullying her, trying to undermine her."

The words hit me. Each one a heavy stone.

My world crumbled.

My diploma withheld. My honors stripped. My future erased.

All because of him.

Now, this man was kneeling before me, asking me to marry him.

The irony was a bitter taste in my mouth.