Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Jacob Torrance, claimed he hated being touched.

Five years together, and all I got were stiff hand-holds and the rare side-hug.

Even in bed, he kept his distance.

I figured he was just emotionally shut off.

Then he dropped this: he wanted a kid—with his mentor's daughter.

"Take it as a sperm donation," he said. "Dr. Lynn asked me before he died. Wendy's got no one else."

I smiled. "You don't have to explain. I support you."

When you're over someone, there's no point fighting about what's right or wrong.

Chapter 1

Jacob Torrance and I were together five years.

Day one, he laid it out: "I'm not comfortable with too much physical affection. If that's something you need, I get it if you want to walk away."

I figured it was just one of those genius quirks, so I brushed it off. We held hands, hugged now and then—nothing past that.

Then everything flipped.

Dr. Lynn, Jacob's longtime mentor and career gatekeeper, landed in critical condition.

The second Jacob got the call, Jacob threw on whatever was nearby and bolted to the hospital.

Didn't come back till morning, looking wrecked and quiet.

We were halfway through breakfast when he said it:

"I'm planning to have a child with Wendy."

I froze. Thought I misheard. "Sorry, what?"

His tone didn't even change. "Dr. Lynn doesn't have much time left. His biggest wish is to see his daughter settle down with someone reliable. He's done a lot for me. I owe him."

I was stunned. "But... she could find someone else. Wendy can get a boyfriend or—"

Jacob rubbed his forehead, cutting me off. "Feelings don't work like that. And it's just a kid. I'm basically donating sperm. It's not like I'm marrying her."

He said it like he was talking about running errands.

I slammed my fork down, eyes locked on his. "Jacob Torrance, do you even hear yourself? We're getting married in a month, and you're telling me you're having a baby with someone else?"

His brow twitched, eyes flashing with that quiet, irritated look he always gave when I didn't fall in line. "Wendy's Dr. Lynn's daughter. She's like a sister."

I snapped. "Since when does a sister ask her brother to knock her up?!"

I couldn't wrap my head around it. None of it made sense.

Jacob flinched for half a second, then slipped right back into that blank, unbothered look.

"Nina, don't be unreasonable, I—"

His phone rang mid-sentence. He answered, and whatever was said made his face change.

"Okay. I'll be right there."

He stood, didn't even look at me, and rushed out.

The breakfast I'd made? He left it untouched—barely sipped the cream soup.

As the door clicked shut, all the strength just vanished. I dropped into the chair, numb.

When did it all start falling apart?

I kept thinking back to college—back when Jacob was this cold, untouchable guy.

Anyone who tried getting close? Shut down, fast.

People even whispered he didn't like girls. I didn't buy it.

I kept pushing, stubborn as hell.

Took three years, but he finally gave in.

Even after we got together, he stayed cold—always a little out of reach. I didn't care. He was mine.

But I never thought he'd pull something like this, not with the wedding so close.

He's the one who couldn't handle being close to women. And now? He's acting like it's just sperm, like it means nothing.

I sat on the couch for hours, waiting.

Jacob never came back.

Instead, I got a video from Wendy.

Jacob was at Dr. Lynn's bedside. The guy looked wrecked, barely holding Jacob's hand.

"Jacob, I don't have much time left," Dr. Lynn said. "I've never asked for anything, but I just want Wendy to have someone. Someone stable."

Jacob's eyes were red. He didn't say a word.

Then Wendy's voice slid in, all soft and sad. "Jacob, for my dad's dying wish... I'll be waiting in my room tonight."

My hand curled into a fist.

At the end, I heard Jacob whisper, "Okay."

Chapter 2

Even after the video ended, I just stared.

I kept rewinding the last part, over and over—

Jacob's final "okay."

Like some idiot clinging to hope, I tried to twist that word into something it wasn't.

By the thirteenth replay, a tear smacked the screen.

I wiped my face fast, only just realizing I was already crying.

Was I heartbroken?

Not really.

Sad?

Kinda.

Then why the tears?

I hit the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face. Looked up.

Didn't recognize the girl in the mirror.

Hair? Wrecked.

Skin? Dull.

Eyes? Puffy and red.

I didn't look like this this morning.

Guess you really can lose yourself for love.

I'd loved Jacob for years. With the wedding coming up, I thought we'd finally made it.

Didn't see it was already falling apart.

I took a deep breath, tried to shut down the spiral, and grabbed my phone.

[Short one groom for this wedding. Anyone want the job?]

Friends jumped in fast, filling the comments with jokes.

Everyone knew I was head-over-heels for Jacob.

No one took it seriously.

I stared at the laughing replies, gave a crooked smile.

Then my phone lit up.

The name made me squint.

Seth Stratford.

We'd grown up together—childhood friends, kinda.

Not exactly tight. We bickered a lot.

Back then, he'd always toss an arm around me and shout that he had my back.

From elementary to high school, same energy.

Used to call me his "little bro."

We drifted after graduation. Different colleges, different cities.

Didn't even text anymore.

Honestly, I was the one who pulled away. Got too caught up chasing Jacob.

So why was Seth calling now?

I hesitated, then picked up.

"Yo, what took you so long?"

His voice—teasing and familiar—cut through the fog in my head.

I smirked. "What's up? Why the sudden call?"

He paused, which wasn't like him. Then, serious: "That post on your feed. Were you being serious?"

I didn't catch the shift in his tone. Just laughed. "Why? You want the 'job'?"

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

I froze.

Now that I thought about it, if I really was swapping grooms... Seth made sense.

Good family.

Shared history.

After a beat, I said, "Sure. But tell me why."

"Why? Because I like you, duh." Seth's voice was back to bold. "I've liked you for a long time. I've dreamed about marrying you. You made the first move—no way I'm letting that slide."

I let out a half-laugh. "This is marriage, not a joke."

"I know." He chuckled. "That's why I don't just wanna marry you. I want you to love me more than you ever loved Jacob."

More than Jacob...

I wasn't sure I had that in me.

But maybe that didn't matter anymore.

"Okay," I said. "Once I wrap things up here, I'll call you."

Seth didn't push. He never did. He'd always been sharp—knew when to ask, when to let it go.

After we hung up, I deleted the post, pinned him to the top of my chats, and changed his contact name to "Hubby."

Jacob picked someone else to have a kid with.

So I picked someone else to marry.

Chapter 3

Jacob still hadn't come back.

I didn't call.

The only updates came from Wendy—random videos—each one oozing smug energy.

Them playing house didn't faze me. I just kept moving with the wedding prep.

Only difference? The groom's name on the invites wasn't Jacob anymore. It was Seth.

Didn't take long for the calls to start.

"Nina, did you mess up the groom's name?"

"Nope," I said coolly. "Groom's changed. Seth Stratford. Childhood friend."

That threw them even more.

"You and Jacob... had a fight?"

Their voices were careful, confused.

I got it. I'd never hidden how hard I fell for Jacob. Everyone knew I'd bend over backwards for him.

But Jacob—the one being loved—never looked back.

Or maybe he did. Maybe he just didn't care.

Cold. Distant. Always that untouchable golden boy, standing on his pedestal while I broke myself trying to get close.

I didn't explain. Just smiled and said nothing.

My friends relaxed, started cracking jokes, like it was just some goofy couple drama.

Nobody really thought I'd walk away from the guy I'd chased for three years.

Couldn't blame them.

Even I felt weirdly numb saying I'd swapped grooms.

Didn't think letting go would feel this easy.

But maybe that was a win.

No one would run off and tell Jacob.

And it gave me time to get everything locked in.

***

About a week later, Jacob showed up looking wrecked—like sleep hadn't been a thing for days. Faint shadows clung under his eyes.

I caught the love bite on his neck, then looked away fast.

"Rough week?" I asked, flat.

He didn't answer. Just swapped his shoes and dropped beside me, face blank.

I turned to him. "You good?"

"Yeah. Let's call off the wedding. Dr. Lynn just died. I'm not in the right headspace." He paused, guilt flickering in his eyes. "Sorry, Nina..."

I stared at him, confused.

Sorry for what?

For trashing the one thing I'd been dreaming about for years? Or for hooking up with someone else while still engaged to me?

Didn't matter anymore.

"Okay. My condolences."

Jacob looked at me like I'd grown a second head. Brows tight, eyes searching—like he couldn't figure out why I wasn't blowing up. Maybe 'cause I already had. Back when I found out he wanted a kid with Wendy.

He didn't sit in it long.

"Dr. Lynn's funeral's today. Come with me."

That tone? Definitely not a question.

I didn't say no.

That so-called mentor? The guy who thought it was totally normal to ask someone else's fiancé to get his daughter pregnant. Still, now that he was gone, I wasn't mad.

Honestly? I was kind of thankful.

He'd pulled the mask off everyone.

Chapter 4

After a quick cleanup, Jacob and I headed out.

By the time we got there, the funeral was already packed.

The second we stepped out of the car, someone rushed over.

"Jacob..."

Wendy.

Black dress, tear-streaked makeup—she looked heartbreak-pretty.

Jacob went straight in, wrapping her up like it was instinct.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

She buried her face in his chest, barely holding it together.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

They clung to each other like no one else was real.

To anyone watching, they looked like the grieving couple.

Wendy—daughter of the deceased—wasn't even inside with her dad.

She was out here, wrapped around someone else's fiancé.

Old me might've snapped. Thrown a few sharp words her way.

Now? I just walked right past them and into the hall.

I came to pay respects, not watch their drama play out.

Jacob saw. His jaw tensed.

He looked like he wanted to say something—

"Jacob, sit with me for a while," Wendy murmured, tugging him back.

He gave her that soft, familiar smile.

"Okay."

Barely a few days in, and they were already glued together.

I saw them slip off to a corner but didn't bother stopping them.

I headed inside, nodded to a few people, and paid my respects.

"Nina, thank you for coming."

Mrs. Lynn stood beside me—eyes red, voice soft, grief laced with guilt.

"About Wendy and Jacob... I was against it at first," she said. "But Jacob's always been loyal. He insisted on honoring my husband's dying wish. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle."

She sighed, like that somehow made it better.

But all I heard was the same old spin—

Jacob and Wendy weren't selfish, they were "honorable."

And if I didn't buy that?

I was the problem.

I stayed quiet. Just listened.

She took my silence as permission to keep going.

"Jacob's a quiet boy. He only really opens up around our family. What he did... it came from gratitude. Please don't hold it against him."

I almost laughed.

Part of me wanted to ask, 'If your husband ran off to have another woman's baby, would you just smile and take it?'

No way. No woman's that forgiving.

But I was already planning to swap the groom. No point dragging it out.

"It's fine. I understand," I said.

She blinked, then smiled, clearly relieved.

"That's wonderful to hear. You really don't need to overthink things. I'm sure Jacob's heart still belongs to you. He loves you."

'He loves me?'

I shook my head.

Maybe the old me would've clung to that.

Now? It was a joke.

If he loved me, how could he agree to something that insane?

If he loved me, did he think of me while hooking up with someone else?

If he loved me, why couldn't he marry me after all those years?

I'd been like some loyal little follower, chasing after him for years—grateful for every crumb he tossed my way.

Mrs. Lynn just kept going, praising how thoughtful Jacob was, how devoted Wendy was.

She even threw in a few lighthearted stories about the two of them—like I wasn't the one he was engaged to. Like her daughter hadn't helped wreck everything. Like she didn't owe me a single ounce of guilt.

Jacob stuck close to Wendy the whole service.

He already looked like one of them.

Once the guests started clearing out, I figured it was time to bounce too.

But just as I reached the car, the passenger window rolled down.

Wendy sat inside, all soft-smile and fake guilt.

"Sorry, Nina. I want to stop by the burial site again—just to make sure everything's perfect."

I raised a brow.

Nothing weird about her wanting to check on her dad's grave.

But why apologize to me?

Mrs. Lynn slid into the car like it was hers.

Next to them, I felt like the tag-along.

I reached for the back door.

Click.

Locked.

My brows pulled together. "What's this supposed to mean?"

Wendy let out a sigh, still not looking at me.

Instead, she grabbed Jacob's hand and said, all emotional,

"Jacob, I just... I hope, for this moment, it can be just the three of us—me, you, and my mom. Is that okay?"

He didn't even open his mouth before Mrs. Lynn jumped in.

"What are you saying? Jacob is Nina's fiancé."

"So what?!" Wendy snapped, tears streaming. "Jacob's been family since college. Now that my dad's gone, I don't want some outsider there for something so personal. Is that so wrong?"

Chapter 5

Mrs. Lynn's face tightened. She clearly backed her daughter, but even she knew this wasn't a good look.

Before she could say anything, Jacob made the call.

"Nina, you can take a cab home."

Wendy threw me a quick glance, a smug little smile tugging at her lips as the window rolled up.

I didn't flinch.

Classic Jacob—always asking me to step back for Wendy.

Right on cue, snow started falling.

Light at first, then settling into a thin layer.

I crouched, scooped up a handful.

Cold.

But not colder than my heart.

***

When I got home, Jacob was already packing.

Without even looking at me, he said,

"Wendy's not doing well. I'm gonna stay with her for a while. You'll have to cab it to work."

I said nothing.

Wendy was upset, so he was off to spend the night. To comfort her?

I didn't ask. He didn't explain.

He zipped up his bag, walked out, and didn't come back for a week.

Not one text.

But I knew what he was doing every single day.

Wendy made sure of it—videos, selfies, picture-perfect updates.

That's when it hit me. Jacob did know how to love.

He just decided who was worth the effort.

He cooked for her—real meals, balanced and thoughtful.

Cut her steak, picked out cute gifts.

Took her to amusement parks and out-of-town getaways.

All the stuff I used to wish he'd do with me.

Things he once called childish.

I didn't dwell. Just saved every photo, every video.

Then I wrapped up my projects and handed in my resignation.

My friends were stunned.

"Nina, why are you quitting all of a sudden?"

I just smiled.

"I've been gone too long. I want to go back home."

Someone asked, "Is Jacob going with you?"

They all knew how hard he'd hustled for his job. No one thought he'd actually leave it to follow me.

One friend tried to talk me out of it.

"Don't go. You are getting married. Living apart now wouldn't be good."

Even now, they couldn't—or wouldn't—see it.

As for me?

I'd already dropped everything once for him.

Moved cities. Started from scratch. All for Jacob.

Did I ever complain?

Was love supposed to mean giving up everything?

I shook my head.

"No. We won't be living apart."

That's all I gave them. No extra details.

I had too much to handle to waste time convincing people who didn't want to see the truth.

After wrapping things up and brushing off my boss's last-minute offers, I headed back to the apartment I shared with Jacob.

He was already there—with Wendy cozied up next to him.

They sprang apart when the door creaked open.

I acted like I didn't see a thing, walked past with my box of office stuff, and headed straight for the bedroom.

"You're back. No work today?" He frowned at the box. "Did you... quit?"

"Yeah." I didn't bother explaining and veered into the study.

He trailed after me, clearly annoyed. "Why would you just quit without telling me?"

Before I could answer, Wendy popped up behind him.

"Jacob, don't be mad. It's hard for women her age to keep up with the younger crowd. Totally normal she couldn't hang."

She said it like she was defending me, but every word dripped with mockery.

I just nodded.

"Useless," Jacob muttered, only relaxing when Wendy gave his arm a little squeeze.

If she hadn't been sending me all those snarky videos and screenshots, I might've said thanks.

Then my phone buzzed on the desk.

Before I could grab it, Wendy snatched it and gasped like she'd found a body.

"Ooo, who's this 'Hubby'?"