I never wanted this life—the silk dresses, the gala invites, the way people smile too wide when they talk to me. All I ever wanted was Daniel, sitting beside me on the park bench, sharing earbuds while pretending to study. He was quiet, wore thrift-store sweaters, and always paid for my coffee even when he was broke. My parents called him ‘inconsequential.’

Then came Leonard—polished, patient, offering dinners instead of protests. I kept saying no. But last night, Daniel showed up at my door, drenched from rain, eyes blazing. ‘They think I’m nothing,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow, I’ll show them who I really am.’

Today, he walks into my parents’ living room like he owns it—because he does. Leonard stands, stunned. ‘Daniel Vaelstrom?’ he whispers. My father drops his glass. Daniel turns to me: ‘I didn’t lie to hurt you. I lied to love you freely. Now… do you still want me?’