Chapter 2

Knowing romance wasn’t my strong suit, I barely kept in touch with Jamie during university.

Even though we were studying in the same city.

From mutual friends, I heard he had dated four different girls in his first two years. I could only shake my head at that.

Jamie was a bit of a heartthrob, although not a cheater. He just never posted about his relationships on social media, and he always had someone lined up when a breakup happened.

With his good looks, Russell Group degree, and upper-middle-class background, no one ever questioned his behaviour.

The lads around him would just say, “If I had his looks and money, I’d play the field even more.”

Then, in our third year, Jamie met Natalie "Nate" Carter.

He started posting notes about her all the time:

“Birthday: 19th February. Loves beef, cherries, and ice cream. Hates coriander!”

“Make sure to prepare 45°C ginger tea during her time of the month.”

They’d complete all the couples’ bucket-list challenges and post about it on TikTok, racking up thousands of likes. Every milestone in their relationship was full of rituals.

The comments joked that his “six-month breakup curse” had finally been broken.

I thought to myself, Jamie must’ve found “the one” this time.

Meanwhile, during my four years of university, with no distractions from men, I focused entirely on my studies. I won two National Scholarships, got three certifications, and was accepted for a master’s programme at the same university.

By the summer of my first year as a postgrad, I had co-authored papers published in top scientific journals and helped launch a company with my senior that made over £3 million in its first year.

On one lazy afternoon, feeling proud of my accomplishments yet realising I was still missing someone special, I decided it was time to start dating.