Chapter 1

Before Valerie's grandmother passed away, her dying wish was for Valerie to marry me.

So, even though she still loved her high school sweetheart, Valerie stuck to our engagement.

Until her high school sweetheart killed the puppy I'd raised since it was tiny.

Valerie, yet again, chose to stand by him.

This time, I didn't argue.

I just contacted my professor and applied to join his top-secret research project.

Before I left, I gave myself seven days to sort everything out.

On the first day, I took off the engagement ring, the one that was supposed to symbolize "forever."

On the third day, I handed in my resignation to the company.

It wasn't until the day I left that Valerie seemed to suddenly remember Lucky, promising to take me to pick out a new puppy tomorrow.

Immediately after, she added, "Brandon needs a tux for the company's charity gala tonight. Get it ready and send it over to him."

I smiled and agreed, and from that moment on, I disappeared from her life forever.

Later, every time Valerie heard news of me, she would stare blankly at that engagement ring.

It was the lover she could never get back, and the new puppy she would never get to give away…