From His Backup to His Regret

At eighteen, Vera gave her first night to Mason, the ice hockey captain she had secretly adored for six years, believing he might finally see her differently. The morning after, she overheard him telling his teammates that she had only been a rehearsal before he chased another girl. Refusing to beg for a place in his life, Vera turned down her MIT spot and moved to a university 1,500 miles away. Years later, a fallen and humbled Mason came to her on his knees, asking her to come back, only to learn she was now engaged to Mateo, heir to the Suarez shipping empire.