Never Have a Foot in Two BoatsChapter 1
Skye's POV
At the auction, Mr. Number 1 successfully bid on a diamond ring worth 100 million. I smiled warmly and congratulated him.
Midway through, he left the event, casually telling me to bid as I pleased. However, private messages soon flooded his phone on the seat beside me.
[Mr. Carlson is really a romantic—buying a birthday gift for his first love with his ‘canary’ in tow. A true role model for us all.]
[Well, the canary’s just a toy for fun. The one he truly loves is his first love.]
[Right? It's been seven years, and he still can’t forget Alanna. But honestly, doesn’t the girl who’s been by his side for seven years mean anything to him?]
[Hey! Don’t insult his love, dude. Wait until Alanna comes back. Then you’ll see what real love looks like.]
After reading those, I tossed aside his phone and messaged my brother overseas.
[Hey, is your lab still hiring?]
——
When I got home, Derick Carlson placed the ring box on the table. Then, without warning, he pushed me onto the couch.
“Skye, did you miss me?” he murmured and leaned forward to kiss me.
But I turned my head and dodged his kiss. As such, confusion consumed his face as he stared at me.
Before he could say anything, I stood up and grabbed his tie, fiddling with it as hope flickered in my eyes.
“Derick, didn’t you say we’d get married as soon as I graduated?”
Immediately, his expression darkened slightly, but his voice remained calm.
“Skye, just wait a little longer. The company is at a critical stage of financing right now. I can’t focus on marriage.”
He also added, “Besides, rushing things wouldn’t be fair to you. Let’s wait three more years. When the company goes public, I’ll give you a grand proposal.”
The same excuse—for the third time.
When I was finishing my undergraduate degree, he told me to wait until graduation. But when I completed my master’s, he said the same. Now, with only three days left before I earned my doctorate, he was asking for three more years.
But this time, I couldn’t bring myself to wait any longer.
Derick watched me grow up. He was five years older than me and was one of my brother’s best friends.
The first time I met him, I was in high school, crying over a physics problem I couldn’t solve. Back then, he crouched down, gently wiped my tears, and patiently explained the problem to me.