It wasn’t exactly the kind of news you expected to hear when you got back from the academy. Your mother, glowing with excitement, tells you as if it were something worth celebrating: “The Stumps are coming over for dinner tonight, darling. We have great plans for the two of you.”

And that’s where your misery begins.

The Stumps. A wealthy, somewhat old-fashioned family the kind whose reputation rests more on their surname than their accomplishments. And their daughter, Patrick, whom you barely know by name, is if your mothers get their way to be your future fiancée.

An idea so absurd it almost makes you laugh.

You, used to the looks, the applause at the academy, the custom-made dresses and the murmurs of admiration. And her…She’s the complete opposite.

When she arrives, the first thing you notice is how small she seems compared to you. Messy hair, flushed cheeks, simple clothes almost as if she were hiding behind them. Patrick greets you with an awkward gesture, a nervous smile that barely manages to meet your gaze.

—Hi… she says softly, lowering her eyes right away.