Chapter 1: Hunger and Homework

The year I was always hungry, I worked for Derek Mason—trading scribbled notes for the kind of lunch that stopped my stomach from eating itself.

Back then, I never could have guessed how far this would go. I only knew I was starving, and Derek, with his lazy smile and rolled-up sleeves, was my only ticket to a warm lunch—a sandwich, a baggie of chips, sometimes even an apple with a bite already missing. Our arrangement was a silent handshake across cafeteria trays, a routine as steady as the bell between classes.

Years later, after I’d graduated college, Derek tracked me down.

"Twenty grand. Come over and be my fiancée."

I just stared at him, stunned, my mind flashing with disbelief. I pictured the two of us back in high school—me hungrily eyeing his snacks, him sliding over his lunch. Was this really happening? I remembered every sandwich, every pack of chips, every half-eaten apple, and suddenly, the absurdity of the moment hit me so hard I almost laughed. But I didn’t say yes. Not yet. I didn’t say no either.