He Watched Me Shine Without Him novel Chapter 1

Rose Marshall had been in love for ten years before she found out the truth: all those years of living frugally and saving up to support her boyfriend’s PhD… had gone straight into her best friend’s pockets.

…

She never imagined that after spending over ten hours on a train to visit him, what she’d walk into would feel like a knife to the heart.

Her boyfriend—the one who had been with her since high school, who had sworn over and over that he’d grow old with her—was now strolling hand in hand with her best friend, Vivian Brown, under the shade of the plane trees.

Vivian’s belly had already started to show. She was pregnant.

It was like someone had dropped Rose into an ice bath. Every cell in her body froze, her limbs trembling uncontrollably.

She didn’t want to believe Ethan Walker had cheated. But those interlocked fingers and the way they looked at each other—syrupy sweet and intimately familiar—shattered her unshakable trust.

Ethan didn’t notice her. He and Vivian turned into the apartment building.

Rose stood alone in the blazing sun, feeling like a discarded child. Even the 104°F heat couldn’t thaw her frozen heart.

"Ethan Walker," she called out, refusing to back down.

Through the glass doors, she saw Ethan’s back go rigid. His arm shot away from Vivian’s like it had been spring-loaded.

Slowly, he turned around. His expression shifted wildly—from panic to embarrassment and everything in between.

He said something to Vivian. Vivian stayed where she was while Ethan came to Rose alone.

"Hey, Rose..."

He stood in front of her, awkward and guilty, like he’d just been caught red-handed. "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I could’ve picked you up."

"I thought my arrival would be a surprise," Rose said bitterly. "Didn’t expect it to scare you instead."

Ethan looked at her with guilt all over his face. The Rose standing before him was nothing like the strong, proud woman he knew. She looked like a doll caught in the wind—empty, lifeless.

She had loved him for ten years. She used to be the light in his life. His family had struggled, and back in school, other students looked down on him, but Rose never did. She pushed him to chase his dreams. When he had no money, she gave him every dollar she’d saved from work after graduation. And when he left home, she took on the burden of caring for his parents without a second thought.

Ethan knew he owed her—more than he could ever repay.

"Rose, it’s too hot out here. Come inside and we’ll talk."

He reached for her arm.

Rose yanked herself back, flinging his hand away like it burned her.

Ethan froze.

Rose stared him down. "Ethan, just give me one honest answer. How long have you been with her?"

"Not long," he muttered.

"How long is not long?" Her voice shot up, sharp with rage and disbelief.

"A year," he said.

"Dr. Marshall. Drinking’s bad for your health."

The voice was smooth and deep. A slender hand snatched the glass from hers.

Rose looked up through her drunken haze.

The man in front of her had a cool, elegant air—and a face that rivaled any A-list celebrity. But years of insomnia had left dark circles under his eyes. It didn’t take away from his looks. If anything, it made him even more dangerously attractive.

She recognized him. He was one of her patients—suffering from sleep disorders.

He’d always been tight-lipped about the cause, so she never prescribed nerve suppressants without fully understanding the situation. Instead, she gave him her number and told him to call whenever he couldn’t sleep.

They’d talked a few times late at night. It wasn’t nothing.

"Mr. Jefferson, I just got dumped," she slurred. Normally reserved, she now seemed desperate to tell the whole world.

Houston Jefferson paused, then said gently, "All you lost was someone who didn’t love you."

Something about that sentence made the dam inside her break. She sniffled, choking on her own tears.

"We were together ten years. We were supposed to get married this year. But now he’s with my best friend. My family’s been pushing for a wedding. I don’t even know what to tell them."

She clutched her head, yanking her hair so hard it made her scalp tingle—like the pain could drown out her heartbreak.

"Marry me," Houston said quietly.