Chapter 1 The End Before the Beginning

Julian stared at the acceptance letter for the hundredth time, the Columbia University crest gleaming beneath the soft glow of her desk lamp. She had fought for this - every application essay, every late night, every part-time job. Her future was finally unfolding in her own city, just a subway ride from the brownstone she grew up in.

She was supposed to be thrilled.

Instead, her heart felt like glass.

She tossed her phone across the bed, unable to look at it anymore. The photo her friend had sent still burned in her mind. It wasn't just any photo - it was David, her boyfriend of two years.

And Tina, her best friend.

In his car.

His hand on her thigh. Her lips on his neck. Their smiles like they'd never once thought of her.

Her stomach twisted. She'd seen the signs but ignored them. The inside jokes that didn't include her. The last-minute excuses. The way Tina said "David's like a brother to me" while barely hiding the smirk.

Now she knew.

She stood and walked to the window, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her world, her people - the ones she loved - had cracked just before everything was supposed to begin.

Tomorrow, she would officially start her new life at Columbia.

But tonight?

She wasn't staying in to cry.

No. Not tonight.

JFK Airport – 9 Hours Later

Julian blinked through the sting of exhaustion as the boarding call echoed overhead. She'd cried the entire Uber ride, through security, and while buying a too-sweet coffee she didn't even sip.

The world felt muted. Like she was watching someone else's life on a screen.

She didn't even remember the flight taking off.

But she remembered the ache in her chest the entire way.