“Fair warning though,” Jake added with a strange smile that set my teeth on edge, “she’s not doing as well as the rest of us. Still figuring things out.”
That night, I found her profile on a writing platform. I stayed up reading everything she’d published–romance stories with heroines pining for unavailable men who were clearly based on Jake. Her newest story showed promise, a shift toward something bolder, but with barely any readers.
I bookmarked the site, planning to keep following her work. This was just the beginning.
The Reality Behind the Setup
“So that’s my buddy, Alex Knight. MIT grad, runs his own tech company now.” Jake was smiling as he made the introductions, but I caught the subtle message: I was successful enough to be acceptable for her. His generosity in sharing his less successful friend with his struggling childhood companion was supposed to be touching. I wanted to knock that smile off his face.
“Single,” he mouthed silently to her with a smug expression.
I approached the setup with caution. Autumn was guarded at first, clearly uncomfortable with Jake’s transparent matchmaking attempt. But as we began meeting without Jake’s interference, I saw glimpses of the girl I remembered- passionate, kind, with a quiet determination despite her struggles.
What I hadn’t expected was how quickly my childhood fascination would deepen into something more profound. The adult Autumn was complex and fascinating—a
talented writer who hadn’t been given a chance to shine, a woman with a warm heart despite years of unrequited love for someone who couldn’t see her worth. Each time we met, I fell harder. Each time she smiled at me, I wanted to tell her
everything–how I’d engineered our meeting, how I’d never really forgotten her. But the timing wasn’t right. She was still entangled in her feelings for Jake, and I needed to be patient.
3/5
The Turning Point
Everything changed after the escape room incident. Jake’s mask had slipped when he instinctively tried to catch Autumn instead of his girlfriend. The raw jealousy in his eyes when he watched Autumn with me confirmed what I’d suspected—he’d only realized his feelings for her after she was no longer available.
I found Autumn on her balcony that night, smoking and staring at the sky.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked, joining her.
She exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Just thinking about how strange life is. One day you think you know exactly what you want, and then suddenly…” She gestured
vaguely with her cigarette.
“Suddenly what?”
Her eyes met mine. “Suddenly you realize maybe you wanted the wrong thing all
along.”
I took the cigarette from her fingers, our hands brushing in a way that sent electricity up my arm. After taking a drag, I leaned closer, her scent–vanilla and tobacco–filling my senses.
“And what do you want now, Autumn?”
Instead of answering, she closed the distance between us. Our first kiss tasted like menthol and possibility.
The Anonymous Donor
I’d been watching her latest story progress for weeks. It showed so much promise
—a shift from her usual romance to something more empowering, with a heroine who refused to settle. But without visibility, it would die in obscurity. After consulting with marketing experts at my company, I learned about the
premium voting system on her platform. Ten thousand dollars was nothing to me financially, but I hoped it might mean everything to her career.
I created an anonymous account and donated a hundred diamond votes. Then I waited, watching from the shadows as her story catapulted to the front page and
4/5
her readership began to grow.
Seeing her confidence bloom as her work gained recognition was more rewarding
than any
business deal I’d ever closed. Her excitement when she called to tell me about the mysterious benefactor, not knowing it was me all along, made me feel both powerful and humble at the same time.
I almost told her that night, but something held me back. I wanted her success to feel earned, not gifted. And it was earned–the votes only gave her visibility. Her
talent did the rest.
