Chloe’s hair whipped in the wind as she crossed a Pittsburgh bridge, the cold biting into her skin. Homeless and starving, she approached people for help, only to be shunned or dismissed.

As she considered leaving, a tall, broad-shouldered man collided with her. He was clutching a bouquet of white roses, his hands trembling. “Sorry, didn’t see you there,” he mumbled gruffly.

“Can you spare some change?” Chloe asked.

“Sorry, not now,” he replied, walking towards a cafe nestled against the bridge.

Chloe watched as he proposed to a woman named Grace at the cafe.

“I’m asking the most amazing woman in the world to marry me,” he said, getting down on one knee and presenting an engagement ring.

Grace reacted with shock and anger. “No! I don’t want to marry you,” she exclaimed, throwing the bouquet he’d given her to the ground.

Chloe noticed the deep pain on the man’s face. “But…” he said. “We talked about marriage and having a family, Grace. I’ve been working hard to get a promotion, doing everything I can to make sure we start right!”

Grace scoffed. “Right? This is your idea of ‘right’? After weeks of vanishing into thin air? Working hard, yeah, that shouldn’t mean I end up dating a ghost! Do you really think I wanted to be married to somebody I never see?”

The man looked disappointed. “Fine,” he spat. “If that’s what you want, Grace!”

With a violent toss, he sent the ring sailing through the air, the red box carving a crimson arc against the sky. It landed at Chloe’s feet. Her breath hitched, and the weight of the moment settled on her as she picked up the box.

The man, Dylan, stormed off, his footsteps echoing a final, desperate beat against the metal grid. Chloe dashed forward to intercept him.

“Your ring…” she said, holding the box out to him.

“Keep it,” he snapped. “I don’t need it anymore.”

Chloe clutched the velvet box against her chest as she watched him go. Sudden emotions of pity, anger, and a strange kinship swirled together in her heart. She couldn’t keep the ring with her.

Chloe hurried after Dylan. Her heart raced as she called out to him. “Hey, wait.”

He stopped abruptly and turned around. Chloe stumbled towards him, extending the box. “Dylan, right? I… I just wanted to return this.”

“I told you to keep it,” Dylan replied, his voice hoarse. “You need it more than me.”

“No,” Chloe insisted. “It’s yours. You can’t just throw it away like a broken toy.”

Dylan scoffed bitterly. “That’s exactly what it is. A sign of a broken promise, a shattered dream.”

“You’re a quitter,” Chloe accused him. “Why not fight for what you want with Grace?”

His eyes blazed with a sudden fire. “You don’t understand the humiliation I felt when she rejected me in front of so many people!”

“Oh, I do understand,” Chloe retorted, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. “People reject me all the time. They turn away from my ragged clothes, my dirty face, and my outstretched hand. Every day, I’m reminded I’m not good enough.”

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” Dylan murmured, his voice a whisper.

“No, of course not, because people like you don’t even see people like me… I know because I used to be just like you, Mr. Bigshot Businessman, and I never thought I would end up on the street, but I had to sell my house to pay Mom’s medical bills, and now…” Chloe raised her hand. “Well, who am I to stop you from giving up?” She pocketed the ring and walked away.

Dylan watched her leave, a mix of shame and respect stirring within him. Her words echoed in his mind. Why not fight for what you want with Grace? He followed her.

At a dumpster, Chloe was rummaging for food. Dylan approached her, feeling a pang of guilt.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I shouldn’t have said those things.”

Chloe eyed him warily. “Throwing tantrums isn’t mature, Dylan.”

“Look, I… I messed up. Can I make it up with lunch?” Dylan offered.

“Lunch? With you?” Chloe was surprised.

“Yeah, my treat. An apology,” he suggested with a smile.

“Alright,” Chloe agreed, her anger softening.

***

The afternoon sun dappled the cafe’s outdoor seating, casting long shadows. Chloe sat across from Dylan, curious about the heartbroken stranger offering her a meal.

“Two days since you last ate, huh?” Dylan asked gently.

“I’m not counting the half-eaten burger I forced down and threw up yesterday,” Chloe shrugged.

Dylan’s gaze lingered on her face, tracing her resilience. “I can get you a place to stay and new clothes,” he offered.

Chloe was touched but hesitant. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” Dylan insisted, wrapping his scarf around her neck. “To make things right.” He smiled shyly at her as he spent a few minutes winding the soft, cologne-scented fabric around her throat. Maybe, just maybe, there was good left in the world. She wanted to hug him with all her might.

Their moment was broken by a sleek black car pulling over outside the cafe. Grace stepped out with Mr. Simmons, causing Dylan’s face to drain of color.

“That’s your Grace…” Chloe said.

“With my boss, Mr. Simmons,” he muttered, his voice hoarse. “There’s your answer. Why I was working my butt off. All that extra work, the late nights… I guess Simmons decided to move in on Grace while I was busy, and she obviously fell for it. God, I’ve been such an idiot.”

Chloe’s heart clenched for him. “Don’t say you’re an idiot. You’re wonderful and kind. She should’ve been grateful…”

“You know what? Let’s show her what she lost,” Chloe declared. “Give me one of her dresses and a dinner reservation. You heard about the restaurant they’re visiting, right?”

Dylan shook his head. “They won’t care.”

“Grace will,” Chloe assured, her eyes fierce. “Trust me, please. I can help you win her back.”

***

That night, Chloe transformed. In a crimson dress and makeup, she radiated fierce beauty and confidence, captivating Dylan.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she asked him shyly.

“You look beautiful,” Dylan replied, amazed by her beauty.

Their entrance at the restaurant caused a stir. Dylan spotted his ex-fiancee and boss.

“Grace. Mr. Simmons. Didn’t expect to see you here,” Dylan greeted them.

“We, uh… were discussing business,” Mr. Simmons said.

“I see. I’m here to have a good time,” Dylan replied, turning to Chloe.

“Who is this woman?” Grace asked venomously.

“This is Chloe, my new friend,” Dylan said.

Grace’s eyes narrowed. “She’s wearing my dress.”

“Of course not!” Dylan replied.

Chloe had been waiting for this moment. She’d chosen one of Grace’s dresses to make Grace see her with Dylan as a feeble attempt to replace her and to realize the value of what she had lost in letting Dylan go.

“Dance?” Dylan asked Chloe. Chloe nodded, and they moved to the dance floor, their eyes locked, laughter bubbling between them like champagne.

“You’re beautiful,” Dylan whispered, his voice filled with desire.

Suddenly, Grace interrupted them. “Dylan! We need to talk. Now.”

Dylan hesitated. “What’s there to talk about?” he asked.

Grace firmly took his hand. “You were planning to marry me, Dylan. Stop pretending. You still love me.”

Dylan looked at Chloe. “Sorry, I’ll only be a minute.”

As Dylan walked away with Grace, Chloe’s heart sank. How could she be such a fool? How could she think Dylan would choose her over Grace? Just because she felt a connection with him? She decided to leave, her borrowed dress rustling as she headed to the coatroom.

There, Mr. Simmons cornered her with a lewd proposition.

“Fancy meeting you here, my little charity queen. I’ve seen you by the dumpster, but wow, you clean up nice! Is $200 enough for the night?”

Chloe was shocked and disgusted. “No, I don’t do that!” she said.

“I know you need the money. It’s easy money, baby,” Mr. Simmons said, getting closer to her.

Angry and afraid, Chloe threatened him. “Get away from me, or I’ll slap you.”

He grabbed her, pulling her close. “Feisty, huh? I like that.”

As he made crude suggestions, Dylan and Grace walked in. Dylan immediately understood what his boss was up to. He attacked Mr. Simmons in a fit of rage, throwing him to the floor. Grace stepped between them to stop the fight.

“Have you gone crazy, Dylan? You’re assaulting your boss for an escort?” she yelled.

“Chloe is not an escort,” Dylan growled. “And you saw what he was doing to her!”

Grace helped Mr. Simmons up. “You’re fired, Dylan!” the older man screamed as he left the restaurant with Grace.

Chloe was in tears. She slipped Dylan’s ring back into his coat’s pocket. “Forget about me. Save your career,” she said and stormed out of the diner, her heart aching.

A week passed. Chloe found a job at a bar. Her finances changed, but one thing that didn’t change was her love and longing for Dylan. He was the one for her. She knew that.

As she polished a glass at the bar counter, a figure suddenly caught her eye. It seemed like her heart stopped beating.

“Chloe! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Dylan said, approaching her.

“But…you…I don’t understand,” she stammered. “What about Grace? Your job?”

“I never took Grace back,” Dylan explained. “And Mr. Simmons—he’s going to be bankrupt once he finishes paying all the fines for his dodgy business practices, and the board has asked me to take over his position.”

“That’s great news,” she said, genuinely happy for him. “Why were you looking for me?”

“I love you, Chloe. It’s been hell without you,” he confessed. “Let’s start over together.”

The next moment, Chloe was in his arms. As they kissed, the world around them faded, their love reborn stronger than before.

A week later…

A gentle breeze carried the scent of jasmine from Dylan’s balcony, where Chloe, nestled in his arms, felt renewed by his love.

“Pancakes for breakfast?” Dylan offered with a smile.

“I’ll help you cook,” Chloe replied, but Dylan insisted she stay and enjoy the view.

Alone, Chloe reflected on her life’s transformation. Her reverie was broken by an unexpected visitor – Grace.

“I still have my key,” Grace declared, approaching Chloe. “Dylan never asked for it back. He knows we’re meant to be together.”

Chloe disagreed. “He doesn’t love you anymore, Grace. You need to leave.”

But Grace, fueled by jealousy, mocked Chloe’s past and attacked her. The fight escalated, and Grace pushed Chloe dangerously close to the balcony’s edge.

Suddenly, Dylan’s voice broke through the chaos. He tackled Grace, pulling her away from Chloe. In the struggle, Chloe fell over the railing. Her fingers closed over the wrought iron, its sharp edges slicing into her hand as gravity dragged her toward the city street far below.

“I won’t let you go,” Dylan promised, reaching for her, and he pulled Chloe to safety.

Grace, lying stunned nearby, watched their embrace.

Outside, distant sirens blared, a warning to anyone who dared to threaten Dylan’s and Chloe’s bond.

Grace felt ashamed. The love between Dylan and Chloe was pure and true; they were meant to be together.