Julian and I had known each other since high school. I grew up in a household where we counted every penny, while his family owned half the county. Julian was the golden boy—the kind of guy every girl from our school, and probably the entire state, had a crush on. He was always perfectly dressed, confident, athletic, and sharp. He stood out effortlessly. The biggest shock of senior year was when, despite the line of debutantes trailing after him, he asked me out. I was flattered but terrified. I was a straight-A student, working myself to the bone to get …

Chloe and Claire had been inseparable since they were toddlers. They grew up on the same suburban block, attended the same schools, and shared every classroom. They did everything as a pair: they stayed up late studying, skipped the classes they hated, experimented with questionable fashion trends, and navigated the awkwardness of high school dances together. They were like sisters, though both were only children. From the very beginning, Chloe was the one in charge. She was the pioneer, the one who always had to be first. — Let’s go skinny-dipping in the creek tonight. — I’m in. There was …

Lara was left all alone in the world when she was just a child. Her parents had been killed in a horrific car wreck, leaving her in the care of her uncle. Years flew by. The little girl grew into a bright young woman with dreams of nursing school. But the household she lived in was far from wealthy, and no one in the family was interested in footing the bill for an orphaned niece’s education. “We’re barely keeping our heads above water as it is,” her uncle’s wife snapped one evening. “We can’t afford to keep carrying you. Everything …

Chloe had always been a wild child. In a fit of teenage rebellion against her parents, she decided to get married the moment she turned eighteen. Her chosen one, Jason, was ten years her senior. Her parents were vehemently against the marriage, doing everything in their power to talk her out of such a reckless move, but she wouldn’t budge. She packed her bags and walked out. Jason and Chloe moved in together and started their new life. Between her heavy course load as an Education major and her desire to actually make something of herself, Chloe rarely had time …

Arthur Miller had lived alone in the large farmhouse for ten years. His wife, Martha, had passed away five years ago. The entire town had turned out for the funeral; there wasn’t a dry eye in the church. Martha had been a saint, the kind of woman who held a community together. When she was gone, Arthur fell apart. He spent sleepless nights plastering the walls with photos of his late, beloved wife. Everything in the house was a ghost of her. Arthur had been married twice, with a son from each marriage. The first son had passed away unexpectedly …