After everything life had thrown at her, she deserved one magical night.
She deserved to feel like the princess she had always imagined becoming.
And when Ryan Matthews—the school’s football captain, honor student, and one of the most admired boys in town—asked her to prom, it felt like one of those rare moments when life finally rewarded someone who had quietly endured years of disappointment.
Nearly every girl in school had hoped Ryan would ask them.
Instead, he chose Iris.
I could still remember the afternoon she burst through our front door, practically breathless.
“Mom!” she shouted before she’d even taken off her backpack.
I looked up from the kitchen table.
“What happened?”
Her cheeks were glowing.
“Ryan asked me.”
I blinked.
“Ryan?”
She laughed.
“Ryan Matthews!”
For a moment I simply stared.