In her autobiography, Verity recalls the first two years of dating Jeremy as intensely happy and almost entirely conflict-free. Verity describes herself as deeply dependent on Jeremy, to the point that she quietly stopped returning to her own apartment and effectively moved in without formally telling him. When Jeremy realized this during an intimate moment, Verity deflected the conflict because she wanted reassurance and closeness more than discussion.

Verity says her emotional dependence became harder to manage when Jeremy was temporarily transferred to Los Angeles. Because she felt gutted by his absence and feared showing him how obsessed she was, Verity looked for a way to redirect her thoughts. She created a fictional version of Jeremy named Lane and began writing about him, using fiction as a substitute for fixation.

During Jeremy's months away, Verity completed an entire novel. When Jeremy unexpectedly returned home, Verity had just finished editing it. After an enthusiastic reunion, Jeremy found part of the manuscript and insisted on reading it despite Verity's panic that poor writing might make him love her less. He locked himself in the bathroom to finish reading while Verity waited outside in distress.

Jeremy eventually told Verity the manuscript was very good, and his praise gave Verity her first sense of validation as a writer. Later, Jeremy woke Verity, praised her talent more fully, and said her writing would make her famous. In the same emotional aftermath, Jeremy proposed marriage, framing himself as her biggest fan, and Verity accepted.

Verity remembers the engagement night as ecstatic and defining. For two months, she thought of it only as the night they became engaged and imagined their future together. The chapter ends with a shift in tone as Verity reveals that the same night later became, in her mind, the night they conceived, signaling that the darker, more consequential part of her story is beginning.