During a lunch break in the hospital cafeteria, Emma’s best friend Maddy shows Emma a viral Reddit post from a man whose exes all seem to meet their soulmates after dating him. Emma is startled because the same thing has happened to her seven times in four years, including exes who later asked her to stand in their weddings. Because Maddy is bored and curious, Maddy pushes Emma to message the stranger, and Emma sends him a DM saying she shares his strange pattern.

The man, who is using the handle just_in_267, replies cautiously because reporters have been trying to uncover his identity after the post went viral. Emma insists she is not a reporter and proves she is a nurse by sending a photo of herself in scrubs holding up four fingers on command. Once Justin believes her, the conversation turns playful, and he answers Emma’s question by saying only one former relationship led to a wedding invitation for him, but that wedding was Beetlejuice-themed. When he sends a picture from the event, Emma and Maddy are amused, and Emma begins enjoying the exchange.

While waiting for more messages, Maddy reverse-image-searches the wedding photo and finds Justin’s public Instagram and LinkedIn. Emma and Maddy study his photos to judge whether he seems safe: they learn his full name is Justin Dahl, see that he is a software engineer, notice family pictures and evidence that his father died unexpectedly, and inspect his apartment with the notorious billboard outside. They are especially interested in Justin’s ugly rescue dog, whose comfort around him makes Maddy think Justin is trustworthy. After checking for red flags and finding none beyond Maddy’s joke about men with J names, Maddy tells Emma she can keep talking to him.

Later that night, after work and dinner at home, Emma finds that Justin has sent a current photo of himself holding the dog in front of the billboard. Their conversation becomes more personal and relaxed. Justin reveals that he changed names in the Reddit post, so Chad is really Brad and Hope is really Faith; Emma asks about the billboard and compliments the dog, and Justin jokes about both. Emma explains that she is a travel nurse who buys a plant in every new city, and Justin teasingly calls her a murderer until she clarifies that she leaves each plant with someone.

As the chat continues, Emma confirms that the same "good luck charm" effect happens to her, and Justin explains that the soulmate angle is the reason his story attracted so much attention from reporters and strangers. He admits he only answered Emma because her message suggested shared experience rather than an attempt to expose or use him. The chapter ends with Emma heading to bed for another long shift, but the first conversation has established mutual interest, humor, and a sense that both of them finally found someone who understands their odd romantic history.