Chapter 2

A bitter smile forced its way onto my face. The words got stuck in my throat.

"Chloe, babe, get off the phone. It's your turn for Truth or Dare!"

A deep male voice rang out. He called her "Chloe" with an intimate tone. If he hadn't been standing extremely close to her, I wouldn't have heard it so clearly.

"I have to go."

Chloe hung up in a hurry. The line went dead. I stood frozen, holding the phone to my ear.

We had been together for three years. This wasn't the first time she had broken promises, stood me up, or picked fights with me because of her first love.

And now, she was even putting off our wedding. Chloe took me for granted. She thought I was just a loyal dog who would always obey her.

I opened TikTok and searched for Chloe’s burner account.

Her latest post read: *Cheers to the love of my life being single again.*

The attached photo showed two wine glasses clinking under dim, moody lighting.

This was Chloe’s secret account where she recorded her real life. Julian appeared in almost every video.

Based on the logo on the glasses, I figured out which lounge she was at.

Inside, dim lights flickered through waves of vape smoke. The DJ's bass rattled my chest.

I pushed my way through the crowded dance floor.

The air was thick with cheap alcohol and expensive perfume, making my head spin.

Finally, at a VIP booth, I saw her. She was locked in a passionate kiss with a guy.

That guy was Julian Cole—her high school sweetheart, the one she always kept on a pedestal.

Chloe was a total head-turner. Back in college, she was the undisputed campus queen. Everyone used to say she and Julian were a match made in heaven.

Later, Julian went study abroad, and Chloe confessed her feelings to me.

I was the one who fell first, so I had no reason to say no.

I honestly thought that if I treated her with everything I had, she would eventually forget about him and love me back.

But a year ago, Julian came back. And everything shattered. All my effort became a joke.

Chloe always told me they were "just best friends."

But I didn't know "best friends" kissed each other like that.

"Ethan?"

Mia, Chloe’s best friend, saw me first. She nudged Chloe. The two of them finally pulled apart. When they separated, a thin string of saliva still connected their lips.

"Ethan? What are you doing here?"

A flash of panic crossed Chloe's eyes as she scrambled to her feet.

Beside her, Julian smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. His face practically screamed: *So what if you're getting married? Her heart is still mine.*

The tension in the booth was suffocating. Mia quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Ethan, don't get mad! Chloe and Julian lost a game of Truth or Dare. We forced them to kiss. It’s just a game, you know how it is. You’re not going to be a party pooper, right?"

"Yeah, Ethan. We were just having some harmless fun," Chloe said, stepping toward me. She reached out and grabbed my arm, shaking it gently.

My fists clenched so hard my knuckles turned white. Just a game.

"Is this why you skipped our wedding?"

I shook her hand off and demanded, my voice sharp.

Chloe knitted her perfect brows, looking annoyed.

"We can always reschedule the wedding! Julian just got dumped. He's emotionally unstable right now. If I'm not here for him, he has nobody."

I looked around the booth. There were at least six people there. How was he "alone"?

"Man, Chloe, you guys aren't even married yet and your man is already keeping you on such a tight leash," Julian chimed in from the couch, raising his glass with a mocking look in his eyes. "If you marry him, is he going to lock you in the house?"

"I’m asking you one last time," I said, ignoring him. "Are you coming home with me right now?"

Chloe looked at me, then at Julian, looking torn.

I turned on my heel to leave. Behind me, Julian suddenly groaned.

"Chloe, my head hurts so bad. Can you drive me home?"

In the end, Chloe didn't follow me. Between me and Julian, she chose him. Again.

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