Chapter 4

The moment I got home, I opened my food delivery app.

I typed in "vegan" and watched a colorful array of options pop up.

I ordered everything I wanted.

Only then did I allow myself to sink into the couch.

There were so many options out there, and I could easily provide them for myself.

I didn't need to force myself to sit at a fancy table just to maintain appearances, starving while staring at a plate of pathetic side dishes.

I finished every single bite of my food. The moment the warm water hit my stomach, I finally felt like I was alive again.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door unlocking cut through the quiet.

The door swung open, and a wave of barely suppressed rage walked in.

"Evelyn! Why the hell aren't you answering your phone?"

It was Brandon.

I unlocked my phone and scrolled down. There were dozens of texts, all demanding to know where I was.

I answered instinctively.

"I was eating. I didn't see them."

Then, a soft, soothing female voice came from behind him.

"Brandon, don't be mad. Evelyn probably just didn't hear it."

Chloe was here too. I looked down and saw she was wearing my slippers.

They were the exact same style as Brandon's, just a different color.

Brandon noticed where I was looking. Without a single word of apology, his expression remained entirely defensive.

"Chloe’s apartment had a power outage, and she can't stay there. She’s staying with us tonight."

The night before our wedding, my fiancé brought another woman into the home I had spent months decorating.

I frowned, my voice dropping cold.

"Are there no hotels in this city?"

Seeing my expression, Chloe flinched. She shrank back behind Brandon, her fingers clutching the hem of his jacket.

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Brandon, Evelyn... I can just go to a hotel. Please don't fight because of me."

Brandon’s frown deepened.

He took Chloe’s hand and stepped forward, putting himself between us in a protective stance.

"No. I brought you here, and you’re staying here."

His body instinctively shielded her as he glared down at me.

"She’s a girl, and we are her only two friends in this city. You want her to stay in some random hotel alone?"

"I thought you said Chloe was your best friend."

I didn't look at him. My eyes were fixed on Chloe, who was hiding behind his back.

Chloe had been my only friend.

Memories of our past rushed back like a tidal wave.

When I was being bullied in middle school, she was the one who stood in front of me, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of that dark alley.

She had been shaking with fear herself, but she still hugged me and said, "I’ll always stand by you, Evelyn."

Because I had once survived a terrifying flight with severe turbulence, I developed a crippling phobia of flying.

When my sales performance at work plummeted and I was about to get fired, she was the one who used her connections to help me land international clients.

She volunteered to do all the traveling for me. For six months, she flew back and forth overseas while I managed things from the office.

This time, to make it back for my wedding, she had worked double-time, pushing herself to the limit. She even had to use an oxygen mask on the flight back due to sheer exhaustion.

When I first met her, she was Brandon’s childhood friend.

But looking back...

I had known her just as long as he had.

In my heart, she was even more important than Brandon.

The memories faded, and my gaze locked onto Chloe.

But somewhere along the way, I had been relegated to a mere background character, a disposable piece of their lives.

She stood side-by-side with Brandon, and the line between us was drawn crystal clear.

The girl who had promised to always stand by me was gone.

I pressed my lips together and remained silent.

Seeing my silence, Brandon’s frustration flared into pure anger.

His eyes fell on the empty food containers on the coffee table. His lips tightened into a hard line, and his brow furrowed.

"This trash again. You’re always eating this garbage. Can’t you eat like a normal human being for once?"

"Evelyn, you’re twenty-four, not fourteen."

"It’s not like we can’t afford real food. Do you really have to eat this rabbit food just to make yourself feel special?"

"For years, I’ve had to watch you eat these disgusting, weird-looking vegetables. It honestly makes me sick."

His voice was like ice, every word a sharp blade aimed directly at me.

"Brandon! What is wrong with you?"

Chloe pulled at his sleeve from behind, and Brandon seemed to realize what he had just said.

His lips parted, but no words came out.

I stood there, completely numb, staring at the man in front of me as if he were a total stranger.