After I donated a kidney for the man my girlfriend adored, Savannah, who had been giving me the silent treatment for a month, finally agreed to reconcile. She even set up a dinner party, calling it a “reward” for me. Her best friend, Kinsley, chuckled, “Savannah, you really know how to handle him. Caleb listens to you, and he’s completely devoted. Are you really going to throw away such a sweet guy and marry Ryder instead?” Savannah scoffed, a disdainful smirk playing on her lips. “He’s nothing but a stand-in. The only reason I haven’t gotten tired of him after all these years is that he’s a dead ringer for Ryder.” Their eyes met, a shared understanding passing between them. “Well, then, why not have Caleb be the best man at your wedding? That way, all his eight years with you won’t have been for nothing.” But Savannah just let out a cold laugh. “What a joke! Who is he to stand next to Ryder?” She paused, then added, “This dinner party is just a pat on the back for helping Ryder out. Consider it a consolation prize for all his years chasing after me.” I had just reached the door and heard every word. Pushing the door open calmly, I didn’t retort. She had no idea that today was the last day I’d be her stand-in. Tomorrow, my one true love would be back.
As soon as I stepped inside, everyone’s eyes converged on me, their expressions uniformly sneering. I took it all in, pretending to be oblivious as I handed Savannah the dessert she’d specifically requested. The next second, her face darkened, and her words sent the room’s atmosphere plummeting to freezing point: “Caleb, the ice cream’s completely melted. You just brought it to me? Are you trying to deliberately gross me out?” Before her words even faded, the dessert—which I’d waited an hour in line for and driven two miles to get—was violently slammed into the trash can. I glanced down. The ice cream was barely starting to melt, it wouldn’t have affected the taste at all. Kinsley, Savannah’s best friend, saw this and handed me a drink, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “You’re not taking our Savannah seriously enough. Why don’t you chug three drinks as an apology to show your sincerity?” Everyone else chimed in, their faces twisted with mocking amusement. I touched the bandage wrapped around my lower back, hesitated for a moment, then took the glass and drained it. As soon as I set the glass down, Kinsley pushed another full one into my hand. My brows immediately furrowed. I didn’t take it. That first glass had already pushed me to my physical limit. Any more, and I’d be in trouble. I looked at Savannah, hoping she’d say something for me. But she just watched, her face cold, not lifting a finger to explain. Kinsley saw my hesitation and sneered, “Savannah, looks like your boyfriend isn’t all that devoted after all. Just two drinks, and he’s being so wishy-washy.” Savannah’s gaze hardened with displeasure. She stepped forward and slapped me across the face. “Caleb, what’s your problem today? You’re usually such a heavy drinker!” She yelled. “And here I was, being nice enough to throw this party to reward you, and this is how you treat me? You won’t even drink three glasses for me!” I turned my head, my eyes darkening. I had thought that after giving a kidney, she would change her usual bossy attitude towards me. But no, she only got worse. She completely forgot that I couldn’t drink alcohol right now. I met her gaze and kindly reminded her, “Savannah, my kidney surgery hasn’t fully healed. Don’t you know I can’t drink?” Her eyes flickered with a hint of surprise, but it quickly vanished in the dim light of the room. Then she said carelessly, “Can’t drink after a kidney transplant? Do you think everyone in this room is stupid?! If you want to get out of drinking, at least come up with a better excuse.” Kinsley, standing nearby, chimed in mockingly, “Exactly! I see everyone else drinking just fine. Why can’t you? Or are you just deliberately refusing? This whole table of drinks is Savannah’s sincerity to you.” She gestured to the table, which was now filled with precisely 99 glasses of alcohol. Seeing the cold indifference on her face, no trace of concern for me, I immediately decided to turn and leave. But Savannah’s circle of friends wasn’t about to let me off so easily. They called people over to hold me down and forcefully poured the alcohol down my throat. The strong liquor seared my lungs, tearing at my chest with agonizing pain. I desperately looked to Savannah for help, but she just watched, a cold, distant spectator, as if I were a stranger. Just when I thought I was going to collapse right then and there, Savannah, who had been like a statue, finally moved. The next second, she walked over and yanked the glass from the hand of the person pouring it into my mouth. I thought she’d finally grown a conscience, that she was going to stop this absurd charade. But then she said coldly, “Hold on. Ryder’s calling.” The moment she answered the phone, her voice shifted, suddenly soft and tender, as if she were a completely different person. “Okay, I’m heading out to get you that dessert now. Wait for me.” A wave of dizziness washed over me, and my consciousness began to fade. Just as Savannah hung up, I collapsed directly in front of her. Everyone else panicked. Savannah frowned, glanced at me, then at the two-thirds of the untouched alcohol on the table, and said with utter disdain, “Don’t bother with him. He’s just faking it, trying to get out of drinking.” “I still need to get Ryder his dessert. I’m leaving.” Savannah walked away without a backward glance. Kinsley then kicked me twice. Seeing no reaction, she finally realized something was seriously wrong and panicked, running off. The others, seeing this, also found excuses to slip away. I was left abandoned in the private room. It was the cleaning lady who eventually called 911. When I woke up, a message popped up on my phone.
It was from Ryder. I opened it. It was a photo of him and Savannah with their marriage certificate. My fingers clenched, staring blankly at the photo until the screen went dark. All these years Savannah and I had been together, for various reasons, we’d unspokenly avoided talking about marriage. We’d fallen in love at first sight, our relationship quickly heated up, and in our respective friend circles, we were considered a “model couple.” We hiked together, camped together, even traveled together. We did everything a normal couple would do. I thought I would be this happy for the rest of my life. But I never imagined those days would end so quickly. I started noticing her requests getting stranger, but I indulged her, letting her have her way, not thinking much of it. At first, she just wanted to control my outfits I thought she just found me unfashionable, so I let it go. But then, she started directly controlling my preferences, restricting my behavior, even hiring a private tutor for me. That’s when I became suspicious. A little digging, and I found out about Ryder’s existence. It was then I understood: everything she had done for me before was actually for Ryder. From that moment on, I could often feel her looking through my eyes at someone else. For eight years, neither of us ever acknowledged this unspoken truth. Until Ryder returned to the country. Once he knew about me, he went all out to impress Savannah, repeatedly mocking me as nothing more than his stand-in . I’d lost count of how many photos like this one I’d received today. Savannah pushed the door open, pinching her nose, a thermal container in her hand. Her tone was disdainful. “I thought you were dead. Didn’t expect you to have such nine lives.” She saw my gaze land on the container in her hand and said coldly, “I spent all afternoon making this chicken soup for Ryder. It’s not for you. Besides, you’re awake now, so you don’t need it anyway.” She paused, her eyes darkening, then forced a sweet smile. “Since you’re fine, then the cake for Ryder’s birthday tomorrow is on you. Don’t you dare disappoint me again.” Without waiting for my answer, she walked out, carrying the container. She had always been like this with me. I had grown used to it over the years. Earlier, to make me more like Ryder, she had hired a private pastry chef to teach me, and I’d picked up a few tricks. But none of the desserts I’d painstakingly made for her had ever satisfied her. She even took a cake I’d spent a whole day on and fed it to a dog. She’d cast a cold glance at the messy aftermath and declared shamelessly, “Caleb, you’re so utterly useless. You can’t even do such a simple thing right. You truly can’t even hold a candle to Ryder.” Thinking of this, I called out to her, “Don’t you usually hate my cakes?” She turned to look at me, her tone impatient. “If Ryder hadn’t specifically asked you to make it, do you think you’d even have this chance?” True. If it weren’t for Ryder, she’d probably make it herself, or at least order a custom one. It would never be my turn. Before I could reply, she slammed the door shut. Smelling the lingering chicken soup aroma that didn’t belong in my hospital room, I remembered Ryder’s room was directly above mine. Just one floor separated us. He was in a luxurious VIP suite, complete with full amenities and a dedicated nutritionist for his recovery meals. He certainly didn’t lack the bowl of chicken soup Savannah held. As for me, the stand-in, ever since I was wheeled out of surgery, Savannah had originally planned to leave me to recover on a gurney in the hallway. It was only after my surgeon strongly insisted, and her own impatience grew, that she reluctantly got me the cheapest, smallest room, barely a yard from the restroom. The strong odor constantly drifted in, irritating me. Just then, a nurse pushed the door open, her voice cold. “Room 12, Caleb? Someone’s processed your discharge. Get ready to leave quickly. Someone will be here to clean and disinfect in half an hour.” I froze, looking up at the IV bag that wasn’t even empty. I hadn’t expected Savannah to act so fast, not even waiting for an afternoon. I ripped the IV needle from my hand, forcing down the discomfort in my body, and quickly packed up, preparing to leave the hospital. As soon as I stepped out of the hospital, I received a frantic message from Savannah: “Go to the bakery immediately. I’ve already had them prepare all the ingredients for the cake. Text me when you’re done.” I stopped, read the message, then tapped the screen, calmly deleting it from my phone. This cake, consider it my wedding gift to them. I had just hung up from calling the artisanal bakery when a SnapChat message popped up. I assumed it was Ryder again, gloating about something Savannah had done for him, and was about to block him. The next second, I saw another message pop up in my SnapChat favorites: “I land tonight. Free to pick me up?” Seeing the familiar tone, I felt a little stunned. I pinched myself hard, thinking I was hallucinating. I only had two people favorited on SnapChat: Savannah, and my one true love from my youth. In the eight years I’d been with Savannah, she never spoke to me with such patience. In my memory, only *she* would talk like that. But hadn’t she said she was moving abroad permanently and would never return? If she hadn’t made that decision back then, we wouldn’t be in this situation now. After all, I had confessed my feelings to her years ago. I stared at the message for a long time, calming my emotions before silently replying, “Okay.”
Putting down my phone, I turned, flowers in hand, and headed straight for the airport, completely forgetting about Savannah’s instructions. It wasn’t until late that night, when Savannah hadn’t received the cake I was supposed to make, ruining the elaborate birthday party she’d planned for Ryder, that she laid all the blame on me. She stormed in, Ryder following behind her. She kicked the door open, screaming, “Caleb, how many times is this?! What kind of stunt are you pulling now?! Where’s the cake I told you to make?!” I glanced at the rattling door, answering blandly, “Forgot.” Savannah immediately blew up. The thought of Ryder being openly ridiculed because I hadn’t shown up with the cake enraged her. She lunged forward, slapping me twice, and snarled, “Do you have any idea that because of you, Ryder was utterly humiliated in front of everyone?! People were pointing and whispering about him! And he was even worried about you, telling me not to get mad at you!” “Ryder is such a good person, why would you do this to him?!” “I’m giving you half an hour! You have to make a cake to apologize within that time, or I’m not done with you!” With that, she slammed the door and left. Watching her resolute back, I realized that she’d never been this invested, not even for my own birthdays. Not only did I never get the special treatment a birthday person deserved, but I had to make *her* a cake, and if it wasn’t to her liking, I’d have to stand all night as punishment. Thinking of this, I let out a bitter laugh. As I stepped out of my room, I saw her sitting in the living room, carefully peeling an orange for Ryder, meticulously removing all the white pith before handing it to him. Ryder saw me but didn’t make a sound. Instead, he smugly took the orange from Savannah and ate it. “Savannah, let’s set our wedding for three days from now, okay?” Ryder asked, his eyes gleaming triumphantly at me, though his voice was tender as he spoke to Savannah. Savannah had her back to me, but her voice was doting. “Of course, darling. Whatever you say.” Hearing that, he smiled even more triumphantly, then asked again: “How about inviting Caleb to our wedding, too?” This time, Savannah didn’t answer directly. Ryder saw the hesitation on her face and immediately acted hurt. “I just want his blessing. That way, our wedding will be even more perfect. Didn’t you always say you wanted to give me a perfect wedding?” Savannah was silent after hearing this. Then, as if remembering something, she nodded in agreement. Ryder smirked, looking at me. “Caleb, did you hear that? Savannah and I are cordially inviting you to our wedding.” Then Savannah turned back, her face cold. Seeing me, her eyes seemed to falter for a moment before she said with disdain, “Since you heard it, I won’t repeat myself. Be there on time, don’t make us a laughingstock again.” My hand clenched. I met Savannah’s indifferent gaze. My eight years of devotion, and in the end, I didn’t even get a proper breakup. I scoffed at myself, then nodded in agreement. On the wedding day, I showed up in full formal wear. The moment the couple emerged, they were the center of attention. Guests showered them with compliments, calling them a match made in heaven, not holding back on their praises. Savannah accepted it all with a beaming smile, but when her eyes landed on me, the smile instantly vanished. Savannah’s face soured. She frowned and chastised me, “Caleb, are you trying to steal Ryder’s thunder dressed like that? Don’t forget, today is Ryder’s and my wedding. Ryder is the groom today!” “If I’d known this, I never should have agreed to let you come! I thought you’d know your place, but I never imagined you’d stoop so low just to cause trouble!” At her words, the surrounding guests began to whisper. Those who didn’t know me accused me of being shameless; those who did threatened to kick me out. Ryder, on the other hand, didn’t seem annoyed. He even spoke up for me, sounding understanding. “Savannah, if he wants to be my best man, then let’s humor him. It’s a way of thanking him for taking care of you all these years. And it wouldn’t be a waste of that outfit he’s wearing today.” Ryder looked at me with a challenging glint in his eyes. Savannah frowned, about to retort, but then heard the continued whispers around them and relented. She checked the time, clearly reluctant. “Then hurry up and get ready. Is this where you’re supposed to be standing?!” A staff member came over, ready to escort me away, but before I’d taken two steps, Ryder’s voice stopped them. “Wait. His outfit is actually perfect. How about we have him bring us the wedding rings in a bit?” My body stiffened at his words. Deliver the rings. That was the flower girl’s job. He wanted me to watch them exchange vows, to watch Savannah marry him, with my own eyes? I looked at Savannah. She didn’t speak, implying her silent consent. The ceremony began quickly. Watching Savannah shed tears on stage, moved by Ryder’s words, I couldn’t help but sneer. The stage was set. It was time for the real show to begin. Savannah, let’s see how long you can keep that smile. The next second, the officiant excitedly announced, “Now, let’s give a round of applause for our special guest who will be presenting the rings to the happy couple…” A thunderous applause erupted. The couple on stage smiled, waiting for me to bring them their rings. I hooked a smile on my face, took the ring box from the staff member, and slowly walked forward. Whispers filled my ears, but my feet moved step by step, *away* from the altar. A moment later, I turned and knelt on one knee in front of a slender, unfamiliar woman. The entire hall erupted in gasps. Savannah’s face went deathly pale as she recognized me, then contorted in a furious scream. “Caleb, do you even know what you’re doing?!” “Of course, I’m proposing. Are you blind? Can’t you tell?” I sneered, utterly dismissive. Savannah’s face changed drastically. She grabbed her wedding dress with both hands and strode towards me, seething.
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