My best friend was pregnant for the fifth time, and once again, she was sneaking into the hospital to get an abortion. My eyes stung with hot, angry tears. “Fiona, this is the fifth time he’s forced you to end a pregnancy, and he still won’t even show his face! Does he actually love you?” She kept her head down, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s not that he doesn’t love me, Elena. He just… can’t love me right now.” I yelled at her for being so stupid. I cursed the faceless bastard who did this to her. Beside me, my fiancé, Ethan Vance, gently squeezed my hand. “Elena, you’ve been by her side for hours. Why don’t you go downstairs and grab her something to eat?” I nodded, feeling exhausted. But when I reached the elevator, I realized I had left my phone back in her hospital room. I turned around and walked back. As I approached the door, I realized it was slightly open. Inside, Ethan was kneeling on the floor in front of Fiona. His eyes were bloodshot. “I’ve done exactly what you wanted. I’ve played the perfect partner to her for seven years.” “Fiona, how much longer do I have to pretend? Why did you have to kill our baby again?” Fiona pushed him away, sobbing hysterically. “We are already sneaking around behind her back. I can’t let her find out about this baby!” “She knows nothing. I already owe her too much!” I froze outside the door, my ears buzzing. Right at that moment, my phone vibrated in my hand with a notification. [Your marriage registration with Ethan Vance has been successfully scheduled.] I stared at the screen for a long, quiet moment. Then, I tapped cancel.
“But I love you! I can’t stand watching you go through another abortion!” Ethan’s voice was filled with raw, heartbreaking passion. Every single sob coming from the room pierced my ears like a knife. Ethan was on his knees, clutching Fiona’s hand. “I’ll get a vasectomy tomorrow. I mean it.” Fiona shook her head violently, gripping his arms. “No! You can’t!” “Elena is about to marry you! Do you want her to go her whole life without ever having a child of her own?” She looked completely torn apart by guilt. “Ethan, Elena is my best friend. Back in high school, when I was bullied so badly that I almost slit my wrists, she was the one who saved my life!” “So I beg you, don’t hurt her. And never, ever let her find out about us.” Ethan’s entire body tensed up. He slammed his fist against the wall, his damp hair falling over his bloodshot eyes. “But I can’t keep letting you destroy your own body!” Fiona’s tears flowed freely. “Then let’s end this. I care about Elena more than I care about you.” Ethan went dead silent. Looking into Fiona’s stubborn, tear-filled eyes, he finally slumped in defeat. “Fine… no vasectomy. And she will never know.” I leaned against the cold corridor wall, my hands and feet completely numb. My heart felt deader than a withered tree in winter. These two people. One was my inseparable friend since school, the sister I chose for myself. The other was the man I had loved for seven years, the one I was about to marry. Why them? The sheer absurdity of the betrayal made me laugh out loud, even as tears streamed down my face. A wave of intense nausea hit my stomach. I waited outside for a long time before finally walking back into the room. By then, they had already put on their masks. Fiona was quietly drinking her recovery shake, and Ethan was standing by the window staring outside, looking like two complete strangers. “Elena? Why are you crying?” Fiona immediately grabbed my hand, rubbing my back to comfort me. “I’m fine, really. Don’t worry.” I managed a dull nod. “I’m okay.” Ethan stepped forward and wrapped his arm around me, gently wiping my tears. “Don’t cry, babe. You don’t want puffy eyes on our wedding day, do you?” He paused, naturally changing the subject. “Anyway, she said she wants to go home to recover. I already handled her discharge papers.” He suddenly pulled out a soft blanket from somewhere. “Elena, should I carry her to the car? The doctor said she shouldn’t catch a cold. Since she’s your best friend, I don’t mind helping.” My body went completely rigid. Before I could even answer, he had already wrapped Fiona up in the blanket and scooped her up. He kept his eyes locked straight ahead, treating her like nothing more than a heavy box of cargo. And Fiona kept her hands completely off him, not touching him once. I followed them quietly from behind. This was how they had played it for years. Acting like total strangers in front of me, never leaving a single clue. I had spent so many years trying to make them get along better, thinking they were the two people I loved most in the world. Now I realized. I was the absolute clown in this joke. On the drive back, Fiona sat in the back of the SUV. I sat in the passenger seat. I stared out the window at the rain-soaked streets, watching the fallen leaves get crushed under the tires. It was funny how the rain that was supposed to nourish them was the very thing that washed them away. Just like me. Destroyed by the two people I loved most. When we reached Fiona’s apartment, I expected Ethan to park by the main gate. This complex was massive and confusing. Every time I visited, Fiona had to walk down to the gate to meet me. But as I reached for the door handle, Ethan drove straight into the underground garage like he owned the place. He pulled perfectly into a reserved parking spot. Looking through the side mirror, I saw the red painted number on the concrete pillar: Building 7, Unit 2. My grip tightened on my purse until my palms bled. My heart sank into a dark, bottomless abyss. That was Fiona’s exact building. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a confirmation that my marriage registration request had been successfully cancelled. I took a deep breath, opened the system, and completely deleted Ethan’s personal information from my profile. I would never submit it again.
Neither of them noticed my silence. Ethan turned around. “Elena, why don’t you help her up? It’s warm inside, so I don’t need to carry her anymore.” So polite. So respectful of boundaries. If only I hadn’t noticed how he walked half a step behind Fiona, his hand hovering protectively near her waist just in case she slipped. Fiona held onto my arm, completely ignoring him. Once we were inside her apartment, Fiona begged me to stay and keep her company. She started rambling about our college days, trying to sound cheerful. “Do you remember Sarah from our dorm? She’s a professional singer now!” “And our class rep! Can you believe she married the basketball captain?” I listened in silence. I didn’t say a word. I clenched my fists so hard to keep myself from ripping her fake face off. Once Fiona finally fell asleep, my mind drifted back to college. I remembered a stressful finals week. I had snuck up to the rooftop of the training building to get some quiet sleep. Just as I dozed off, a loud commotion woke me. A group of girls was shoving and screaming. I peeked out and saw a girl curled on the floor, taking their kicks without fighting back. “The instructor is coming!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. The bullies panicked and ran off, leaving the girl crying on the concrete, her hair a total mess. Then, to my horror, she stood up and climbed over the safety railing, looking down at the edge. I lunged forward and grabbed her arm. “You have to stay alive to get even! If you die, they win!” Later, I stood up as her witness and helped report the bullies. They were suspended and kicked out of the program. From that day on, we became best friends. That girl was Fiona. And now… My gaze landed on her nightstand. Sitting right there in plain sight was a men’s electric razor. It was the exact model Ethan used. The last trace of warmth in my eyes died, replaced by a cold, hard chill. I quietly pushed the bedroom door open. Ethan was in the kitchen, making hot chocolate. When he saw me, he smiled. “Good thing I make this for you all the time. I actually know what I’m doing.” I let out a cold, sarcastic laugh. “Fiona had an abortion. Why are you the one acting so busy?” The stirring spoon in his hand froze. He quickly hid the panic in his eyes. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, trying to laugh it off. “Because you’re my wife, Elena. I just want to make sure your best friend doesn’t tell you to dump me the next time we get into a fight.” Seeing that my face remained neutral, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. He didn’t dare say another word to Fiona. By the time we got back to our apartment, it was almost midnight. He held me from behind in bed. “Hey, Elena, I just got an emergency order. There’s a joint tactical drill in the Eastern District. I have to leave for a week. Right now.” I opened my eyes in the darkness. “Really?” He didn’t catch the ice in my voice. “Yeah, it sucks. I just want to stay here with you, but orders are orders.” “Then go.” Ethan let out a breath, kissed my forehead, and quickly hopped out of bed. He couldn’t wait to get out the door. I curved my lips into a bitter smile. Thirty minutes later, I got out of bed, dressed, and drove straight back to Fiona’s apartment. An emergency deployment? And he didn’t even pack a single bag? I knew her door code. I unlocked it and walked right in. I sat quietly on the living room couch, listening to the sweet, romantic whispers drifting from the bedroom. “Why are you here?!” “Go back! What if Elena finds out?!” Then came Ethan’s deep, soothing voice. “I’m not going back. You have no idea how badly I wanted to hold you in that hospital room, but I had to hold back because of her.” “Don’t worry, she thinks I’m away on a week-long tactical drill. I’m staying right here to take care of you.” I let out a soft laugh, feeling incredibly mockingly of myself. I didn’t even know when they had started. Seven years ago, my meeting with Ethan had also been an accident. I had been falsely accused of leaking classified research by my superior, facing a court-martial and a ten-year sentence. It was the darkest moment of my life. The night before the hearing, I stood at the edge of a cliff behind the base, wanting to end it all. Ethan was the one who led the search party and found me. After hearing my story, his sharp investigator instincts found the loopholes in the case. He used his family’s legal connections to clear my name. He told me, “My mother took her own life after being falsely accused. I couldn’t stand by and watch history repeat itself.” I had viewed him as my savior. But seven years later. The person who saved me, and the person I saved, had teamed up to stab me in the back.
The sound of their kissing filled the quiet apartment. I pulled out my phone and tapped “Accept” on the transfer request sent by the Southern Federal Research Institute three days ago. Right after I sent the confirmation. The bedroom door clicked open. Ethan walked out, holding Fiona and kissing her neck. “The private doctor will be here soon, I—” His voice cut off instantly. Our eyes met. Both of them froze, their eyes widening in sheer terror. I stood up slowly. My face was completely blank. “Weren’t you supposed to be in the Eastern District? What are you doing here?” Time seemed to freeze. The temperature in the room dropped to sub-zero. Fiona was the first to react. She scrambled out of Ethan’s arms, rushed over, and grabbed my hand. Her voice cracked with tears. “Elena, please let me explain. It’s not what you think. I… we…” I waited. She stuttered for a long time but couldn’t find a single lie to tell. She could only sob helplessly. “Elena, please forgive me, please…” Ethan pressed his lips together. After the initial shock, he stepped forward, pulling Fiona behind his back to shield her. His body was entirely tense. “This has nothing to do with her.” “I used my position to force her to be with me. She had no choice. Elena, if you’re angry, take it all out on me.” “Force her… no choice…” I repeated, a cold smirk touching my lips. Every single word he said was to protect his precious lover. But I was the one he had promised to marry. He didn’t care at all about how much his words would tear me apart. I closed my eyes for a second. I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat and clenched my fists, refusing to let them see me break. “When did it start?” Fiona couldn’t answer, she just kept crying. Ethan stood firm like a soldier defending his post, blocking her from my sight. “Five years ago.” Those three words hit my chest like a physical blow. Five years ago. That was the exact year I first introduced Ethan to Fiona. “Love at first sight, huh?” I actually laughed out loud. What a beautiful, tragic love story. And here I was, the annoying obstacle ruining their romance for five whole years. How pathetic. The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by Fiona’s quiet whimpers. After a long pause, I spoke, my voice completely devoid of any emotion. “Good for you.” “The wedding is off. We’re done. And as for you,” I looked at Fiona, “I should have let you jump off that roof.” Her spine went stiff. She let out a loud, agonizing cry. As I turned to leave, she threw herself onto the floor, grabbing my ankles. “I’m sorry, Elena! Please, I beg you, forgive me! It’s all my fault… you’re my only friend…” “Fiona!” Ethan lost his composure. He bent down, violently pulling Fiona up and dragging her into his arms, his face twisted in pain. “Stop it! I told you, this isn’t your fault!” He glared at me with sharp, hostile eyes. “If we’re talking about regrets, then maybe I should regret pulling you back from that cliff seven years ago!” I froze. I stared at him in utter disbelief, all the color draining from my face. Fiona gave him a hard shove. “Shut up! Stop talking!” Yet, her body naturally leaned right back into his chest. Ethan seemed to realize what he had just said, and a flash of regret crossed his eyes. But it was gone in a second. He thinned his lips. “Elena, it’s my fault, not hers. And about the breakup—I know you’re just speaking out of anger.” “Fiona and I are the two most important people in your life. I know you can’t afford to lose both of us.” I was so angry I almost laughed. The sheer arrogance of this man made my stomach turn. The pain of the double betrayal suddenly faded, leaving behind a cold, numbing sensation. It simply wasn’t worth it. I looked at the two of them clinging to each other, my eyes freezing over. “You really are incredibly confident.” I pulled out my phone and dialed the venue coordinator for the military chapel. Under Ethan’s stiffening gaze, I spoke clearly. “Cancel the wedding between Elena and Ethan Vance scheduled in seven days.” “Keep the deposit. I don’t care.” I hung up and turned to walk out. Ethan grabbed my arm, his face turning incredibly dark. “Are you serious?” I looked past his shoulder at Fiona, who was staying quiet but had a tiny spark of hope in her eyes. I shook his hand off with a scoff. “Yes. I’m setting you both free.”
By the time I left, the sun was rising. I drove to my parents’ house. They were shocked to see me so early. “Elena?” My mom quickly walked over. “Why are you here this early?” She pulled me to the couch and brought out five beautiful dresses, showing them to me one by one. “How about this one?” “Or maybe the blue one? It looks more elegant.” “I want to make sure I look perfect at your wedding with Ethan. I don’t want to embarrass my girl.” My dad walked out of the bedroom, wearing his freshly ironed dress uniform. “How do I look, sweetie?” Sitting on the couch, I suddenly didn’t know how to tell them. How could I say I just caught my fiancé and my best friend sleeping together? “Mom…” “I just cancelled the wedding.” The room went dead silent. They immediately rushed to my side. “Why? What happened?” “I…” “The wedding is not happening. And I’ve accepted a transfer to the Southern Federal Research Institute. I report in three days.” “I’m sorry.” My parents stared at me for a few seconds. Then, they gently patted my hands. “Whatever you decide, we are with you, Elena.” I returned to the military housing unit to pack. Ethan was waiting for me inside, looking incredibly gloomy. “Fiona was so stressed she had to be hospitalized again. Are you happy now? She’s so weak, and you just had to push her?” I replied blankly. “Yes, right. It’s all my fault. You two are completely innocent.” “You!” He gritted his teeth, his chest heaving. “Stop being so sarcastic. I already called the chapel and told them the wedding is back on.” “Elena, you don’t want all the high-ranking officers and your dad’s colleagues to see a disaster, do you? Think about your parents’ reputation.” I stopped in my tracks to the bedroom and let out a cold chuckle. “Are you threatening me with my parents?” Too bad for him, he had no idea my parents already knew everything and had absolutely no intention of showing up. But since he was so sure of himself. Why should I ruin the surprise? “Fine. Let’s keep it going. I’ll act like nothing happened.” He let out a huge sigh of relief. “Good. Now, come with me to the hospital and apologize to Fiona.” I thought I had heard him wrong. The sheer absurdity of his request made me want to laugh. “Are you insane?” “Apologize to her? She doesn’t deserve it.” I turned to walk away, but Ethan grabbed my wrist with a firm grip, dragging me down to his car and driving straight to the hospital. After a brief struggle, I stopped fighting. Honestly, I also wanted to know why she did it. A few minutes later. I stood by Fiona’s hospital bed. “Give me a reason.” She fidgeted with her fingers, biting her lip. “I was just tired of always losing to you. All these years, I was always the shadow. But he liked me, Elena. I couldn’t let him go.” “I’m sorry, Elena. I know you were good to me, but people are selfish.” I nodded. “Fair enough. I hope you get exactly what you want.” I had never cared about competing, especially not for trash. If she wanted my leftovers, she was welcome to them. It worked out perfectly for me. When I walked out, Ethan had just finished a phone call. Believing I had apologized, his mood had improved significantly. “Our wedding is next week. Don’t worry, I will still make you my wife.” A look of pure disgust flashed in my eyes. “Whatever makes you happy.” Now that the secret was out, Ethan stopped hiding. He spent the entire week at the hospital with Fiona. I was more than happy to have my space. I packed up every single thing I owned from the apartment. When the third day arrived, I boarded a flight straight to the South. And I left a massive surprise waiting for him on the wedding day. As the plane lifted into the sky. Ethan Vance and I were officially over forever.
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