No Room In Their Clique

1 On the eve of our engagement, we were playing Undercover at a party. The name written on my card belonged to my girlfriend’s ex. When the game started, her older brother, Blake, went first. “Petty. Can’t stand on his own two feet.” Her best friend, Harper, didn’t hesitate for a second. “Calculative. It feels uncomfortable just sitting next to him.” Ginnifer remained silent for a moment before speaking. “Possessive and jealous.” My younger brother, Owen, chimed in with a nod. “And fragile as glass.” My stomach tightened. I had met Ginnifer’s ex before, and he was nowhere near as awful as they were making him out to be. When it was my turn, I couldn’t help standing up for him. “He’s sharp, attractive, and genuinely fun.” Owen burst out laughing. “Bro, aren’t you a little too full of yourself?” In the next second, the entire room exploded into laughter. Moments later, I was voted out by a unanimous vote. … That was when the realization hit me. I was the undercover player. Their cards had my name on them. While I sat there frozen, my best friend, Logan, walked back into the private room holding a tray of ice-cold sodas. Six people. Five cans. Once again, there was nothing for me. A deep, hollow fatigue settled in my chest. The six of us had grown up together. When we were kids sharing snacks, I was always the last one to get a piece. As adults, whenever they changed dinner venues at the last minute, nobody bothered to text me. When we went white-water rafting and the boat was too full, they smoothly left me behind to ride with complete strangers. If a circle is too tight to fit into, there is no point in forcing my way in anymore. “You guys keep playing,” I said, picking up my bag. “I’m a little tired. I’m heading home.” I left the private room seconds before the tears spilled over. The moment the heavy door shut behind me, my legs gave out. I crouched by the hallway wall, covering my face as quiet sobs broke through my throat. From inside the room, muffled voices drifted through the gap in the door. “Ginnifer, aren’t you going after him? He looks pretty upset.” Ginnifer’s voice was flat, completely unbothered. “No need. He’ll get over it himself.” Her brother took over the conversation. “Right. We’ve been pushing him out like this since we were kids, and he always acts like nothing happened.” “Maybe he’s just thick-skinned,” Harper added. A wave of laughter rippled through the room. Then came Harper’s voice again. “He still doesn’t know we deliberately sent him away the night of the concert just so Gavin could have his moment with you.” “A goodbye kiss at a Coldplay concert, now that is a romantic ending.” “Honestly, it’s a shame Ginnifer and Gavin didn’t work out. We feel worse about it than anyone.” “Today’s game was just our way of getting back at Neil for Gavin one last time.” Logan quickly hushed her. “Shh, keep it quiet. Don’t let him find out.” “He’s so sensitive. If he finds out, he’ll raise hell.” “What about his parents? They won’t accidentally slip up, right?” Owen patted his chest proudly. “Relax, I already talked to Mom and Dad.” “They spoil me the most. Whatever I say, they do.” My heart dropped into an abyss. So that was why. Mom didn’t randomly sprain her back that night, and Dad’s business trip wasn’t a last-minute coincidence. Everyone had kept me in the dark, conspiring together just to give Ginnifer and Gavin a chance for a cinematic farewell kiss. I didn’t even remember how I walked out of that venue. It was the middle of July, yet a bone-chilling cold invaded every inch of my body. Sitting in the back of a cab, my mind spun out of control. With trembling fingers, I dialed Logan’s number. “During all these years I’ve been with Ginnifer… was she still seeing her ex behind my back?” “And were you… in on it the whole time?” I wanted him to tell me it was all a sick joke. Instead, he admitted it without a shred of hesitation. “Yeah. I knew.” “At first, I thought Gavin was just a shameless homewrecker too.” “But the more time I spent around him, the more I realized he’s a genuinely good guy.” “He gives his umbrella to stray dogs in the rain. He donates money to young girls who had to drop out of school so they can afford basic hygiene products.” “He’s just that good, Neil. It’s hard for anyone not to like him.” A sharp burn stung the back of my nose. “What about me then? Did I deserve to be betrayed by every single one of you?” He went quiet for a moment, his tone shifting into something cold and dismissive. “See, that’s the difference between you and him.” “You’re always calculating, never letting anything go, acting like a bitter, jealous husband.” “To be completely honest, those two belong together way more than you and her ever did.” I stared at the phone in total disbelief. This was the guy I had stepped in to protect during a violent high school brawl, taking a blow that nearly permanently scarred my face. This was the guy who swore he would get revenge for me when my very first girlfriend cheated on me. This was the guy who promised we would be brothers for life. And now, he stood firmly on the opposite side, holding the weapon against me. The call disconnected, and almost instantly, my phone rang again. It was the wedding planning agency. “Mr. Bennett, there are a few adjustments to your wedding arrangement that require your confirmation.” “The garden roses at the venue have been replaced with white lilies, and all the desserts have been switched to oat milk options.” I froze for a couple of seconds. “Did Ginnifer make these changes?” The representative hesitated. “A gentleman named Mr. Chi suggested them. Ms. Ginnifer mentioned that he has full authority over the arrangements.” My pulse stopped. I am severely allergic to lilies. Coming into close contact with them restricts my airway within minutes. Ginnifer knew this better than anyone. Yet, because of a single word from Gavin, she threw my personal safety out the window. My heart died completely right then and there. I typed out a long paragraph, then deleted every single character. “The details are fine.” “Except you got one very important detail wrong…” After hanging up, I went back to the apartment to pack. But as I walked through the rooms, I realized almost nothing in this place actually belonged to me. On the balcony sat a large monstera plant they had picked out together at the market. On the couch were plush souvenirs they had brought back from Disney World. Even the fridge was packed to the brim with drinks and snacks favored by the five of them. My favorite strawberries were shoved into the darkest corner, crushed and bruised under heavy bottles. Before we moved in, Ginnifer had held my hand and promised again and again, “This is our little home. No one will ever intrude on us.” Her words were now a bitter joke. Late that night, Ginnifer stumbled home smelling strongly of alcohol, holding a decorative bakery box in her hand. “Babe, don’t be mad anymore,” she slurred, leaning against the entryway wall. “Nobody meant what they said today.” “It was just a game. They didn’t mean any harm.” She opened the box with an eager, pleading smile and pushed it toward me. “I bought your favorite dessert. Consider it my apology on their behalf.” I remained silent, my gaze fixing on the strawberry tart inside. A small section was missing. Someone had already taken a bite out of it. The truth was, I never liked strawberry desserts. It was simply because none of the five of them liked strawberries, so those portions always ended up in my hands. Over time, they convinced themselves that it was my favorite. And right now, my gut told me this leftover tart belonged to Gavin. I looked up, meeting her unfocused eyes. “Ginnifer, let’s call off the wedding.” “And whatever Gavin leaves behind, I don’t want it either.” The double meaning hit her like a bucket of ice water. Her drunken haze evaporated instantly. Surprise flashed across her face, followed by a flicker of defensive anger at being exposed. “Neil, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?” “Can you stop being so sensitive for once? It’s just a pastry. Must you overthink everything?” “He and I are in the past. Acting like this is exhausting for me.” I looked at her, my voice quiet. “Is being with me exhausting?” “Or is hiding all of this alongside everyone else what’s really wearing you down?” Ginnifer and I had dated briefly back in high school. When she went abroad for college, we maintained a long-distance relationship for four full years. I waited patiently for her to return, only to be met with endless delays every time I brought up marriage. Everyone around me advised me not to rush her, so I trusted her and kept waiting. Only today did I realize that our seven years had been quietly shared with Gavin for four of them. No wonder she never posted about our relationship publicly. Whenever I suggested matching profile pictures, she dismissed it as childish, claiming her academic advisors might find it unprofessional. Whenever I accidentally appeared in the background of her social media photos, she would take them down immediately and re-upload edited versions. I had once broken down in tears, asking her if she was hiding something from me. She had just rubbed my hair and laughed softly. “Babe, I’m doing this to protect us.” “When people see how happy we are, they get jealous.” I had believed her completely, thinking she was being thoughtful and protective. Now I finally understood. She wasn’t protecting our happiness. She was terrified that the person she actually cared about would misunderstand. Looking at her, I felt entirely ridiculous. “Logan told me everything, Ginnifer. Are you going to keep lying to me?” Panic swept across her face. She stepped forward, trying to pull me into an embrace. “Neil, it’s not what you think. Let me explain…” I shoved her away with everything I had. In the chaos of our movement, my arm collided hard with her lower back. Ginnifer gasped loudly and collapsed onto the floor, clutching her spine in agony. I froze in place, my hands trembling. Ginnifer suffered from a severe, chronic back injury, one that was my fault. During our senior year of high school, I was cornered by a group of thugs in a dark alley after class. At the critical moment, she had rushed in like a miracle, pulling me out from under heavy wooden bats. She suffered three broken ribs and permanent damage to her lower lumbar spine. That injury ended her athletic career on the spot, destroying her dream of becoming a professional swimmer. Back then, I wished I had been the one beaten half to death instead of calling her for help. She had held me close, her voice tender as she comforted me. “If anything happened to you, winning championships wouldn’t mean a thing to me.” The love she gave me back then was real, undeniable, and profound. And the pain she inflicted on me now was just as real. I called an ambulance and accompanied her to the hospital. After finishing the registration and payment at the counter, I realized I had left my jacket in her private room. As I hurried back down the corridor, a low, choked sob drifted from inside the slightly open door. “Doesn’t he know about your back injury? How could he have the heart to put his hands on you like that?” Ginnifer was gently wiping away tears from Gavin’s face, her voice extraordinarily soft. “Don’t cry. It doesn’t hurt that much. I’m the one at fault here.” Gavin’s tone turned bitter. “Do you really have to marry a man like him? You’ll never be happy.” “I regret everything. If I hadn’t let my pride get the better of me and disappeared back then, we would be the ones walking down the aisle…” Ginnifer didn’t contradict him. Her silence was a clear confession. If she hadn’t realized that I was the most convenient option, and if her father’s failing health hadn’t made him desperate to see her settled down, she would never have picked me. Overcome by emotion, Gavin leaned in to kiss her. My heart skipped a beat, and my hand reached reflexively for the door handle. Before I could push it open, a massive force yanked me backward from behind. The back of my head slammed violently into the concrete wall. Sharp pain exploded across my skull, and warm blood trickled down my neck. My vision went dark. Before I could process what was happening, I was dragged down the hallway into an empty stairwell. I forced my eyes open to see the four of them standing over me. Ginnifer’s brother spoke first, his tone harsh and unfeeling. “Neil, since you already know, there’s no point in keeping up the act.” “You should see things clearly by now. Gavin is the only person Ginnifer has ever truly loved.” Harper chimed in right after. “Exactly, Neil. Just let them be together. They’re soulmates.” Owen tried to adopt a reasoned tone. “Bro, leave with some dignity. To be honest, Ginnifer only agreed to marry you to make Gavin jealous.” Each of them spoke with such righteous conviction, as though I were the villain standing in the way of true love. When I remained silent, Logan sighed and took a step forward. “Neil, love isn’t logical. Stop deceiving yourself.” He pulled out his phone, scrolling through their private group chat and holding the screen in front of my face. “Did you know every time Ginnifer said she was working late, she was actually at Gavin’s apartment watching movies?” “Did you know his fingerprint is the only other one registered on her phone?” “Did you know her private notes app is full of his birthday plans, and his chat has been pinned at the top of her messages since day one?” “Even the birthday cake you ate last year was just a custom order he didn’t end up wanting.” “We kept it from you because we were afraid you’d lash out at Gavin.” “Now that you know the truth, do the right thing and walk away.” Looking at the four people I had known almost my whole life united against me, words completely failed me. The tears I had fought so hard to hold back finally broke through. A flicker of hesitation crossed Logan’s eyes. “Neil, I’m doing this for your own good. Marrying a woman who doesn’t love you is pure torture.” Owen nodded in agreement. Harper rolled her eyes, her expression full of disgust. “I knew you’d pull this pathetic routine again, acting like the whole world owes you something.” “That’s exactly why nobody actually likes having you around.” “Do you have any idea how people talk about you behind your back?” “Narrow-minded, petty, incapable of handling real life.” “Gavin is nothing like you. He’s confident, intelligent, and knows how to love people properly.” “He’s the ideal friend, brother, and partner everyone actually wants.” They stacked insult upon insult, desperate to tear down my self-worth until I believed I was worthless. I looked at these four faces, feeling a sudden, absurd urge to laugh. In the next second, I pulled off the engagement ring Ginnifer had given me and tossed it out the open stairwell window. “I am stepping out of this toxic mess.” “And as of today, I am completely done with every single one of you.” Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked away without looking back. That night, I gathered every piece of evidence showing Gavin acting as a secret third party in my relationship and submitted it to a prominent online gossip blogger. By sunrise, the internet exploded. Gavin’s social media accounts were unearthed, and his comment sections were flooded with thousands of angry calls for accountability. Ginnifer was the first to call. “Neil, whatever issues we have, we can settle them privately. Don’t turn this into a public circus.” Her brother was practically screaming into the mic. “Neil Bennett, delete that damn post right now! Are you trying to destroy Gavin’s life?” Logan sent a text. “Neil, that’s enough. Why do you have to drag this out until nobody can clean up the mess?” Owen sent endless direct messages. “Bro, are you trying to make the entire family hate you forever?” I muted my phone and blocked every single one of their numbers. However, within forty-eight hours, the narrative shifted drastically. The four of them had come forward publicly to clear Gavin’s name, releasing fabricated stories framing me as the manipulative outsider who had forced my way between Ginnifer and Gavin. Even my own parents posted a statement backing their narrative, taking the side of strangers over their own son. Overnight, tens of thousands of hateful messages flooded my inbox. Online vigilantes tracked down my university, sending mass emails to the graduate department demanding my degree be revoked. The temporary apartment I was renting was vandalized with red paint and foul garbage. My landlord evicted me on the spot, forcing me to drop off my dog at a local pet boarder while I searched for a place to stay. Three days later, I assembled a complete, undeniable timeline of records to expose their lies once and for all. Before I could post it, my phone rang with an unknown number. “Is this Mr. Neil Bennett? Last night, several individuals broke into the boarding facility and took your dog.” “We found his body in the back alley this morning. Please come by to identify him.” The news struck me like a physical blow. The phone slipped from my fingers, and I sprinted out the door. When I arrived, Bubbles lay motionless on the cold concrete. His stomach had been sliced open, his insides scattered across the dirt. I dropped to my knees, my hands trembling so violently I couldn’t touch him. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a text from Ginnifer. “Neil, my hands were tied.” “I had no idea they were going to post those statements online, or I would have stopped them.” “But things have already escalated to this point. Trying to clarify everything during a public uproar won’t change minds anyway.” “Besides, Gavin has a heart condition. He can’t handle this level of stress.” “I also just secured the contract for the CG project, so I need you to endure this for a little while.” “Don’t worry, I will clear your name when the timing is right, and the wedding will go on as planned.” “To make it up to you, we can spend our entire honeymoon on that tropical island you’ve always wanted to visit, okay?” Logan’s message popped up right after hers. “Neil, it’s just some online hate. People will move on to something else in a few days.” Owen’s message came next. “Bro, for the sake of the family’s reputation, stop causing trouble.” I stared at the words glowing on the screen, feeling as though my chest had been hollowed out completely. A numb, crushing grief washed over me, blurring my vision. I gathered Bubbles’ cold body into my arms and began walking aimlessly along the edge of the busy road. Tires screeched and horns blared around me, but the sounds felt miles away, muffled and meaningless. In a haze of exhaustion, a deafening screech of brakes tore through the air. A heavy semi-truck failed to stop in time, sliding dangerously across the wet asphalt directly toward me.

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