Chapter 3

By the time my mom called to ask what was going on, Ethan had already left with Chloe.

He never explained that post.

My mom sighed on the other end of the line.

"I told you a long time ago—don't let those two get so close. You never listened."

"You always said you trusted Ethan. Do you still?"

I held the phone, eyes cast down, and said nothing.

Chloe and I had known each other since we were kids.

Right after her divorce, her ex-husband had conned her out of everything she had. Ethan and I were still in the honeymoon phase.

Back then, she hated men.

Ethan hated stupid people.

They'd fought like cats and dogs the first time they met.

But when had everything changed?

Maybe it was the time Chloe's ex-husband was harassing her, and Ethan left me standing on the side of the road to go pick her up.

Maybe it was the night of Chloe's birthday, when she got blackout drunk and Ethan stayed with her the entire night—while I was lying in a hospital bed with a broken leg, all alone.

Every time I tried to say something, Ethan would tell me, "She just went through a divorce. If she loses all faith in men now, how is she ever supposed to start over?"

"Besides, she's your best friend. It's only right that I look out for her a little more."

I knew something was wrong.

I just couldn't put my finger on what.

But things between the three of us had definitely changed from that point on.

The next day was my birthday.

I got up and cooked myself a bowl of noodles, then called Ethan.

This was a promise we'd made seven years ago, when we first got together.

He said he'd spend every birthday with me.

The phone rang for a good fifteen seconds before he picked up.

Ethan's voice came through: "Something's come up at Chloe's. I'm driving her over."

He hung up before I could say a word.

I waited from ten in the morning until ten at night.

The noodles had long gone cold. Inedible.

I stared at the bowl and suddenly thought of seven years ago.

Back then, we lived in different cities. Neither of us had much money.

To spend my birthday with me, Ethan had taken a train for over ten hours, scrimped and saved for two months. He'd lost so much weight he looked like a different person.

I asked him, "Was it worth it? Wearing yourself out like this?"

He said, "As long as it's for you, it's worth it."

That night, he cooked me a bowl of noodles with his own hands.

Then he pulled out a necklace worth eight thousand dollars from inside his coat.

He'd bought it by eating the cheapest instant meals every day, saving up bit by bit.

He said, "Emma, I can't give you the best right now. But on the day we get married, I promise I'll make you the most beautiful bride in the world."

My eyes stung.

Back then, I thought he was it for me. For the rest of my life.

But now...

Just then, a frantic ringtone yanked me back to reality.

My mom's voice came through, panicked:

"Emma, Chloe got married today!"

I frowned. Before I could respond, her voice came again.

"The groom is Ethan!"