Chapter 1

We'd been together for seven years, yet my fiancé had never once introduced me to the close-knit circle he was always talking about.

After I pestered him for ages, he finally gave in and agreed to introduce me to his friends.

That night, everyone decided to play a round-robin storytelling game.

My fiancé, Aiden Grey, kicked it off: "I have one."

His childhood best friend jumped in eagerly: "A last-minute placeholder."

The whole table exchanged knowing smiles.

Someone else picked it up: "Pretty but painfully stupid."

"Suitable, but never the one he truly wanted."

"Honest but can't take a joke."

"So paranoid that nobody wants to hang out with her."

...

The second-to-last turn belonged to the girl who'd once been Aiden's unattainable first love — Selene.

Her cheeks flushed pink as she added: "Just someone to fill the seat I left empty."

In that instant, everything snapped into focus.

So this circle I barely knew but had always tried to join had long since made me the butt of their jokes.

Then it was my turn. The last one.

I smiled and said one word:

"Ex."

...

I stood up. "Excuse me."

Behind me, the table erupted in laughter. "See? Told you — she can't take a joke."

Aiden froze for a second, then followed me out and grabbed my wrist.

"They were just messing around."

"So you could tell they were messing with *me*?"

In that moment, I wanted him to tell me I was overthinking it more than I'd ever wanted anything.

After all, the woman in their story — sensitive, dramatic, always sulking — had no distinguishing features.

It didn't have to be me.

But his expression only darkened:

"Weren't you the one who insisted on coming tonight? And now you can't even handle a little joke?"

I paused, then shook his hand off. "You're right. It was pathetic of me. Won't happen again."

His friends were still howling behind him.

Only Selene sat quietly, lips pressed together, saying nothing.

I didn't know her.

But her story had always hovered between me and Aiden — half-visible, never fully spoken.

Like a fishbone lodged in my throat. Couldn't pull it out, couldn't swallow it down.

I'd chosen to ignore it.

Because I'd always believed they no longer saw each other in person.

Until tonight, I hadn't known... that she was part of this little circle too.

Their story had never been a game.

And I wasn't angry. I just couldn't lie to myself anymore.

As I turned and walked out of the private room, the laughter continued behind me.

His best friend Marcus was the only familiar face I'd had at tonight's gathering.

He'd always been polite enough to call me "the future Mrs. Grey."

Whenever Aiden and I fought, Marcus was the one who'd smooth things over.

I'd assumed he was at least neutral.

Now he was grinning and twisting the knife:

"I told you not to bring her."

"Every holiday you're off checking out new restaurants with Selene, telling her you're at my place — do you know how exhausting it is covering for you?"

"We finally get a chance to be together, and you had to bring her along and ruin it?"

"With that personality of hers, you really think she can handle the truth?"

I laughed bitterly to myself.

So the game wasn't so random after all.

It was as if everyone had been in on the act, just waiting for the show.

Holidays.

How long had it been since Aiden and I had actually spent one together?

From the first time he told me on Thanksgiving, "Just grabbing drinks with Marcus" — that was two years ago now.

The timing matched perfectly with Selene's return from London to start her food blog.

So all those so-called "boys' nights" were really secret dates with her.

...

I walked out of the club.

I pulled out my phone and deleted his contact, cleared every chat log, unfollowed every social media account. Then I opened my photo gallery and erased every picture of him — one by one, until there was nothing left.

Eight minutes passed. The Uber still hadn't arrived.

Aiden came outside to smoke. Saw me still standing there and walked over.

"What, you think you're still in high school? Waiting for me to chase after you?"

When I didn't answer, he blew out a ring of smoke:

"Either go back inside, or call yourself a ride home. Don't just stand here — aren't you cold?"

"We'll wrap up early tonight. I'll take you to that steakhouse you love. Yeah?"

It wasn't as though he never knew how to back down.

It's just that I suddenly realized — the candy that comes after the slap tastes awfully bitter.

I looked up at him. He felt like a stranger, as if we were meeting for the first time.

"I —"

The door to the club swung open, and a bright, clear voice cut me off:

"Aiden, what's taking so long? Everyone's waiting for you to come back for the next round."

It was Selene — the one who'd said, "Just someone to fill the seat I left empty."

Aiden turned around. "Coming."

And in that same instant, the car pulled up in front of me.

I opened the door and ducked inside.

Aiden was still turned away, talking to that girl.

He didn't see me get in. Didn't notice I was no longer standing there.

Selene walked over and slipped her arm through his.

Under the neon lights, their shadows overlapped into one.

By the time he finally bothered to turn back, I had already looked away.

"Go," I told the driver.