Chapter 1
After being intimate with my boyfriend, I was leaning against the headboard when I stumbled upon a live‑streamed marriage proposal.
In the video, my boyfriend was down on one knee, slipping a diamond ring onto her finger.
He said, "Marry me. I'll treat you well for the rest of my life."
And the woman he was proposing to turned out to be my best friend.
Staring at the real‑time live feed on screen, I felt like I'd just plunged into an icy despair.
If Edward was really proposing to my best friend at this very moment...
Then who was the guy sleeping next to me?
My hands were trembling as I unlocked his phone with his fingerprint.
In the top‑pinned group chat, he had just sent an intimate video of us.
Everyone in the chat was making crude jokes.
Among them was a message from Edward himself.
Edward said, "It's fine to mess around a little, but don't get her pregnant. You won't be able to wriggle out of it later."
Andrew answered, "Don't worry. She took the pills on her own. She's totally obedient."
"Keep this from her a little longer. I'm not done playing with her yet."
The overwhelming absurdity and the shame of being used as everyone's plaything shattered my sanity in a split second.
A violent wave of physical nausea surged up my throat.
Gripping the phone tightly, I leaned over the edge of the bed and retched violently.
I have been in love with Edward for ten years.
But he had his twin brother, Andrew, sleep with me instead.
Everyone knew.
He stayed chaste for another woman.
But I didn't know anything about it.
*****
The group chat was still flooded with vulgar comments.
The lingering nausea made my whole body tremble. The man lying next to me hadn't woken up yet.
With shaking hands, I dressed myself piece by piece. My face was soaked with silent tears, but I didn't dare let out a single sound.
His face looked so much like Edward's, and even the way he spoke and acted was exactly the same.
It's as if I've never had a single doubt.
But he was actually Andrew.
Edward's twin brother.
I leaned against the door frame for a moment, my stomach aching from emptiness.
I clutched my phone so tightly that my hand began to ache.
Everyone in that group is someone I know.
My brain went blank for a moment.
Staring at those words, a flood of memories from the past suddenly hit me.
Sometimes Edward was so cold. When he kissed me, it's as if he's rushing through a meeting.
Yet sometimes he was very clingy to me, holding me tight and refusing to let go, his voice hoarse when he called my name.
I asked him if he was just too tired.
He said it was just work stress and told me not to overthink it.
My best friend, Emma Grant, gave me the same advice.
She said all men get a bit sensitive when they're focused on their careers.
I believed it.
Because she was my best friend.
But she ended up marrying Edward Foster.
My phone buzzed again.
Someone posted their group photo after the proposal in the group chat.
Emma was leaning against Edward, her eyes red, the diamond ring on her finger glinting so bright.
My fingers went numb, and my phone slipped from my grasp, hitting the carpet.
Andrew, lying in bed, frowned as if he was about to wake up.
I quickly picked up my phone and backed away toward the closet.
I couldn't stay here.
I rushed out, a mess, and jumped into a Taxi.
When I got to the hotel, the elevator's mirror showed my face, pale as a ghost.
I leaned against the wall, feeling completely drained.
For ten years, I followed Edward, moving with him from a tiny rental to an apartment.
When his thesis got rejected, I accompanied him to change it until dawn.
When he needed money to start his business, I gave him my all savings.
After all these years, I still wanted to hear the truth from him myself.
The elevator doors opened, and laughter came from inside.
Someone shouted, "Edward, kiss her!"
I stood outside, my nails digging into my palms so hard it hurt.
Then I pushed the door open.