Chapter 2

2: 2

2.

It was two in the morning before I finally got a cab.

My phone buzzed. A message from Eleanor.

“Margot, thank you for the encouragement. I've decided to get back together with him.”

“He said he never forgot me, he only hated that I looked down on him for being poor. Now he's rich, and the misunderstanding between us is cleared up.”

I leaned back against the seat and typed one word: “Congratulations.”

Whatever happened between them, it was none of my business now.

Back home, I curled into a corner of the couch and scrolled through our old posts.

Every entry in our private best-friends account was a record of our lives together.

Before Eleanor went abroad, she'd cried in my arms.

“Tell me, how can a guy with a face and a body like that be flat broke?”

“He found out this morning I was leaving and practically got on his knees begging me to stay.”

“I know he loves me. But love doesn't put food on the table.”

She didn't know back then that the poor boy had already become the heir to a wealthy family, all because of her.

While she was abroad, we video-called, chatted, shared each other's lives.

And I posted all of it on my social media.

It was those posts that led Luke James to me.

My account was full of his visits.

Every video that had anything to do with Eleanor, he'd liked it too.

I thought he liked me. So after two months of dating online, we met in person and became a couple.

Right as I was thinking it, a text from Luke popped up.

“Not coming home tonight. Don't wait up.”

It was the first time he'd stayed out all night.

The onscreen comments drifted past again.

【The male and female leads are finally back together.】

【The side chick better not stir up trouble again. Just let the lead come home.】

【Can we please stop getting in the way of the leads making a baby.】

I ignored the comments, tossed my phone aside, and fell into a heavy sleep.

Near noon I was woken by Eleanor's call.

“Girl, dinner tonight, my treat, for both of you. Consider it an early celebration for your wedding. Do me the honor?”

I hesitated for two seconds, then agreed to go.

The two of them got to the restaurant before me.

By the time I walked in, the food was already on the table.

Eleanor had her head resting easily on Luke's shoulder, the picture of quiet contentment.

“If Margot knew about us, do you think she'd be upset?”

Luke turned his head away, his expression unreadable.

“Stop it. She can't find out about us.”

His tone was as firm as the day he proposed to me.

That day he got down on one knee and slid the ring onto my finger.

“Once it's on, you don't take it off. You're mine for the rest of your life.”

Barely six months later, and everything had already turned upside down.

I took a deep breath, picked up my bag, and walked over to sit across from them.

Only then did Eleanor straighten up.

“My blood sugar dropped a little just now, so I borrowed your boyfriend's shoulder for a bit. Don't read into it.”

She gave Luke a little push as she said it.

“Why don't you go sit over there with Margot?”

Before he could get up, I cut in.

“No need. I still have to put my bag down over here.”

Eleanor shrugged and lifted the drink in front of her.

“Margot, congratulations. You're getting married soon.”

She drank it down in one go, then hesitated before speaking again.

“Actually, there's another thing I wanted your okay on tonight.”

“My mom knows I'm back and keeps forcing me to go on blind dates, so I lied and said I already have a boyfriend.”

As she said it, she instinctively glanced at Luke beside her.

“But I don't know a soul here. I was hoping Luke could pretend to be my boyfriend, just to get my mom off my back. Would that be okay?”

“Your Luke already agreed a minute ago.”

The onscreen comments came flying again.

【Poor baby lead, having to make up a reason just to get the male lead to meet the family.】

【She's definitely going to say no again. A vicious side chick through and through.】

I picked up a piece of shrimp and put it in my mouth, ignoring Luke's darkening face, and agreed on the spot.

“Sure. Just make it convincing.”