Chapter 5

I turned around. It was Rachel, wearing a sweet smile as she walked toward us.

More accurately, her eyes were locked onto Ethan.

I couldn't help but shake my head inwardly. How had I been so blind to such obvious looks before?

"Chloe, what a coincidence! Are you guys shopping too? Let's walk together."

Rachel grabbed my arm, and almost instantly, she and Ethan started their usual bickering routine.

"Let go of her. I want to walk with Chloe."

"Why should I? Chloe is my best friend. If anyone should let go, it's you."

I glanced at Ethan. He was really committed to this act, wasn't he?

In the end, I had no choice but to walk in the middle, with Ethan on my right and Rachel on my left.

When we reached the restaurant, Ethan pulled out his VIP card. The hostess bowed slightly.

"Mr. Vance, correct? Your table for three is ready. Right this way."

Hearing that, everything clicked.

This was never a romantic date night for the two of us. It was just a cover so he could openly go on a date with Rachel with me as his shield.

Ethan's face flushed red and white. "You must have made a mistake. I booked a table for two."

I waved my hand, too exhausted to play along with his embarrassment.

"It's fine. Rachel is here anyway, so we have exactly three people. It worked out perfectly."

Ethan had pre-ordered the food. As the dishes were served, I realized almost all of them were tailored to Rachel's taste.

"No peanuts in this one, please. Can you swap it for another dish?"

Ethan pointed at one of the plates and told the waiter.

I kept my mouth shut, quietly setting down my fork.

Only after speaking did Ethan realize how natural his tone had been. Seeing that my expression was neutral, he quickly tried to explain:

"I remembered you're allergic to peanuts, so I wanted to make sure the kitchen got it right."

I gave a soft hum. Out of the three of us, Rachel was the only one with a severe peanut allergy.

After dinner, Ethan went to get the movie tickets.

Coincidentally, Rachel pulled out her phone and showed me her ticket—which was for the same movie, in the seat right next to ours.

"Chloe, we are seriously soulmates!"

I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, not even blinking. "You and Ethan are the soulmates. He's the one who bought the tickets."

Rachel's smile faltered. "Ugh, I would never want to be soulmates with that annoying jerk."

During the entire movie, my mind was miles away. Meanwhile, Ethan and Rachel were whispering and giggling, discussing the plot with great enthusiasm.

When the movie ended and we walked out of the dark theater, the dim lighting made it hard to see. I stumbled slightly.

But in the light from a passing screen, I saw Ethan holding Rachel's hand tightly to guide her.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"It's still early, Chloe. Let's go look at wedding bands. The wedding is this weekend. I can't believe it's finally happening!"

The excitement on Ethan's face felt incredibly surreal.

Inside the jewelry store, the sales associate brought out the latest seasonal collection for us to choose from.

I had zero interest. I tried on a few pieces half-heartedly, not liking any of them.

"Oh, I think this one is gorgeous! Whoever marries me in the future has to get me this ring," Rachel exclaimed, admiring a diamond ring on her finger and flaunting it in Ethan's direction.

In the end, we didn't buy anything. But after we got into the car, Ethan claimed he forgot something and ran back into the store.

When he returned, he was holding a small shopping bag. He pulled out a box and put a necklace around my neck.

"I saw this necklace just now and thought it would look perfect on you. I was right."

He tossed his coat onto the back seat, giving Rachel a subtle, reassuring glance.

I opened my phone camera under the pretense of taking a selfie, only to spot the corner of a ring box tucked deep inside his coat pocket.

Fast forward to the day before the wedding. According to tradition, the bride and groom shouldn't see each other.

I packed all my belongings, left the necklace and my keys on the kitchen counter, and walked out without looking back.

The next morning, Ethan received a FaceTime call from the wedding planner.

"Mr. Vance, I just wanted to do a final check with you. The bride's name is Rachel, correct?"