Chapter 1

I had been following a small, cozy couple’s account on Instagram.

It documented the sweet little moments between the blogger and her boyfriend.

They would tease each other over sharing a single bowl of noodles, smiling and calling the other a big baby.

They would hold each other tight under the starry mountain sky, wishing time would freeze right there.

Even though the blogger never showed her face, her captions always tugged at my heartstrings.

Until the day before my wedding, when the account posted an update.

[Ten years of loving you ends today.]

[From now on, he is her husband, and I am just her best friend.]

[This page will never be updated again. To my best friend, and the man she loves most—may you be happy forever.]

Attached was a photo.

It was taken from behind.

It was Ethan and me.

The photo had been taken last week at the bridal boutique.

Blair had been adjusting my veil, chatting non-stop.

In the mirror, she looked even happier than I did, as if she were the one walking down the aisle.

"Chloe, you look stunning," she said, her voice suddenly cracking. "Ethan is so lucky to have you."

Ethan stood a few feet away, eyes glued to his phone.

Hearing his name, he looked up and offered a gentle smile.

Yet for some reason, that smile felt forced.

"You’re exaggerating," I said, squeezing Blair’s hand. "If you hadn’t dragged me here, I probably would’ve just picked something off the rack."

"No way!" Blair’s eyes went wide. "My absolute favorite girl only gets married once. Everything has to be perfect!"

She turned to Ethan. "Right, Ethan?"

Ethan pocketed his phone and came over, wrapping an arm around my shoulders with practiced ease.

"Of course. Chloe looks beautiful in anything."

"Though, this dress really is perfect for you."

He checked me out from head to toe, his voice dripping with affection and his eyes full of admiration.

Before we left for the outdoor photoshoot, Blair snapped a candid shot of us.

The camera click gave it away. When I turned around, she just chuckled and said she wanted a keepsake.

Then came the bachelorette party the night before the wedding. I got completely wasted, and Blair naturally stepped up to take care of me.

When Ethan arrived to pick me up, she was gently dabbing my forehead with a cold cloth.

"Leave Chloe to me," she told him. "It’s her last night of freedom. The groom-to-be isn't allowed to crash."

Ethan remained by the doorway.

His gaze lingered on Blair, deep and unreadable.

Leaning back on the couch, I stared at them through hazy, drunken eyes.

"Ethan..." I mumbled his name.

Only then did he look at me. He walked over and scooped me into his arms. "Why did you drink so much?"

Blair laughed softly. "Because she’s happy, obviously."

"Back in college, Chloe swore that if she ever got married, she’d drink until she dropped at her bachelorette party. Her dream finally came true."

I really had said that while watching an old rom-com with Blair years ago.

Back then, we promised to be each other’s maids of honor.

Even after I fell in love, that promise never changed.

Ethan held me gently and looked at Blair. "Thanks for looking after her."

"Always," Blair murmured, her voice dropping. "After all... this is the last time."

I was too drunk to catch the hidden meaning behind her words.

It wasn't until the next morning, when I woke up in the hotel suite, that a notification from that couple’s account popped up on my phone.

Still half-asleep, I tapped on it.

In that single second, the hangover pounding in my head vanished into thin air.