Chapter 2

"Ryan! You clearly promised I could go to this party, so why are you backing out now? Yes, I admit, I only said I was going with a friend, not a *guy* best friend, but a best guy friend is still a best friend! You can't question our friendship just because he's a guy! You're so narrow-minded, don't you know that?!"

"Besides, I've told you countless times, he likes men, not women. That's why I'm his best friend! He wouldn't have any improper thoughts about me. When are you going to stop being so insecure?!"

Her resentful voice echoed in my ears, and my consciousness slowly sharpened. When I saw myself sitting on the couch in our freshly renovated living room, I realized it: I had been reborn.

And the sweet-faced, soft-voiced woman beside me, who even looked a little cute when she was pouting in anger, was my wife, Stella.

Watching her stand there, so self-righteous and argumentative, I couldn't help but smile.

If I hadn't witnessed her depraved behavior with that man, I might have actually believed her.

And the thought of her tearing our once happy and loving home apart for that so-called best guy friend sent a sharp pang through my heart.

Stella and I met through a blind date after graduation.

By the time I reached dating age, I no longer believed in things like "love." After all, in today's society, everyone is very realistic. When you go on a blind date, the first thing people look at is financial stability.

But I have to admit, the moment I saw Stella, I felt like spring had arrived.

That sudden flutter in my heart made me believe Stella was the woman I was meant to cherish for life.

So, I pursued her relentlessly.

Stella was the kind of innocent, guileless girl. And at the time, my startup was just beginning to see success. I wouldn't call myself a hotshot, but I was definitely a rising star, and I wasn't bad-looking either. By all accounts, winning Stella over should have been easy.

Yet, she kept me waiting for a whole year before agreeing to be with me, putting me through all sorts of tests. If I hadn't been so deeply smitten, I probably would have given up.

Later, I learned it was all because she had a "best friend" coaching her from behind the scenes.

Initially, I thought it was normal. Girls are emotional, and it's natural for them to ask their friends for advice when they're unsure. It wasn't until she mentioned her "best friend" was a guy that I realized something was off.

After we got married, I playfully asked her why she agreed to marry me. I expected her to say it was because of my persistence and devotion, or that she was moved by my deep affection. Instead, she said her best guy friend told her I was "a rich fool" and a good catch, so she went for it.

At first, I thought she was joking and didn't take it seriously. But now, reborn, recalling all the awful things she did for that best guy friend, I realized she was probably telling the truth.

My longed-for happy life had been utterly destroyed by that best guy friend.