Chapter 2

I sat dazed for a long time, until my phone screen automatically went dark.

Just an hour ago, Marcus had looked at Mary, completely drunk in his arms, frowned and said to me:

"Matthias, look how drunk she is. I'll call you a cab, I'll take her home."

I hadn't drunk much. The night breeze sobered me up.

Out of habit, I nodded, reminding Marcus to send me a message once he safely got Mary home.

But it was only a half-hour drive. The voice calls I made to check in, the messages I sent—all sank like stones into the sea.

Now looking at Mary's post.

She was wide awake. Even the drunkenness was fake.

My phone buzzed. Marcus's message popped up:

[Princess Matthias, have safely delivered your bestie home.]

[Your knight is coming right back.]

I didn't reply. I clicked back into the post and enlarged the profile picture.

That was the ring I had personally designed, revised ten times, one of a kind.

The watch on that male wrist was a limited edition Patek Philippe—the New Year's gift I'd given Marcus this year.

The jade bracelet on that female wrist was from a raw stone I'd personally selected in Myanmar and had polished. She and I each had one.

Someone asked: [What did your bestie do to you?]

She replied: [Today's my birthday. My bestie is so rich, but she just gave me a bag and didn't treat everyone like she used to!]

Someone else was confused: [Aren't you afraid your bestie will find out about what you're doing with her boyfriend?]

[During that sophomore year trip, I gave her boyfriend advice on how to win her over, but required him to do it with me seven times first. Her boyfriend agreed immediately.]

[The next day my legs were so sore I couldn't climb the Alaska mountain. My idiot bestie thought I was on my period and even felt sorry for me, making her boyfriend carry me up the mountain.]

I stared at those piercing lines, my stomach churning constantly.

I still remembered that day.

I kept pressing on her abdomen, worried: "Mary, if you're not feeling well, just rest at the hotel."

Marcus had also gently urged in a rare soft voice: "Don't push yourself. If you really want to climb, Matthias and I will bring you back next time."

Mary rolled her eyes at him and insisted on being stubborn.

But after just two steps, her face went pale, so I had Marcus carry her.

I blinked, my nose stinging, a string of tears falling onto my phone screen.

I switched to WhatsApp, my thoughts in chaos, not knowing how to confront them.

Just last week, Mary had been holding my hand, half-jokingly serious.

As the Steve in our love story, she would definitely take the stage to denounce every crime of our public displays of affection.

I had collapsed laughing in her arms, promising her my bouquet would only go to her.

But I never imagined that these two people I trusted wholeheartedly would betray me together.

Marcus, Mary, and I had known each other for twelve years.

We took our high school graduation photos together.

We took our college graduation photos together.

When Marcus confessed to me in high school, Mary had angrily yelled at him:

"Marcus! Are you so upset that Matthias got first place that you're using this dirty trick to affect her studies?"

I laughed helplessly and quickly pulled her back:

"Mary, I actually got first place in the whole school this time thanks to Marcus explaining problems to me."

"You know I broke my leg. I relied entirely on him to help me with notes."

Back then, when I saw Mary's complicated expression, I thought she was frustrated with me for not living up to expectations.

In college, Marcus's kindness to me was well known.

He picked me up and dropped me off for class every day, remembered my period better than I did.

His backpack was eighty percent full of things prepared for me.

In junior year, Marcus was already planning our future.

He meticulously wrote down plans for each year, proving he could become a man who could take care of me.

These past years, he accomplished every step.

He achieved a six-figure annual salary, maintained emotional stability, and could even do laundry and cook after work to take care of me.

He accomplished selecting a diamond ring together with me, just waiting to propose this year, marry next year, have a child the year after.

Every item in his plans included me. But outside the plans, there was also Mary.