Backstabbed by My Bestie on the Run

Amid the rumble of the train, Mackenzie Holt, my best friend, excitedly shook my arm. "Wake up, Adeline!"

I followed her gaze and saw a breathtaking view outside the train window, like something out of a fairy tale.

I finally realized that I had been reborn as my senses came back to me. I had returned to the day Mackenzie and I had set out on a trip together.

Upon noticing that I hadn't said anything, Mackenzie leaned closer and looked at me. "Haven't woken up yet?"

I stared at that all-too-familiar face, my heart pounding with fear and refusing to slow down.

Mackenzie was my university roommate and the class academic representative. She was cheerful, optimistic, and sweet, and everyone in our class liked her, including the faculty. I was completely different. I was quiet, withdrawn, and constantly trying to blend into the background.

I never expected us to have any real interaction even though we lived in the same dorm, but everything changed after that one incident.

Mackenzie's then-boyfriend organized a get-together and invited everyone in the dorm.

I had always hated those kinds of outings, so I declined as politely as I could. Mackenzie wasn't having it, though. She grabbed my arm and said softly, "You should definitely come with us, Adeline! What's the fun in staying in the dorm by yourself?"

I had no choice but to agree after she kept pestering me. I thought I'd just be there to make up the numbers again, but Mackenzie took good care of me the whole way, making sure I wasn't left out. I also discovered we actually shared a lot of the same interests as we chatted.

It was from that day onward that we gradually grew closer, and she became a constant presence in my life. I was no longer the isolated loner I used to be because of her—no longer the odd one out in a crowd.

I had cherished our friendship for three years, but everything changed after graduation when Mackenzie met Caleb Lowe. I felt a cold sensation spread through my entire body, leaving my hands and feet cold and numb.

I had been foolish enough to trust the wrong person once, so in this life, I would never take the fall for her again. In my past life, Mackenzie secured a decent job soon after graduating from university because of her abilities, and not long afterward, she got a new boyfriend.

I didn't like Caleb from the moment I set eyes on him.

"I'd like to introduce you to Caleb Lowe, my six-foot-one, total dreamboat of a boyfriend. I've got good taste, don't I, Adeline?" Mackenzie held Caleb's arm, showing him off with a proud smile.

Caleb was wearing a dark brown coat with his hands in his pockets. He was tall and slender, with a handsome face and striking eyes that made him look refined. There was an unmistakable arrogance in his gaze, though.

I couldn't shake a strange sense of unease as I watched them being lovey-dovey, and it turned out that my instincts were right. I noticed Mackenzie looking completely pale and exhausted during a video call, with traces of bruising still visible around her eyes.

Mackenzie finally gave in and broke down after repeated questioning.

Caleb, as it turned out, had an overwhelming need for control, forcing her to live entirely on his terms—no opposite-sex friends, constant check-ins when out, no autonomy over her clothes, and immediate replies to messages even at midnight.

He would immediately threaten to break up with her whenever Mackenzie disobeyed him.