Keep him Allysia.

Emma’s POV

"Yes! Oh my god, yes!"

I’ve played this scene in my head a thousand times. Trevor Hayes, my boyfriend of six years, finally down on one knee, his love for me glistening bright in his eyes with a diamond ring I’ve always wanted in his hand. I’ve practiced how loud my "yes" would be several times, how I’d cry when he finally asks me to be his forever in a lifetime.

And, it’s happening right now; he’s on one knee holding the ring I always wanted.

But the person in front of him is not me, it’s Allysia. My best friend of five years. The same girl who knew how much I was waiting for this exact moment.

I stood motionless in the middle of the room filled with half the people I had known my entire life from high school to college trying to comprehend the sight before me as they cheered, the flashlights of their phones capturing the moment. The two people I trusted the most in my entire life stood there, lost in a deep, consuming kiss, their bodies pressed together while the crowd cheered them on and clapped.

I pinched myself on the side painfully, hoping all of this was just a dream I could wake up from, but it wasn’t. I couldn’t breathe anymore; everywhere felt blur as I stared on, finding it difficult to believe my eyes.

Allysia had sent me this location an hour ago, telling me she had a huge surprise waiting. I’d practically sprinted out the door, shoving on my big glasses and an oversized sweater over a faded jean pant, my heart racing with excitement. Now, my heart was just... stopping. I stood there motionless, watching my entire world get torn apart at the seams.

Was this a joke? This isn’t happening, right?

Allysia’s eyes scanned the crowd like she was looking for something or... someone. The moment she sighted me, a slow, toxic smirk curled her lips. She gathered the hem of her glittering gown and glided toward me, her arm hooked through Trevor’s as if it had always belonged there. In her other hand, she casually tilted a glass of champagne.

The smile on Trevor’s face died the moment he saw me. He froze, his eyes locked on mine for a second like he’d seen a ghost, but the surprise or shock on his face disappeared as quickly as soon as it came, replaced by this icy, distant stare I had never seen before.

"Oh, honey," Allysia gasped dramatically as she approached me, her hand flying to her mouth in a fake flutter. She made sure her voice carried over the dying music so everyone could hear. "You really should’ve dressed up. I told you I had a surprise for you.” She placed a hand gently on her forehead like she suddenly remembered something. “Oh no, I forgot looking completely disheveled is your thing, but.. you could have at least put in some effort.”

“What is she doing here babe?” Trevor asked, planting a kiss on Allysia’s right hand.

“Honey, I invited her. I feel it’s time she knows... and I really wanted her to see you place that ring on my finger so bad! I’m so excited she saw it. God, I’m practically high on this moment!"

I dug my nails into my palms so hard I thought I’d draw blood.

It’s time I know what? What the hell is she talking about? The music suddenly cut out as if planned; every eye in the room was on me, every head turned in my direction. The silence was suddenly filled with loud whispers.

“Is that Emma? God she still looks like a mess, I just don’t get why Allysia still hangs out with her. She’s literally a charity case."

Even after five years, I still get mocked by the same people that bullied me in high school for my baggy dresses and introverted attitude, but that's really less of a concern right now compared to what's in front of me.

“What is going on here?” I asked, my voice a crack I barely recognized. I directed the question to Allysia, but my eyes were locked onto Trevor.

Allysia let out a dry laugh.

"Oh, stop," She said, rolling her eyes. "It’s not that hard to comprehend Emma, I’m getting married.. oh.. sorry we are getting married!" She looked at Trevor whose eyes shone bright with affection and love, the kind I hadn’t seen in three years as he squeezed her hand gently.

I shook my head, my mind rejecting the words like they were the biggest lie I’d ever been told. Tears burned behind my lids, threatening to spill over. I looked at Trevor, my Trevor, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. He looked at the diamond on Allysia's finger instead, the ring I had pointed out in a catalog three years ago, now resting on the hand of the woman who had spent five years calling herself my best friend.

“You’re lying Allysia, you’re my best friend… you would never do that to me.. I trusted you.. tell me this is all a joke.. tell me right now.”

Allysia sighed, a long, exhausted sound as if my heartbreak was just an inconvenience to her.

"Emma, seriously? Stop with the 'best friend' thing. It’s embarrassing," she said, her voice dropping the high-pitched act. "I didn't 'do' anything to you. Trevor and I just… fell in love. Don’t be dramatic. It happens, don't be an enemy of love."

I looked at Trevor, my chest heaving, waiting for him to say literally anything, to tell me she’s lying and this is all a joke to scare me.

"Trevor? Tell me she’s lying? You won’t just stand there while she lies against you like this, will you? We’ve been together six years, tell me this is some joke."

He finally looked up, but his eyes held no remorse or guilt, just a cold blank space.

"What do you want me to say, Emma? She’s right. We fell in love and if you want me to tell you that I'm sorry? I'm not going to apologize for choosing the one person that I love… I don't mean to hurt you Emma but you’re not just my type of person…”

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Allysia’s ear, a gesture he used to do to me every single morning.

"We tried to tell you, but you were always so... sensitive. We didn't want a scene."

"A scene?" I choked out, a dry, hysterical laugh bubbling up in my throat. "You’ve been sleeping with my best friend behind my back, and you didn't want a scene? Trevor you’re breaking my heart, you need to stop this right now!”

Trevor didn’t say a thing; he simply stared on like I was talking to a thick wall.

A bitter laugh escaped my throat, fighting back tears that burned my eyelids. “How long has this been going on?”

Allysia stepped closer to me, her ring catching the light. She leaned close to my ears, her voice low to a whisper.

"You still don't get it, Emma? God, I thought you were smart. Turns out you’re just too slow." She let out a breathy, sharp laugh. "I only ever became your friend to get to him. That was the whole point. I figured it would be a challenge, but honestly? It only took two years for him to realize he was wasting his life with you."

I tried to pull away, but her words held me paralyzed.

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was?" she hissed, her eyes flicking over my clothes with pure disgust. "Playing 'best friend' to the weird, quiet girl in the baggy dresses? It was the most exhausting five years of my life. But look at the payoff." She pulled back, gesturing to the ring and then to Trevor. "I got exactly what I wanted. And you? You're right back where you started. Alone."

I shook my head, tears burning the back of my eyes, unable to believe a single word. It’s not true. It can’t be true.

Allysia was the most popular girl in high school; I had been so happy when she chose to be my friend, the only person who ever saw past the baggy hoodies and bulging glasses.

She had stood up for me against bullies. She had consoled me. She even went to the same college with me, even though Trevor and I had applied together. She was the one who helped me pick out his birthday gifts and held me when I got too overwhelmed.

And now she was telling me it was all a lie? That she was embarrassed the entire time? She did all of that just to take Trevor away from me? God, I needed to wake up from this nightmare.

“You knew everything about me, my little secrets, every fucking thing Allysia, you knew I love him so much,” I said hoarsely. “You....”

Allysia shrugged and cut off my words.

“And?”

The single word shattered something inside me.

Six years of my entire fucking life ruined by someone I called a best friend for five years. I’ve been dating myself for three years.

God, I should have noticed. It all came rushing back now, the way he’d pick up her favorite coffee every single morning. How he’d pick her up after every class. The way he’d spend hours making her favorite dishes by hand while all I got was lukewarm Thai noodles out of a plastic container, smiling at his 'kindness,' never realizing I was tasting the crumbs of my own replacement. I remembered the day he almost burned himself trying to bake her a carrot cake from scratch just because she mentioned she loved it.

I never thought about it. I simply laughed like the fool they clearly think I am.

“Trevor, why? I gave you six years of my life! I loved you! Why?” I demanded amidst tears. At least I needed to know why he did all these. I needed to know what reason they had to hurt me this much.

Allysia leaned in, her smile small and triumphant.

"Don't act so surprised. If you were actually paying attention to him instead of your books back in college maybe you could’ve kept him but I still have to thank you Em, you gave me the best gift ever."

Trevor sighed, looking at me with pure annoyance.

”Go home, Emma. Stop being pathetic. Don't make this more embarrassing than it already is.”

I looked at Trevor one last time, my vision swimming, unable to believe the man who would do anything for me just said that to me. I searched for a flicker of the man who used to cry when I got sick, the one who promised we’d grow old together. But he just stood there, tall and cold, looking at me like I was a stain on the floor of his celebration.

To my own surprise, the tears on my face simply dried up, replaced by a cold, numbing void. I took a long, slow breath and looked at the diamond on Allysia's finger. The ring I had dreamed about for years suddenly looked like cheap, cloudy glass on her.

“You're right, Trevor," I said, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "I am pathetic. I'm pathetic for wasting six years on a scumbag who hides behind my so-called 'best friend’s' skirt."

I turned to Allysia, whose smug grin faltered slowly, unable to believe her ears. One thing is certain. The nerdy quiet part of me they know is getting buried right on this floor tonight.

"Keep him, Allysia," I said, my voice carrying through the silent room with a sharpness that made her smile falter. "You’re right. You two assholes truly deserve each other. You’re both exactly the same. Thanks for wiping away the lying, cheating piece of shit I called a boyfriend. I hope you two rot in the deepest part of hell!"