He WENT FOR HIS RIVAL

HENRY 

I never imagined that Friendship Day would be the day my heart would truly shatter.

Arda had reserved a table at burj al, an upscale restaurant for wealthy socialites. It would’ve been a perfect outing, if my mood wasn’t already ruined.

I leaned my chin on my hand, watching Arda and our other three roommates chatting happily while I stayed quiet.

“Yay! Two years of friendship, and many more to come!” David cheered, and everyone raised their glasses for a toast.

We all attend the same school, but we only became close when we started living together as roommates. Now we’re in our second year.

While everyone continued talking, boredom washed over me. I just kept sipping my drink. I wanted to leave, but I knew I couldn’t.

My gaze slipped to my phone on my lap. I sighed, realizing the day was almost over and my boyfriend still hadn’t called. Not even a message.

Today wasn’t just our friendship anniversary, it was also my one-year anniversary with him. But clearly, I was the only one who remembered. He didn't.

Honestly, I should’ve seen it coming.

I should’ve known something was wrong. Lately, Danny had grown distant, always “busy,” or glued to his phone even when we were together. And from what I gathered, his ex-boyfriend had returned to New York.

Even with all the signs, I still held onto hope. We’d been together a whole year, after all.

“Henry, what the fuck? Why are you so lost?” Arda’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“I… it’s nothing,” I replied with a small smile, looking away.

There was no way I could tell them I was falling apart over a boyfriend. They’d be shocked. To them, I was the casanova, the guy who changed girls like outfits. And that used to be true… until I met Danny, my older boyfriend. But who would believe that coming from me.

Taking another sip from my glass did nothing to calm me. Frustrated, I ran my fingers through my hair. Should I just leave? Maybe I should. I wasn’t feeling anything but heaviness, and it felt unfair to stay here and ruin the outing.

I kept debating with myself before finally standing up and placing my glass back on the table.

“Guys, I’m going to the toilet,” I said, forcing a small smile.

They all nodded.

Honestly, I only made the decision at the last minute. The moment I saw the sharp looks from all four of them, I immediately dropped the idea of saying I wanted to leave. It was as if they already knew what I had in mind.

I walked away quickly and only breathed normally when I no longer felt their eyes burning into my back. A waitress pointed me toward the men’s restroom.

I went in, and ended up staying there for almost half an hour. But by the time I walked out, the heaviness in my chest had eased. Since Danny hadn’t bothered to wish me a happy anniversary, I decided to pretend he was genuinely busy, just like he always said. I didn’t want to drown myself in negativity.

I walked back toward our table, but before I reached it, Stellan suddenly stood up.

Curious, I looked at him, wondering why he rose so abruptly.

“Stellan, why are you standing?” one of my roommates asked.

“Look over there,” he said, pointing instead of answering.

His confused expression mirrored ours. I followed the direction of his finger.

“Where’s everyone going?” he blurted out, still pointing.

I raised my brows, watching as several people left their seats and headed in the same direction.

“Should we check it out?” David asked with a wink, already walking off.

“Why ask when you’re already halfway there?” Arda scoffed, making us laugh.

David was always like that, asking questions while he was already acting on his own thoughts.

He hurried off long before the rest of us even stood. As we walked a bit away from our table, he suddenly reappeared, out of breath.

Clearly, he had run ahead and back just to get the full gist before us.

“So? Why are they all going there?” someone asked.

“Trust me, you’ll all be surprised when I tell you,” he said dramatically.

I crossed my arms, waiting for him to spill it.

“Just say it, Stellan,” I muttered.

“It’s a proposal.”

“Proposal? What’s going on?” Arda asked.

“Someone’s proposing to their fiancée in one of the halls,” he explained.

“Wow,” we all gasped.

“That’s actually sweet. Let’s go join the excitement!”

Burj al, wasn’t just a restaurant, it had a hotel section too, so hearing there was a hall nearby didn’t surprise me.

My roommates wore excited expressions as we followed the path and turned a corner where a waitress directed us.

But as for me, I suddenly felt uneasy. The moment I stepped forward, I overheard someone in the crowd mention a name, DANNY. 

Apparently, the man proposing was named Danny.

My heart dropped. I wiped my sweaty palms on my clothes, panic rising. Why was the name the same as my boyfriend? I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing.

“Should we go back?” I asked my friends, my voice tight with worry.

“Why?” one of them asked.

I swallowed hard, unable to give an answer. I couldn’t possibly tell them I was terrified of what I might find inside. They kept questioning, but I still couldn’t force myself to walk in.

“You guys can go,” I insisted. “I think I’m having a stomach ache. I need to head back to the dorm.”

I turned to leave, but someone gently pushed me back.

“A stomach ache now that we’re already here? No way. Just come in with us first, after that, you can go.”

Their eyes were focused on the entrance, so none of them noticed how nervous I was. I was grateful for that… but only for a moment. Because suddenly, I felt another light push.

My eyes flew wide open as I stumbled into the hall.

Goodness. My friends had actually pushed me inside.

I immediately tried to step back out, but my feet froze when a voice echoed through the speakers.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will!”

I stopped dead in my tracks.

The voice… why did it sound so familiar? And worse, why was the first person that came to mind Danny?

I didn’t want to fall apart. I didn’t want to look weak. I wanted to stand strong, but my legs shook uncontrollably as I turned toward the center of the hall to see for myself.

My boyfriend. The same person who hadn’t called or texted me all day to wish me a happy anniversary.

I barely registered how elegant and beautifully decorated the hall was. My eyes were fixed straight ahead.

He hadn’t noticed me yet, and a part of me couldn’t wait to see his reaction when he did.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of my boyfriend. He glanced at me briefly, then snorted before looking away.

What the hell?!