Chapter 2

Hailey's voice sounded tender and seductive from the other end of the call, though it wasn't directed at me. "I accidentally scratched you in the heat of the moment earlier. I'll put some ointment on you, so hold still."

Andrew's deep voice sounded right after. "Why are you taking care of me? Nathan is still waiting for you, Hailey."

Hailey scoffed. "Nathan has a great temper and is used to waiting for people. He's nothing like you, a spoiled, needy brat."

I felt sick to my stomach. I quickly hung up, letting the screen fade to black. I looked around at the mess in the private room, forcing a wretched smile.

I had always been the best at waiting around for her, but a broken relationship could never be fixed, and I wasn't going to spend any more time waiting for a response that would never come.

I picked up my phone and calmly made the call. "I'd like to file a police report."

…

In the police station, the harsh white lights glared down on me, feeling piercingly cold. The police officer knocked on the table and asked, "Do you know how serious this is? Where's your family?"

I wanted to tell the police officer that I had no family left, but then the door to the police station suddenly swung open.

Andrew walked right in, his leather shoes clicking on the floor. "I'm Nathan's best friend. I was at the scene with him as well, so feel free to ask me whatever you want."

The police officer took a look at me, caked in blood and filth, and then at Andrew in his pristine clothes. "Why don't you have any injuries despite being there with him?"

Andrew looked at me with a knowing smile. "It's because my girlfriend got there first and got me out of that private room."

In that instant, everyone in the lobby fell silent, and the police officer's eyes immediately filled with pity when he looked at me.

A cold draft swept through the lobby. Andrew slipped off his coat, draped it over my shoulders, and hurried around, taking care of all the paperwork and forms for me.

A female police officer, who happened to stop by to hand me a glass of warm water, said, "You've got a really good friend there."

I held the glass of warm water and stared at Andrew through the haze of steam.

I suddenly recalled how, back in university, Andrew spent two full days and nights by my side while I ran a high fever, running all over the place to care for me. I remembered how, when things were at their worst, and I had no money left for food after paying my tuition, he would always share half of his meals with me.

We had once sworn to have each other's backs for a lifetime. How did things end up like this?

Andrew walked back over once he completed the paperwork and casually adjusted the coat that was slipping off my shoulders.

I stared at him intently and asked hoarsely, "Why would you do this to me, Andrew?"

Andrew stopped what he was doing, his eyes filled with a trace of exasperation. "You love her way too much, to the point where you've lost yourself in it, Nathan.

"I told you ages ago—a woman like Hailey is deep, manipulative, and used to men swooning over her. How could an honest guy like you even keep her in check?

"How could I, as your best friend, watch you throw yourself into a disaster? I just wanted to test her for your sake. I never would've thought that she'd give in to temptation so easily, Nathan."

Andrew always claimed Hailey was the unfaithful type and could never be a good partner for me. Hailey, on the other hand, would always tell me that Andrew had ulterior motives and that I shouldn't believe everything he said. They never got along whenever they met, and things were always tense between them.

I was the one who kept trying to make Hailey accommodate Andrew while begging Andrew to accept the woman I loved. I exhausted myself trying to keep the peace between them, making a complete fool of myself.

Andrew obviously recalled that moment as well, chuckling as he said, "I actually nudged her under the table with my foot when you first introduced her to me, and to my surprise, she reacted right on the spot.

"That night, right after she took you home, she came straight over to my place. You never told me that your fiancee was that good in bed, Nathan."

I felt sick to my stomach after realizing that it happened during my birthday.

Andrew looked at my pale complexion and continued slowly, "And do you know why she always took so long to reply to your messages? She was busy having sex with me. You can only blame her for being so sexually insatiable. You would've gotten your replies much faster if she wasn't."

"Shut up!" I covered my ears, shaking violently.

It was no wonder that, at some point, Hailey's tone about Andrew changed over time from "your friend is so annoying" to "why isn't Andrew here today?"

It would also explain why she would sometimes smell like Andrew's cologne.

Those realizations hit me like a crushing blow, as every overlooked detail mocked how oblivious I had been.

Just then, Hailey called me.

Andrew leaned in close to my ear and chuckled softly. "Do you want to bet that even if you tell her that you had been assaulted, a single message from me is all it takes for her to hang up on you and run straight to me, Nathan?"

I remained silent for a long moment before answering the call, holding on to the last bit of hope I had. "H-Hailey, I was assaul—"

Andrew opened his chat and sent Hailey nothing but a single period.

I could hear the notification sound coming from her end before she abruptly ended the call, leaving me with nothing but the cold, busy tone that felt like a knife driving right into my heart.

Andrew's phone started ringing immediately after. He unhurriedly tapped the screen to pick it up, a mocking grin spreading across his face.

Hailey's voice rang out clearly from the other end of the call, brimming with excitement. "I'm pregnant, Andrew!"