Chapter 2

Astrid's POV

The moment I got home, Mom noticed how unusually flushed my face was.

"You're burning up!" she exclaimed in alarm. "Weren't you celebrating your birthday with Jacob, Lucas, and the others?"

"Jacob and I broke up."

My throat hurt so badly that every word I spoke made me feel like I was swallowing broken glass.

Mom was silent for a moment before saying, "That's okay. You can go abroad, then."

I nodded and headed upstairs to my bedroom. Just as I was about to go to sleep, a message from Jacob appeared on my phone.

"Where did you go? We told you to wait for us. You could've at least said something before leaving!"

He didn't ask why I'd left early or whether something had happened to me. All he had for me was criticism.

Meanwhile, in our group chat, Leah was the first to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Astrid. I'm the one who booked the wrong table."

Jacob immediately replied, "It's not your fault. If she had a problem with it, she should've said something then. What's with the attitude now?"

Caleb and Lucas quickly chimed in.

"Exactly, Leah. You didn't do anything wrong. It was just one meal. She's making a big deal out of nothing."

I stared silently at the messages.

The group chat was called "The Princess and Her Three Knights".

I'd only been added to it later, so Jacob had given me a special nickname—The Princess' Maid.

My head was pounding so badly that I decided to leave the group chat. At least I'd have some peace and quiet.

That night, I dreamed about our childhood, when Jacob and the other two boys promised that they'd protect me for the rest of their lives.

Whenever someone bullied me, they got even angrier than I did.

But then, the real princess came along.

Leah had transferred to our school from an impoverished rural community. She looked sweet and innocent, but she was also fiercely independent.

I welcomed her into my circle of friends, never imagining that I'd end up being pushed out of it myself.

After Leah came along, the three guys started going out of their way to do everything for her. They opened her water bottles, brought her drinks, helped her study, carried her backpack, and walked her home every single day.

Everything that had once been mine seemed to belong to her now.

Then, the scene in my dream changed.

Jacob stood before me in a knight's costume, pointing his sword at me as he declared, "I won't let anyone hurt Leah!"

I jolted awake and realized that my pillow was soaked with tears.

It took me a long time to steady my breathing.

Once I'd finally calmed down, I picked up my phone and booked a flight to Meryn.

When I checked my messages, I discovered that I'd been added back to the group chat.

All three men had also taken turns messaging me privately, criticizing me for being immature.

"What's your problem? Are you throwing another one of your tantrums?"

"Astrid, you shouldn't be acting like this. It's like our friendship means nothing to you."

Then, Jacob sent me another message.

"Leah cried last night. The three of us spent the whole night comforting her. You should apologize to her."

I didn't reply to any of them. Instead, I muted all their chats.

I went to the office to complete the paperwork for my transfer. As I was leaving, I ran into Leah.

Only then did I remember that after graduation, I'd pulled strings to get her a job at my family's company.

"Astrid."

She caught hold of me, looking meek and apologetic. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," I answered flatly.

But Leah immediately burst into tears, making it look as though I'd done something terrible to her.

"Leah!"

Three familiar voices called out from a distance. Jacob rushed over and shoved me aside before turning to Leah with a deep frown.

"Did she do something to you?"

Leah shook her head without saying a word, but her tears alone were enough to make all three of them feel sorry for her.

Caleb and Lucas immediately turned on me.

"Astrid, you've gone too far."

I was exhausted and had no desire to argue with them anymore, so I turned to leave.

But Jacob grabbed my wrist before I could get away. His brows drew together, and his expression darkened.

I knew that look all too well. He was on the verge of losing his temper.

"Apologize."

The pain in my wrist was nothing compared to the crushing ache in my chest.

In the past, I'd given in far too many times just to keep him from getting upset, but I wasn't going to do that anymore.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at him and asked, "What am I supposed to apologize for? Did any of you even bother asking what happened before demanding that I apologize?"

The three of them hesitated for a second before choosing to stand by Leah.

"Leah wouldn't be crying if you hadn't done something to upset her. Astrid, she's our friend, too. Stop acting like you're better than everyone else."

Caleb and Lucas turned to Leah.

"Why don't you quit your job at Finch Group and come work for us instead?"

Leah gave me a conflicted look, but Jacob made the decision for her before she could respond.

"That's settled, then. Leah can be my assistant. I'll personally teach her everything she needs to know."

He turned his gaze back to me. "What do you think?"

I scoffed and pulled my wrist free of his grip.

"Whatever floats your boat."