Chapter 1 Circle of Friends

Helga Claude and Yves Chaucer's friends frowned. "You're going to wait for an hour? It's a hundred degrees out here. You'll get sunburned. Go back inside. You can come out when the insurance guy arrives."

"No. The bumper got damaged because I looked away for two seconds. What if someone hits it again? This is a new car."

I called the shopkeeper. "Get me some fans and sunshades. Also, twenty cold watermelons. Bring me the freezer you keep your popsicles in. We can watch the sea from here!"

"What's he doing, watching the sea? Yeah, he's having fun, but the male and female lead are going to be cooked in the car!"

"And the AC's not on! Everyone's here. They'll be exposed if they turn on the AC!"

"Oh, dear! It's 100 degrees out here! It'll be way hotter in the car! Gosh, can't he just die already? He keeps doing evil stuff!"

"Harold Zimmer." Melissa Milford, a business owner and the one with the most power in their friend group, stopped me. "We have no interest in the sea. If you won't go back in, just stay here."

She gathered the other guys and went away. All of them glared at me and sneered, then turned away as well.

"It's awesome how they're all leaving!"

"That's Melissa for you. Harold simps for them. I bet he'll go up and apologize right away!"

"The male and female lead can finally come out!"

I clenched my fists. Yeah, I was a sycophant for this friend group. They grew up with Yves and Helga. I was the latecomer, but we already had that marriage deal since we were five.

"Can't he drop dead now? His parents died after saving the female lead from the flood when she was five, yeah, but so what? It's no big deal."

"They should feel honored they get to save the female lead! Not every supporting role gets to have that!"

"Besides, he's the evil side character. It's because his parents died that the female lead's father was moved and took pity on him. That's why he married his daughter to him. He's beneath her."

"He got lucky and is still playing the victim? No one owes him anything!"

"Calm down. He'll be going after the male lead a lot, and he'll meet a grisly end! Just keep reading!"

I noticed my parents being mentioned. I closed my eyes, trying to suppress the pain.

When I was five, I had no idea Helga had a childhood friend.

After we got engaged post-college, I found out she and Yves had their own circle and would have weekly gatherings and trips. I tried to make myself a part of that, but every gathering I showed up would just ruin the vibe.