Chapter 3

After failing to get the gold bracelet from me, Alice stopped reaching out altogether. She was clearly sulking, waiting for me to give in first.

We used to argue and give each other the silent treatment, but I could never last more than two days before I gave in and apologized.

I genuinely didn't want to lose her as a best friend.

This time, though, I was more than ready to lose her. Or rather, I had already lost her long ago.

Even without me reaching out, Alice finally cracked.

At 2:00 am on the eve of her wedding, a ringing phone woke me from a deep sleep.

I checked the screen to find over a dozen missed calls.

The moment I pressed accept, deafening club music blasted through the receiver.

Alice shouted at the top of her lungs on the other end, "What took you so long to pick up? Transfer 30 thousand dollars to me! Now!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "What? What do you need that much cash for?"

Alice kept screaming over the noise, while my frown grew deeper by the second.

Matthew was throwing his bachelor party at Nightfall, the most expensive club in town.

He had invited a huge crowd of his deadbeat friends, popping round after round of premium bottles, running up an astronomical bill of 38 thousand dollars.

When the bill came, Matthew maxed out his credit cards on the spot and had no choice but to call Alice to bail him out.

Since she didn't have that kind of money either, she turned back to me.

"Matthew's funds are all tied up in his company. He'll pay you back next month as soon as the client payments clear. He said if you lend us the money tonight, we'll take you along on our honeymoon in Myravelle.

"We're going to an ultra-luxury seven-star resort! You'd probably never be able to afford a trip like that on your own."

My brain was short-circuiting. "Why on earth would you take me on your honeymoon?"

"Matthew said the more, the merrier! He's planning to invite a few of his friends, too."

Hearing this absurd excuse, I couldn't help scoffing internally.

Right.

His friends were just a cover. He clearly wanted to take Fiona along.

Not bothering to expose him, I just offered a cold reply. "Sorry, I don't have that kind of money on hand. You should ask someone else."

Alice panicked and immediately raised her voice. "How could you not have money? A few years ago when I wanted to buy a place, you lent me 20 thousand dollars without batting an eye!

"I've paid all 20 thousand dollars back over the years, so you definitely have savings by now! Why won't you lend it to me? You used to transfer money the second I asked!"

Right. I used to be so good to her and trust her so completely.

Too bad she destroyed every bit of it with her own hands.

I made up a lie on the spot. "I lost it all in the stock market a while back. I don't have a single penny saved right now."

"What?"

Alice's voice cracked in a shrill screech as she began berating me with venom. "You really are good for nothing! You can't help out when it actually counts! You've wasted all that money!

"Forget it. Once you start earning money again, hand it over to my husband so he can manage it for you. Women just don't have the financial sense men do anyway—"

Sick of her nonsense, I cut her off directly. "Alright. I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep."

Just as I was about to hang up, Alice barked frantically, "Sleep? You need to come down here and pay the bill for me! If you don't have savings, just swipe your credit card, or take out a quick online loan or something! Hurry up!"

Unbelievable. She truly saw me as her personal piggy bank. She actually expected me to take out a loan to pay for their party?

Refusing to give her another second of my breath, I pretended not to hear and hung up the phone.

Not two seconds later, it rang again.

Watching Alice's name flash across the screen, I put my phone on silent and pulled the covers over my head.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw 28 missed calls waiting for me.

As I scrolled through the 28 missed calls from Alice, a scoff escaped my lips.

Taking my sweet time, I sent her a reply. "So sorry, babe! I was just so exhausted last night. I fell asleep and totally missed it."

I waited over ten minutes, but Alice didn't reply.

Not caring in the slightest, I casually put on light makeup, slipped into a simple dress, and headed out for her wedding.

Right as I arrived at the venue entrance, I saw Alice standing there in her wedding dress to welcome guests.

Her hands, neck, and ears were completely bare, stripped of any jewelry.

She looked drawn and exhausted. Even her heavy wedding makeup failed to cover the deep dark circles under her eyes.

The moment she spotted me, she stomped over in a huff. "What was with you last night? You stopped answering my calls, forcing me to scramble everywhere trying to find someone to borrow money from!

"I was up until 5:00 am, and in the end, I had to max out several of my credit cards just to settle it. That's over 30 thousand dollars! My heart was pounding out of my chest the whole time!"

Alice clicked her tongue in annoyance, though her tone quickly shifted into something smug. "Still, Matthew said it's just small change. He'll pay it off next month once the client payments are clear. He even promised to buy me a handbag as a reward!"

A cold thrill of dread hit me. Alice was almost certainly going to get stuck with that debt.

My old self would have immediately warned her to be careful, even stepping in to lend money to help her out of a tight spot.

Now, I merely offered a superficial smile and went along with it. "Yeah, he's so good to you. You're so lucky. By the way…"

I glanced around the lobby before asking, "Where's the groom?"

"He went back to the dressing room to recharge."

Alice paused before giving me an order. "The ceremony is starting soon. Help me get him."

I nodded, turned around, and walked toward the dressing room.

But I never expected to hear Matthew's and Fiona's breathless, intimate murmurs coming from inside once again.

"You're terrible. It's your wedding day today."

"Doesn't that make it so much more thrilling?"

I stood silently outside, listening to the filthy conversation within. Only when things settled down five minutes later did I knock softly on the door.

After a while, Matthew finally opened the door a crack and asked me with a nervous expression, "Yes?"

Through that narrow gap, I caught a glimpse of Fiona in front of the mirror, touching up her lipstick.

I acted totally oblivious and kept my voice completely flat. "The ceremony's starting soon. Alice wants you out there."

15 minutes later, I sat at a table, watching Alice and Matthew recite their wedding vows on stage. The whole thing was just ridiculous.

"The groom may now kiss the bride!"

The emcee shouted into the microphone, and the crowd chimed in with raucous cheers.

Matthew pulled a blushing Alice into his arms before leaning down to kiss her.

In that picture-perfect moment, I caught Fiona at the next table wearing an amused smirk.

A second later, the massive screen on stage flickered, flashing a series of explicit photos.

The star of the show was none other than the bride, Alice.

The instant Alice caught sight of the screen, a hysterical scream tore from her throat.