Chapter 2

Erin pulled me back home, not saying a word during the journey. When the car finally came to a stop in the underground garage, she spoke, "You've totally embarrassed me tonight."

I unfastened my seatbelt. "Have you guys ever done anything to make me look good?"

Erin turned to me, her expression darkened. "Richard, you weren't like this before."

I had heard those words so many times before.

Whenever I didn't smile, she would say, "You weren't like this before."

When I refused to let Mark stay the night at our house, she would say the same thing. When I refused to lend them the fountain pen my father had left me so they could use it in their video, she said it again.

It was as if I had been born to be generous and sensible and to be their source of amusement.

Erin followed me into the elevator, her phone ringing constantly in the background. She glanced at it before answering.

Mark's voice came through, "Erin, are you guys home? Is Richard really okay? I'm afraid he might do something drastic."

Erin's gaze landed on me, her voice softening. "He's fine. He's just gotten worked up."

"Don't be mad at Richard, okay? It's all my fault. I shouldn't have brought up the subject of children."

Erin massaged her temples. "This is not your fault."

By the time she hung up, we had reached our house.

A gift box sat on the coffee table. Erin walked over and opened it, revealing a luxury watch. She picked it up, as if offering me a way to smooth things over. "I had originally intended to give this to you after the meal."

I glanced at it. It was beautiful but also completely unfamiliar. "Who picked this?"

Erin paused. "Mark has good taste, so I asked him to pick out a few options."

I nodded. "Give it to him, then."

She threw the watch back into the box. "Richard, don't try to be sarcastic with me."

I turned and walked toward the bedroom, with Erin following behind me. She tried to suppress her anger. "We've done this every year, and nothing happened. Why can't you accept it this year?"

I stopped in front of the closet. The best man's suit was still hanging inside.

That day, Mark had put on a groom's suit and asked me whether he looked handsome, while Erin laughed. "Richard, you fit right in standing beside us, like family."

Everyone burst out laughing.

I was just as calm now as I was humiliated back then.

Erin followed my gaze and noticed the suit. Her voice hardened. "I explained about this, didn't I?"

"Yeah."

She continued, "It was fake to begin with."

"But I was genuinely humiliated."

She momentarily fell silent before saying, "Do you really have to blow this out of proportion?"

I took the suit and threw it into the trash, but Erin tried to stop me. "Mark said this outfit could be used for the next themed party."

I stared at her. "So, you're keeping it just to make fun of me again?"

Erin seemed annoyed by the question. "It's just a suit."

I retracted my hand, stuffing the suit back into the closet.

Impatience was evident on Erin's face. "Richard, don't push me too far."

The doorbell rang at that moment, and she went over to the door.

Mark was standing outside, holding a cardboard box. There was an unmistakable look of guilt in his eyes. "Richard, I'm returning these to you."

Inside the box were the boutonniere and bow tie they had used as props for their fake wedding last year, along with a preserved-flower case whose glass cover was shattered.

Erin explained, "I took it last year. The glass cover broke. Mark said he'd help fix it and took it away."

Mark added, "Richard, don't get the wrong idea. Erin doesn't remember any of this. It's all my fault."

I picked up the boutonniere, and the dried flowers crumbled in my palm. It turned out I even had to reclaim my wedding keepsake from Mark.

Erin noticed my silence and softened her tone. "Since he gave them back, let's leave it at that."

In response, I dropped the ruined boutonniere into the trash bag.

Mark panicked. "Richard, that's your boutonniere!"

"It's already ruined."

Erin sneered, her eyes fixed on me. "Fine, Richard. You're determined to upset everyone today, huh?"

She grabbed her phone. "Since this bothers you so much, I'll ask everyone to come over, and I'll apologize to you before them. Would that make you happy?"

Before I could speak, she sent a voice message in the group chat. "Come to my house. Richard demands an explanation."