Playing Second Fiddle

When Evie Jones and I were choosing wedding favors on the sofa, she picked up a call, and her expression slowly became anxious.

With a simple "Something came up," she changed her clothes in a flash and bolted out the door, and I didn't try to stop her.

Putting down my phone, I walked over to the windowsill and watched as she got in the car and drove away impatiently, an indescribable feeling in my heart.

I saw the caller's ID. It was Stewart Golding, Evie's first love, and someone who left an indelible mark on her life.

The two of them grew up as childhood sweethearts, and in high school, they agreed to get into the same university.

Back then, Evie's grades were really just average, but for the promise to Stewart, she began to study with all she had.

In the end, she got into the same school as Stewart as she wished, but right after arriving at university, the latter went abroad to study and cut off contact with her.

After that, Evie fell into a slump. It started with her not being able to eat or drink properly, then with her changing boyfriends like clothing.

She was both rich and beautiful, so boys always flocked to her like moths to a flame, and sooner or later, she ended up infamously known as Culberra's greatest heartbreaker.

Then, I appeared, and she got her act together for two years… but not completely.

In reality, she only stopped fooling around outside, while she still had gatherings, all of which I attended with her.

I blocked drinks for her and acted like a total bootlicker, becoming the laughing stock of everyone in her social circle.

"I bet this one's going to last a week!"

"No, this one looks more like Stewart, so I think he'll last longer… two weeks!"

Evie gradually shifted her focus from changing boyfriends to tormenting me instead.

At gatherings, I drank for her until I got gastric bleeding, but she only waved it off, saying that I was happy to do so.

One rainy day, she made me deliver her an umbrella, forcing me to walk all the way there without using one.

By the time I reached the bar, I was soaked to the bone, while she and her friends all jeered at me. Even then, I forced a smile on my face and laughed along.

The second day, I woke up with a fever, but still made her breakfast.

In the end, to everyone's surprise, I stayed by Evie's side for two whole years, relying on my face that had some resemblance to Stewart and my remarkable persistence.

During these two years, our relationship never surpassed anything platonic, and she gave me everything except her love.

It went to the point that later on, her friends would sometimes call me 'Stu', as if me being a stand-in for Stewart was some sort of game they'd gotten addicted to playing.

One day, Evie brought up the notion of getting married.

"Wow, he really ended up bagging her after all that bootlicking, huh?"

"Is she really going to get married to that penniless nobody?"

Even I found it unbelievable, and for a moment, I wondered whether Evie had truly fallen for me.

But I knew the truth. It was all just a ruse to force Stewart into coming back from overseas.

Besides, getting married wasn't part of my plan anyway, so if Stewart hadn't taken the bait, I would've had to plan another escape route.

Fortunately, Stewart had heard the rumors and returned home.

When I saw Evie drive away, I secretly let out a sigh of relief.