Chapter 2

The moment Simon went to the restroom, I immediately opened the post again.

The original poster had updated it just a second ago.

[Guys, quick update—I made it happen! I told him I'd bring my girlfriend along, and he agreed without hesitation. Good thing we're tight. He didn't suspect a thing. 'Victory emoji.']

My heart dropped.

I kept scrolling and saw several new comments.

After Simon's reply, most of the silent onlookers couldn't stay quiet anymore. One after another, people jumped in to tear him apart.

[Is breaking up really that hard? You'd rather scheme against a buddy who trusts you? Are you even human?]

[Meeting someone like you is the worst kind of bad luck. I hope your buddy sees this post and realizes what you really are. Disgusting.]

[Stop pushing this kind of garbage to me. I'm so mad I'm about to get a lump in my chest! Idiot!]

But the poster wasn't affected in the slightest. He fired back at each comment.

[I'm not stupid. If I break up, my girlfriend will definitely demand money and use the baby to threaten me.]

[Besides, if you were in my shoes, you'd all find some sucker to take the fall too.]

[And honestly, I've never liked the guy. Just some rural nobody—why does he always have girls hovering around him? Always acting like some perfect gentleman…]

[Anyway, I want him socially ruined, condemned by everyone… And I get to dump my girlfriend on him. Kill two birds with one stone!]

The more I read, the more shocked I became.

By then, I was completely certain—the poster was Simon.

Just like he said, I came from the countryside. I was the only one from my village who made it into college. Because of that, I'd always felt inferior during my university years. I didn't have many friends.

Simon was the only one willing to hang out with me. From freshman year to graduation, and even after we started working, I'd always treated him like a real brother. So it never once crossed my mind that, behind my back, he saw me this way—looked down on me, resented me… even wanted to ruin me.

The sudden betrayal hit hard, leaving me both furious and sick at heart. My hand trembled as I gripped my phone.

It wasn't until Simon stopped replying to the comments that it hit me—he was probably on his way back.

I quickly put my phone away, took a deep breath, and forced my expression back to normal.

By then, I had already made up my mind. Not only would I refuse his invitation, but I would also keep my distance from him from now on.

Just as the thought settled, Simon walked out of the restroom. He sat back down and said, "Tyler, give me your ID number. I'll book your ticket right now. And don't worry about the cost—I've got it. Consider it my treat for coming with me."

He slapped his thigh and laughed.

But to me, that smile felt like provocation—mocking, taunting, laced with ridicule.

I forced down the anger surging inside me and replied, "Simon, cancel the ticket. I'm not going."

"What?!" Before I could even finish, Simon blurted it out loudly.

Realizing he'd overreacted, he quickly cleared his throat.

"I—I mean, why the sudden change? Isn't this a bit too abrupt?"

I put on an apologetic tone. "I thought it over just now. The timing feels too tight. And I've been swamped with a project lately—I'll probably need to work overtime this weekend.

"So I'll pass this time. Let's go somewhere together during the next holiday instead. You can go to the EDM festival with your girlfriend. I won't play third wheel."

At that, Simon's smile completely vanished. His expression darkened. "But we already agreed on this. Backing out now—isn't that a bit much? Are we even best buds?"

In the past, whenever he played the "best bud" card, I would always give in. As long as he wanted something, I'd do my best to go along with it.

But now that I'd seen his true face, I finally understood just how foolish I'd been these past five years.

I let out a self-mocking laugh and lowered my head, continuing to eat.

When Simon saw that I wasn't responding, he grew anxious.

Just as he was about to speak, I picked up a napkin, wiped my mouth, and stood up before he could say a word.

"Sorry, Simon. It's getting late, and I still have work to finish. I'm heading off. As for the trip, next time—I promise I'll go with you."

With that, I turned and walked away without looking back at his expression.

It wasn't until I got home and opened X that a new notification popped up at the top of the screen.

Simon had made another post.