The Game Was Rigged

When I got back to the private room, Connor Winfield was surrounded by people taking pictures with him.

A luxury mechanical watch was on his wrist. Under the lights, it stood out even more.

Someone laughed. "Charlotte, that grand prize is seriously expensive. Anyone who didn't know better would think Connor is the one you're proposing to tonight."

Connor's eyes instantly turned red.

"Please don't say that. George will be upset."

As soon as he spoke, everyone looked at me.

Charlotte Kilbourn looked surprised when she saw me come back.

"Why are you just standing there? Someone might think you've been bullied."

I suddenly wanted to laugh as I looked at her.

I was the one who got hurt. But even staying silent somehow made me look like I was causing trouble.

So I didn't move.

Charlotte frowned a little.

Lyra Sharpe stood up and walked over to me.

She had a gentle face. She always looked like she was smiling whenever she looked at someone.

Until I was 18, I had believed Lyra would never do anything to embarrass me.

But now she looked up at me and lowered her voice. "George, please don't embarrass Charlotte at a time like this."

I looked at her. "Did I say anything?"

Lyra froze for a second.

Connor held the watchband as tears rolled down his face. "George, maybe I should give the watch back to you. I shouldn't have accepted it in the first place."

The moment his fingers touched the clasp, Charlotte said, "Keep wearing it."

Then she looked at me. "Whoever won it gets to keep it."

I let out a soft laugh.

The whole room fell silent.

Charlotte's eyes turned cold.

Lyra frowned. "George, we were just playing a game. Why do you have to make things so awkward?"

Then she stepped in front of Connor. Her voice stayed gentle, but her words carried a warning. "Connor has always been insecure. He's finally happy today. Can't you just let him have this?"

She said those words again.

I couldn't help looking at Connor.

Tears still hung in the corners of his eyes, but he stood beside Charlotte and gave me a look full of contempt.

Charlotte immediately walked over to me.

She carried the cool scent of cedarwood.

I had picked that perfume for her.

Back then, I said the clean, cool scent suited her.

But she thought it was too light.

Later, Connor said he liked it, and she wore it for the next three years.

Like always, she reached out to straighten my collar.

I turned my head and avoided her hand.

Someone in the room gasped.

Charlotte's expression finally darkened. "I'll go with you to try on the wedding outfits tomorrow."

I looked at her. "You still remember?"

She stared at me in disbelief. "I've never forgotten a promise I made to you."

Just then, Connor gave a soft cough.

Charlotte immediately turned around. "What's wrong?"

Connor shook his head. "Nothing. My wrist feels a little itchy. I'm probably just not used to wearing this watch."

Charlotte picked up her coat from the couch and draped it over his shoulders.

Lyra looked at me and sighed. "George, don't overthink it. Charlotte is marrying you tomorrow. We only think of Connor as a little brother."

I looked at her. "Would a little brother accept a matching watch that my fiancée personally picked out?"

Lyra's smile slowly faded. "Why do you have to talk like that?"

Charlotte turned back to me. Her voice was low and icy. "George, don't push it too far."

Suddenly, I didn't want to say another word.

In this room, even after I was humiliated, I still had to laugh and joke, "Guess I have the worst luck."

After the party ended, Charlotte drove Connor to the hospital.

There was only a small red mark on his wrist.

Lyra stayed behind to take me home. When we reached the door, she handed me her coat.

"The wind was pretty strong earlier. Don't catch a cold."

I looked down at the coat.

She always gave me a little comfort just when I was about to lose all hope. Then, the very next second, she pushed me right back where I started.

After helping me pull the coat around my shoulders, she said exactly what I expected, "George, don't take today to heart. You know Charlotte. She talks tough, but she's soft inside. Tomorrow she'll go with you to try on your wedding clothes. The day after that, you'll officially get married. You've already won, so stop arguing with Connor."

I looked at her. "What exactly did I win?"

Lyra froze.

She wanted to say something, but no words came out, because even she couldn't answer that question.