Chapter 4

When we got home, Edith finally seemed to remember that I had been upset.

She hugged me from behind, her voice gentle. "Holden, don't be mad. I'm sorry I didn't pay enough attention to you today."

Her hands rested on my waist with the ease of old habit. Whenever she held me like this before, I would always give in.

But this time, I gently pushed her away. "I'm just a little tired."

Edith froze. She looked at me briefly before letting out a quiet sigh.

"Then get some rest early," she said.

With that, she took her phone and went into the bathroom.

When the sound of running water started, the tablet beside the bed suddenly lit up. Edith's WhatsApp was still logged in.

Caden asked, "Did you smooth things over with him?"

Edith replied quickly, "No. He even pushed me away earlier."

Caden sent a smirking emoji. Then, he wrote, "That must really hurt."

A short while later, Edith replied, "I'm fine. Honestly, it's better that he turned me down. We've been together for so many years that I'm starting to get tired of it.

"Lately, I just haven't been feeling much interest in him."

I stared at those lines of text, my fingertips slowly turning cold.

So, even being intimate with me had become something Edith had to force herself to do.

There were no tears. I just kept scrolling upward.

The chat history went on for so long that I could barely see the beginning of it. It was dozens of times longer than my chat history with Edith.

At first, their conversations were still mostly about me.

Caden asked, "Holden filmed all day today. Are his feet still hurting?"

Edith replied, "They are, but he's too stubborn to admit it. I'll get him some medicine later."

As I read those messages, I felt a small flicker of warmth. So, there was a time when they both cared about me.

But the more I scrolled, the less my name appeared.

They started talking about filming, sunsets, and the new cufflinks Caden bought.

Slowly, I became nothing more than an occasional mention between their conversations.

Edith wrote, "Holden has been getting more sensitive lately. It's just work, but he always acts like I've wronged him."

Caden replied, "Don't say that about him. He just cares a lot about you."

But his next message said, "But he really isn't suited for being in front of the camera. His kind of presence will make the scene feel flat."

I couldn't help but smile bitterly.

After witnessing the betrayal of both my girlfriend and my best friend, I suddenly felt exhausted.

I was so tired that even sadness felt unnecessary.

Fortunately, in three days, I would be flying overseas. I would no longer be in the background of their love story.

…

The day I was supposed to leave happened to be on the same day as the proposal shoot.

The wind was strong at the foot of the snowy mountain.

Caden stood in the center of the shot wearing a white suit, looking like a picture-perfect dream.

Edith wore a black dress, and she reached out her hand with excitement written all over her face.

I stood behind the monitor. My fingers were stiff from the cold.

I finished writing the script for this proposal last night. The snowy mountain, the ring, and the declaration of love. Every detail was exactly what I had once secretly dreamed of.

When Edith finished reading the script, she even smiled and said, "Holden, you understand me best. Caden will definitely love it."

Back then, I merely looked down and smiled.

I didn't tell her that this was never written for Caden.

The cameras started rolling. Caden got down on one knee, looked up at Edith, and recited the love declaration I had written.

"I want to spend countless snowy nights with you," he said. "I want everyone to know that you're the only leading lady in my life."

With tears in her eyes, Edith reached out her hand.

Caden slipped the ring onto her finger.

It fit perfectly.