1 My boyfriend’s childhood best friend, Hailey, was hopelessly clueless when it came to love. To protect her, Paul had practically turned himself into a relationship guru, an expert at spotting toxic men. Giving her the silent treatment? Dump him. Refusing to post her on social media? Dump him. Counting pennies and acting cheap? Dump him. Every time Hailey got her heart broken, Paul was right there by her side, comforting her with gentle words, whispering that the next one would be better. On our sixth anniversary, Hailey showed up at our place again, her eyes red and swollen. "Paul, my new boyfriend has this girl best friend he grew up with." "He never remembers what I like to eat. Whenever we go out, he only orders the dishes she likes." "He stays up all night helping her with her work projects, and he even drives across town in the pouring rain just to pick her up." "And yesterday, he promised to spend my birthday with me, but she called him, and he just left. He abandoned me." "Tell me, Paul, does he even love me?" Paul frowned as he listened, his eyes softening with deep pity as he gently stroked Hailey’s hair. "Hailey, break up with him." "Men know men best. He has no boundaries, and he is trying to have his cake and eat it too. He doesn’t deserve you." My chest tightened, a dull ache spreading through my ribs. For six long years, Paul had openly, blatantly favored Hailey. Every time I got upset about it, he would give me a cold look and tell me I was overthinking, that I was being paranoid. But it turned out he understood the concept of boundaries perfectly. He knew exactly what was inappropriate. Perhaps I should take the advice Paul just gave. Perhaps it was time to end this off-track relationship. Hailey nodded trustingly, wiping her tears. "Paul, I’ll do whatever you say." Right there, she called her boyfriend, coldly announced the breakup, and immediately blocked and deleted his number. Paul pinched her cheek with a fond, indulgent smile. "That’s my girl. Don’t waste your time or energy on trash like him." "What do you want to do today? I’m all yours." Hailey smiled through her tears, playfully wrapping her arms around Paul’s bicep. "Let’s go see that new movie that just came out!" Paul didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone and booked the tickets right away. Watching their easy, intimate interaction, my heart sank into a cold, dark place. Paul never bothered to keep his distance from Hailey when I was around. Whenever I expressed how uncomfortable it made me, all I got was his cold, defensive lecturing. "Nora, can you please stop being so insecure?" "Hailey and I grew up together. She’s practically my sister. Am I supposed to just cut her out of my life because I’m dating you?" I had always been left speechless, forcing myself to swallow the bitterness and pretend to be broad-minded. But now, the truth was glaring. He knew his behavior was crossing the line; he just didn’t care enough about my feelings to stop. As the two of them got up to leave, I lightly tapped my knuckles on the table, my voice calm and even. "Paul, you forgot. We’re supposed to sign the lease with the landlord in an hour." Three days ago, Paul had found a beautiful, spacious loft downtown. The owner was in a rush to relocate and had dropped the price significantly. Paul had paid the deposit on the spot. When he came home, he had held me tight, his eyes bright with excitement as he promised me a future. "Nora, once we sign the contract, we can start decorating. We’ll paint the walls in that soft cream tone you love, and you can pick out all the furniture. We’ll even set up a nursery for our future baby. We’re going to be so happy." He had painted such a beautiful picture. Now, I realized it was nothing but sandcastles in the wind. Sure enough, Paul’s brow furrowed in irritation. "We can sign a contract anytime, Nora. Hailey just got her heart broken. What could possibly be more important than being there for her right now?" I fell silent, staring at him. My silence only seemed to make him more annoyed. "Are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now? Nora, be mature. Hailey is practically your sister too. Why can’t you just put yourself in her shoes for once?" I cut him off, my voice devoid of emotion. "Fine. Go ahead. I’ll head back first." I didn’t wait for his reply. I stood up, grabbed my bag, and walked out. It was always like this. Whenever Hailey was involved, Paul would abandon me without a second thought. Compared to their deep, unbreakable bond, I was nothing but an intrusive stranger. I was tired of playing a supporting role in their twisted little drama. When I got home, I locked myself in the study and focused entirely on my work. The sky outside turned from a dusty orange to a deep, heavy black. Around dinner time, my phone buzzed. It was a long text from Paul. "Nora, go to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients for that pasta Hailey likes. We’re going to a karaoke bar to help her blow off some steam, so I’ll be home late." I stared at the screen for a moment, then locked my phone without replying. Paul didn’t ask if I had eaten. He didn’t ask how I was doing. Every single word was about Hailey. Anyone looking at his phone would think she was the one he was dating. It was nearly midnight when Paul finally returned, practically carrying a heavily intoxicated Hailey. I walked out of the study, leaning against the doorframe as I watched him gently lay her down on the sofa, carefully feeding her warm honey water. Once she was settled, Paul wiped the sweat from his forehead and opened the fridge. He froze, then turned to me, his face tightening with displeasure. "Where are the groceries I asked you to get?" I cracked open a can of iced cola and took a slow sip. "I didn’t buy them." "Paul, I am not your maid." Paul’s jaw clenched, his voice tight with suppressed anger. "Nora, you know Hailey is going through a rough time. Do you really have to pick tonight of all nights to pick a fight with me?" I didn’t bother arguing. I turned around and went back into the study, locking the door behind me. The apartment fell quiet for a short while, but soon, the clatter of pots and pans echoed from the kitchen. Paul was preparing Hailey’s lunch box for work the next day. A year ago, Hailey had food poisoning from a cheap takeout place and ended up in the hospital on an IV drip for three days. Since then, Paul had insisted on cooking fresh, balanced, and organic meals for her every single night so she could take them to the office. He made sure she had a different menu every day of the week. He had been doing this religiously for three years. Yet, when I had a high fever last winter and begged him to make me a simple bowl of soup, he had told me to just order delivery because cooking was too much hassle. I took a deep breath, forcing the memories out of my head. A soft knock sounded at the study door. Paul’s voice through the wood was much softer now, laced with a rare hint of guilt. "Nora, I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have bailed on you for the lease. Let’s go sign it next Sunday, okay? I’ll make sure to bring your anniversary gift then, too." I didn’t answer. Every time we fought over Hailey, he would eventually come to me with a half-hearted apology, offering a tiny olive branch. And every single time, I had accepted it, stepping down from the pedestal of my own self-respect. But today, I was done pretending. Suddenly, a loud, violent retching sound came from the living room. Hailey had thrown up all over the plush white sofa. The sharp, sour stench of vomit quickly filled the apartment. I covered my nose, my patience completely evaporating. I opened the door and looked at Paul coldly. "Hailey is not staying here tonight. Get her out and take her back to her own place." Paul’s face went instantly dark. "Nora, I already apologized! Why do you have to be so malicious toward Hailey? Does it kill you to see me show her a little bit of basic human decency?" A bitter laugh escaped my throat. This apartment was bought entirely by my parents as a pre-marital asset for me. Yet, Paul treated it like a second home for Hailey. Her favorite stuffed animals sat on my couch, her expensive skincare products lined my bathroom shelves, and Paul had even stuffed two sets of her pajamas into my closet. This home was saturated with her existence. Paul stared at me, his jaw set stubbornly. "I’m not leaving her alone like this. She’s staying here tonight so I can keep an eye on her." A wave of profound exhaustion washed over me. I didn’t say another word. I walked back into the master bedroom and shut the door with a firm click. Paul didn’t follow me. In the quiet darkness of the room, I pulled out my phone. I booked a one-way ticket out of the country, and then I listed my apartment on a local real estate website for rent. I was done wasting my youth on this dead-end relationship. A clean break was the only way out. The next morning, when I walked out of the bedroom, the living room floor had been thoroughly scrubbed and the couch covers had been replaced with fresh ones. Hailey was sitting at the dining table, waving at me with a sweet, innocent smile. "Morning, Nora! Come have some breakfast. I’m so sorry for the mess I made last night!" Paul, who had been smiling warmly at Hailey a second before, instantly masked his face with a cold, indifferent expression the moment he saw me. He pushed a plate of pancakes and bacon toward me without looking at me, then turned back to Hailey. "Grab your bag, sweetie. I’ll drive you to the office." I didn’t touch the food. I looked directly at Paul and said, "Paul, let’s break up." The car keys in Paul’s hand slipped, clattering loudly against the hardwood floor. His brows knitted together in a fierce scowl, his voice trembling with rising anger. "Nora, are you serious? Is this game ever going to end?" "You’ve been acting completely irrational since yesterday, and now you’re throwing around the word 'breakup' like it’s a joke. What exactly do you want from me?" My voice was flat, empty of any anger or pain. "I don’t want anything. I just realized this relationship has become completely pointless." Paul and I worked at the same firm, but Hailey’s office was in the exact opposite direction. Yet, every single morning, Paul would leave an hour early to drive across town, pick Hailey up, and drop her off at her office before coming to work. When I had suggested she take the subway, Paul had snapped at me. "Hailey likes to sleep in. She can’t handle the morning rush on transit. It’s safer and easier if I just drive her." In the four years Paul and I had worked at the same company, we had never commuted to work together once. I had tolerated it for far too long. Now, the weight was finally lifting. Hailey stood beside him, her bottom lip trembling as her eyes welled up with tears. "Nora, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have ruined your anniversary, and I shouldn’t have kept taking Paul away from you." "Please don’t break up because of me. I promise I’ll stay away. I won’t get in between you two ever again." She began to sob, her shoulders shaking pitifully. Paul’s heart visibly broke for her. He pulled her behind him, shielding her from my gaze, and wiped her tears with his thumb. When he looked back at me, his eyes were cold and sharp as daggers. "Hailey, this has nothing to do with you." "When someone is determined to be bitter and cruel, nothing you do will ever be good enough for them." Paul scooped up his keys from the floor, grabbed Hailey’s hand, and walked out of the apartment without looking back. It was a scene I had witnessed dozens of times. Every time Paul and I had a disagreement, Hailey would play the martyr with her tears and apologies, and Paul would inevitably take her side, convinced I was the villain. I had never won against Hailey. But the good news was, I didn’t have to compete anymore. The apartment grew blissfully quiet. I had no appetite, so I grabbed my bag and headed straight to the office. When Paul walked into the office later that morning, a faint trace of Hailey’s sweet, floral perfume drifted off his clothes. He didn’t bring me my usual morning coffee, nor did he leave any snacks on my desk. He walked past me with his chin up, treating me like a stranger. Even our colleagues noticed the icy atmosphere, exchanging subtle, curious glances. I ignored them all, keeping my head down and focusing on my reports. After lunch, Paul blocked my path in the quiet stairwell. He grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight and erratic, his eyes filled with a strange, defensive hurt. "Nora, do you really have to do this?" "You haven’t said a single word to me all morning, and you went out of your way to avoid me at lunch." "I know I was harsh this morning, but you can’t keep using a breakup to punish me. What do you want me to do? Just tell me!" A small ripple of emotion stirred in my chest, but it was quickly snuffed out by cold, hard logic. Paul cared about me, yes. But his care was a fragile, conditional thing. The moment Hailey whistled, his love for me vanished into thin air. I reached up and firmly pushed his hands off my shoulders, looking him dead in the eye. "Paul, let me ask you a question." "When Hailey’s boyfriend prioritized his female friend, you immediately saw through him. You said he had no boundaries, that he wanted to have his cake and eat it too." "So why is it that when you do the exact same thing to me, you think it’s perfectly fine?" "You told Hailey to break up with him because he was trash. Weren’t you actually telling me that breaking up with you is the only logical choice I have?" Paul froze, the color draining from his face until he looked ghostly pale. His lips parted, but no sound came out. "Nora, I..." I offered him a small, polite smile, not caring to hear whatever excuse he was about to concoct. I turned on my heel and walked back to my desk. I used to think Paul was just oblivious, that I was being overly sensitive. But seeing how fiercely he defended Hailey’s boundaries made me realize how foolish I had been. He understood everything. He just chose not to apply those rules to me. As soon as the clock struck five, I grabbed my coat to leave. Paul stepped in front of my desk, his expression soft and pleading. "Nora, please. Just give me one more chance. Let’s grab dinner and talk this through. Please." Unable to withstand his desperate begging, I finally relented and followed him to a nearby Italian restaurant. Paul reverted to the boy I had fallen in love with years ago. He pulled out my chair, poured my water, ordered my favorite dishes, and kept a steady supply of napkins near my hand. During the meal, he looked at me with absolute sincerity. "Nora, I spent the whole afternoon thinking." "I know I’ve crossed the line, and I’ve been incredibly selfish. Hailey is just a childhood friend, nothing more. You are the woman I love." "From now on, I promise I will put you first. Your feelings will always be my priority. I will never make you feel second best again." Looking into his earnest eyes, a tiny fracture of hesitation formed in my resolve. I opened my mouth, about to speak, when his phone began to vibrate violently on the table. The caller ID flashed: "Princess Hailey." Paul answered it instantly. From the receiver, Hailey’s hysterical sobbing echoed loudly through the quiet restaurant. "Paul... my ex is here at my office. He’s cornered me... I’m so scared, please help me..." The call abruptly disconnected with a loud crash. Paul bolted upright, his face pale with terror. I sat there, watching him silently. Realizing how terrible he looked, Paul grabbed my hand, his grip tight and desperate. "Nora, just this once. This is the last time, I swear. We grew up together. I can’t just let her get hurt." I let out a long, quiet sigh. "Let’s go. I’ll come with you." No matter how much I disliked Hailey’s role in my relationship, I wasn’t a monster. If she was in actual physical danger, I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing. Paul drove like a maniac, weaving through traffic and running yellow lights. When we arrived at Hailey’s office building, a crowd had already gathered near the lobby. Hailey’s ex-boyfriend, Marcus, was red-faced and screaming, his hand clamped tightly around Hailey’s hair as he dragged her backward. "You think you can just dump me? Who the hell do you think you are, Hailey? I dump people, nobody dumps me!" Paul’s eyes went wild. He let go of my hand, balled his fists, and charged into the crowd, slamming Marcus into the glass doors. The lobby erupted into chaos. People were screaming, security guards were running, and someone was shouting to call the police. I stood at the edge of the crowd, watching Paul fight. He was taking punches to the face, his lip split and bleeding, but he refused to let go of Marcus, throwing wild, vicious blows to protect Hailey. During our university days, Paul had always been a quiet, gentle scholar. He detested violence and had never raised his hand against anyone. Even when I was harassed by a drunk guy at a bar years ago, Paul had calmly pulled me away and comforted me, choosing peace over conflict. He had never fought for me like this. This raw, animalistic protectiveness was something he reserved solely for Hailey. Eventually, security and bystanders managed to pull the two men apart. Marcus slipped away into the night, nursing a broken nose. Hailey immediately threw her arms around Paul’s waist, burying her face in his chest, shaking like a leaf. Paul wrapped his arms around her tightly, resting his chin on her head. His face was bruised and bloodied, but his eyes were filled with a tenderness so deep it made my stomach churn. "It’s okay, baby. I’m here. You’re safe." I stood outside the circle, watching them. The distance between Paul and me felt wider than an ocean. I remembered how our friends used to tease them back in college. "Why do you even bother looking for a boyfriend, Hailey? Paul is basically your knight in shining armor." Hailey would blush furiously, while Paul would laugh it off. "Stop talking nonsense. Nora is my girlfriend, she’s the only one for me." But his actions had always painted a different picture. I didn’t wait for them to notice me. I turned around and walked out into the cool night air. Paul didn’t come home that night. Around 2:00 AM, he sent me a brief text. "Nora, Hailey is traumatized. I’m staying at her place tonight to make sure she’s safe. Please understand." I didn’t reply. Instead, I grabbed several cardboard boxes and began packing. I packed every single article of clothing, every shoe, every book, and every personal item belonging to Paul and Hailey that was scattered across my apartment. Before I went to bed, my phone buzzed again. It was a message from Hailey. It was a photo. In the dimly lit apartment, Hailey was leaning up, her eyes closed as she pressed her lips against Paul’s. Paul’s face was flushed red, but his hand was resting firmly on her waist, holding her close. Along with the photo was a text: "Nora, to be honest, I’ve always loved Paul." "I broke up with Marcus just to prove a point, to show you who Paul actually cares about when the stakes are high." "When are you finally going to get the hint and give him back to me?" I calmly took a screenshot of the message, saved it to my drive, and turned off my phone. The next morning, I called a local courier service to pick up all the heavy boxes and deliver them to Hailey’s address. ... Paul opened the door to Hailey’s apartment, his eyes widening in confusion as he saw the stack of heavy cardboard boxes blocking the hallway. The courier driver held up a clipboard, his voice thoroughly bored. "Mr. Paul? These packages were sent by a Ms. Nora." "It’s cash on delivery. Please scan this code to pay the courier fee." Across the side of the top box, written in bold, permanent black marker, was a single, devastating word: OVER. It was Nora’s handwriting. Paul’s head began to spin, the blood rushing to his ears with a deafening roar.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "522231", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel