My engagement video on TikTok went viral. Just as I was about to close the comment section, a top comment with tens of thousands of likes caught my eye and made me laugh. "Your fiancé and the girl standing next to him definitely have something going on. Their outfits look more like a matching couple's set than yours." "Agreed. And in that last photo, the guy has a smudge on his upper lip that perfectly matches her lipstick. Looks like Chanel Rouge Allure shade 154." I replied: "Thanks for the concern, guys! But you're overthinking it. She's my best friend, and she and my fiancé have never really gotten along. It's just a coincidence." After hitting send, a strange impulse drove me to zoom in on the picture. I stared at the reddish smudge on his lip, lost in thought. I didn't own that shade. But it was my best friend's absolute favorite. A second later, I shook my head and laughed at myself, thinking I was being paranoid. I still remembered the first time I introduced Ethan to my best friend, Rachel. They literally ended up arguing in the private dining room. Ever since then, they would bicker every time they met. Whenever we went out, I had to choose between the two of them to avoid a scene. Tonight, Ethan was working late at the office. I turned on one of my usual sleep-aid live streams on TikTok. Just as I was drifting off, a familiar voice jolted me awake. "I hooked up with my best friend's fiancé. I don't want to lose either of them. What should I do?" I sat straight up in bed, completely wide awake. Although the woman on the split-screen stream was wearing sunglasses and a face mask, I recognized her instantly. It was Rachel.

My sleepiness vanished. I sat there in the dark, my heart hammering against my ribs. On the screen, the host scolded her for a bit before kicking her off the live stream. I immediately searched for her username. It was clearly a burner account, and it was set to private. I requested to follow her, but she didn't accept it right away. Rachel was a night owl; there was no way she was asleep at this hour. I changed my Snapchat display name to "Team True Love," and a second later, she accepted my request. Rachel's profile had dozens of private videos. Every single one of them showed her and Ethan in incredibly intimate poses. As I scrolled down, I realized that every time Ethan claimed he was working late, he was actually with her. My hands shook so violently I could barely hold my phone. "Did you see that live stream? Do you think we actually have a future together?" A message from Rachel popped up. Reading those two short sentences felt like a physical blow to my chest. I bit my lower lip hard, typing back: "Yeah. When did you guys start seeing each other? Aren't you afraid your best friend will cut you off?" Rachel replied almost instantly: "We've been together for over a year. He confessed to me first." "Of course I'm scared. But I can't control my heart. I think once she finds out, she'll understand." My fingers froze. The phone slipped from my hand and fell onto my lap, but I couldn't even feel the impact. Ethan and I had been engaged for exactly one year and two months. Rachel had met him for the very first time at our engagement party. Rachel sent a few more messages after that, but I couldn't bring myself to read them. Just then, a notification popped up at the top of my screen. "Ethan, who you follow, just shared a new post." I tapped into Ethan's Instagram. It was a new photo. I recognized the background instantly—it was Rachel's bedroom. One of our mutual friends had commented: "You spent the night at Rachel's and actually dared to post it on Instagram?" "Aren't you afraid Chloe will find out?" Ethan replied: "She hasn't logged into Instagram in ages. She won't notice." With trembling hands, I scrolled through Ethan's Instagram feed. I discovered that he had soft-launched his relationship with Rachel a year ago. He had even posted a picture of them kissing passionately in the dark. I stared at the photo, zooming in over and over again. But no matter how hard I tried to deny it, the man in the photo was indeed my fiancé, Ethan. And the woman was my best friend, Rachel. In the three years I had been with Ethan, I had asked him countless times to post about us on Instagram. He had always refused, giving me all kinds of excuses. Yet, he had no problem declaring his love for my best friend on his secret account. I didn't sleep a wink that night. The next morning, Ethan came home. He walked into the bedroom as usual, leaning down to kiss my forehead. As he drew closer, a heavy scent of perfume washed over me. It was Rachel's signature scent. I opened my eyes, startling him. "Chloe, why are you up so early?" I subtly pulled back, creating some distance between us. "Couldn't sleep. Were you out drinking with clients again? The perfume smell is overwhelming. Go take a shower." A flash of panic crossed Ethan's eyes. He let out a forced laugh and quickly headed to the bathroom. Once I heard the shower running, I carefully picked up his phone. I automatically entered his birthday. "Incorrect Password." My fingertips trembled. In all the years we had been together, he had never changed his passcode. Suppressing the lump in my throat, I tried entering Rachel's birthday. It unlocked. No matter how careful Ethan thought he was, he had left traces. I opened his hidden photo album. It was filled with photos of him and Rachel—taking selfies in different countries, hugging on beaches. Every time his company had a business trip that allowed a plus-one, I had asked to go. But he had always turned me down. "Chloe, I'm going there to work. Having you there will only distract me." I had genuinely believed he was just keeping his professional and personal life separate. But now I knew. He had been taking another woman with him, letting her live the life that belonged to me. The sound of the running water began to fade. Realizing Ethan was about to come out, I quickly put the phone back and pretended nothing had happened. "Chloe, come back to bed. I'm exhausted." Ethan pulled me into his arms as he lay back down. Just thinking about how these hands had held Rachel in the exact same way made me want to throw up. As he drifted off to sleep, I went to push him away, but then I heard him mumble: "Rachel... don't leave me. I love you." I felt like I had been struck by lightning. I couldn't move. Ethan was a reserved man. He had never said "I love you" to me. Even at our engagement party, he had only whispered: "Chloe, you're finally mine." I turned my head away, wiping my tears silently. I slipped out of bed, walked out of the room, and dialed a number. "Hi, this is Chloe. Regarding the wedding in two weeks... I'd like to change the bride's name on the program to Rachel."

When Ethan woke up, he reached out to the empty, cold space beside him, looking a bit dazed. Usually, I would be right there, eagerly waiting for him to wake up. But not today. He washed up and came downstairs. I was sitting on the couch, watching our engagement video. "Chloe, you look really pale. Did my sleep-talking wake you up?" I could hear the subtle questioning in Ethan's voice. My face remained blank. "No." He let out a quiet sigh of relief and sat down beside me. "What are you watching? I'll watch with you." I paused the video. "Hold on. Someone else is coming." Before Ethan could ask, the doorbell rang. I got up to open it. Rachel had completely changed her style today. She was wearing a simple white sundress, with barely-there makeup. I looked her up and down, a cold smile playing on my lips. "Rachel, this isn't like you. What's the occasion? Did you find a new guy to impress?" I didn't miss the flicker of expression on Rachel's face. Her smile stiffened, and she avoided my gaze. "No, I just... wanted to try out the style you like." I said nothing. I knew exactly who she was trying to impress. Ethan loved the "innocent, pure girl" look, which was why I had spent years dressing up in white dresses just to please him. I stepped aside to let her in. When Ethan looked up, his eyes practically locked onto her. Realizing he was staring, he cleared his throat and started putting on his usual act. "Rachel? What are the odds of you showing up this early? Great, now I've lost my appetite for breakfast." Rachel shot back, matching his energy: "Oh, please, Ethan. You think I want to see your face? If it weren't for Chloe, I wouldn't even step foot in your house." I watched them trade barbs. How had I never noticed how fake their acting was? If I hadn't known the truth, I would have stepped in to play peacemaker. But now, I just stood there, watching the show, finding it almost laughable. Seeing that I wasn't reacting, Ethan gave a cold huff, wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and sat down. As we turned, I caught a fleeting glimpse of jealousy and hurt in Rachel's eyes. Probably to avoid suspicion, she chose to sit on the armchair furthest from us. Now that everyone was here, I pressed play on the video. The screen showed a close-up. It was Ethan and Rachel, whispering intimately in a corner, completely ignoring me. "Ethan, since when did you and Rachel get so close? I had no idea." "Seeing how you two were practically at each other's throats just now, one might think you're just putting on a show for me." I threw the question out casually. Rachel, already on edge, looked at me in pure panic. "Chloe, you're overthinking it. It must be the camera angle. You know how much I can't stand him." Ethan took a sip of his coffee, chiming in, "Yeah, definitely a bad camera angle." I kept my eyes on the TV screen, but Ethan and Rachel were clearly squirming. "Chloe, I'm going to use the restroom," Rachel said. A few minutes later, Ethan's phone vibrated. Though he quickly flipped the screen over, I caught the name on the lock screen: "Rachel." "Chloe, I need to take this work call." I stared at his back as he walked toward the hallway bathroom, and then I silently got up to follow him. Hiding around the corner, I watched Rachel open the bathroom door, reach out, and pull Ethan inside. When we remodeled the house, Ethan had insisted on using lightweight doors so he could hear me if I ever slipped or needed help. Because of that, the bathroom door had zero soundproofing. "Ethan, you touched her just now. I'm jealous. Did you guys do anything behind my back this morning?"

Rachel's voice was dripping with jealousy. Ethan let out a soft laugh. The blurred shadow against the frosted glass leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Silly girl, you know you're the only one I love, right?" "I gave you my everything last night. Where would I even find the energy? Besides, I promised you I wouldn't touch her." I covered my mouth, forcing myself not to make a sound. Ever since we got engaged, our intimacy had dwindled to almost nothing. We hadn't slept together in over a month. He had always been a man with a high sex drive. But when he used the "I'm just too stressed with work" excuse, I had actually believed him. They flirted and made out inside for a while longer. By the time they came out, I was already back on the couch. Ethan had a faint smear of pink lipstick on his collar and the corner of his mouth. I pulled out a tissue and handed it to him. "Look at you. You're a grown man, yet you still eat like a kid. What did you sneak into?" I let the double meaning hang in the air. Ethan panicked, grabbing his phone screen to use as a mirror, frantically wiping his mouth. "Oh, uh, I must have gotten some of your lipstick on me when I washed my hands." I didn't call him out. Rachel couldn't stand being there any longer. She adjusted her smudged lipstick and said: "Chloe, I have some errands to run. I should go." She practically fled the house. Behind Ethan's back, a slow, cold smile crept onto my face. I turned off the television, picked up my phone, and permanently deleted the engagement video. Ethan noticed. "Chloe, why did you delete our engagement video? I thought that was your favorite." I looked him straight in the eyes, my smile not reaching my eyes. "I don't like it anymore. Besides, the wedding video in a few weeks will be much more exciting. That's the one worth keeping." My words were smooth and flawless. The brief suspicion in Ethan's mind quickly dissolved. Since it was his day off, he spent the afternoon begging me to go out with him. "Chloe, I've been so busy with work lately. I know I've neglected you. There's a new movie playing today, and I already bought the tickets. Let's go." The rejection at the tip of my tongue was swallowed back down. Ethan hated shopping and movies. I wanted to see what kind of game he was playing today. Was this guilt after cheating, or did he have another motive? I bypassed the rows of white dresses in my closet and threw on a casual, oversized sweater and jeans. When I walked out to the hallway balcony, I saw Ethan looking down at his phone, a massive grin on his face as he texted someone. The moment I stepped downstairs, he quickly put his phone away. "Chloe, why aren't you wearing a dress? I always love seeing you in white sundresses." Without looking up, I pulled out a dusty pair of sneakers from the closet. "I suddenly don't like them anymore." "Ethan, don't you think it's weird? People can change overnight. The things we used to love can suddenly mean absolutely nothing to us." Ethan's body stiffened for a fraction of a second before he forced a smile. On the drive to the mall, he kept glancing over at me. Unable to stand his fake face, I simply closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. Once we arrived at the mall, he held my hand tightly, as if he was terrified I would run away. "Ethan, you've been acting so strange lately. Did you do something wrong? Is this your way of making it up to me?" I looked at him with a smile. His grip on my hand tightened, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. "I'm just kidding. Look how nervous you are. Don't tell me you actually did something?" He swallowed hard. Before he could answer, a familiar voice called out from behind us. "Chloe!"

I turned around. It was Rachel, wearing a sweet smile as she walked toward us. More accurately, her eyes were locked onto Ethan. I couldn't help but shake my head inwardly. How had I been so blind to such obvious looks before? "Chloe, what a coincidence! Are you guys shopping too? Let's walk together." Rachel grabbed my arm, and almost instantly, she and Ethan started their usual bickering routine. "Let go of her. I want to walk with Chloe." "Why should I? Chloe is my best friend. If anyone should let go, it's you." I glanced at Ethan. He was really committed to this act, wasn't he? In the end, I had no choice but to walk in the middle, with Ethan on my right and Rachel on my left. When we reached the restaurant, Ethan pulled out his VIP card. The hostess bowed slightly. "Mr. Vance, correct? Your table for three is ready. Right this way." Hearing that, everything clicked. This was never a romantic date night for the two of us. It was just a cover so he could openly go on a date with Rachel with me as his shield. Ethan's face flushed red and white. "You must have made a mistake. I booked a table for two." I waved my hand, too exhausted to play along with his embarrassment. "It's fine. Rachel is here anyway, so we have exactly three people. It worked out perfectly." Ethan had pre-ordered the food. As the dishes were served, I realized almost all of them were tailored to Rachel's taste. "No peanuts in this one, please. Can you swap it for another dish?" Ethan pointed at one of the plates and told the waiter. I kept my mouth shut, quietly setting down my fork. Only after speaking did Ethan realize how natural his tone had been. Seeing that my expression was neutral, he quickly tried to explain: "I remembered you're allergic to peanuts, so I wanted to make sure the kitchen got it right." I gave a soft hum. Out of the three of us, Rachel was the only one with a severe peanut allergy. After dinner, Ethan went to get the movie tickets. Coincidentally, Rachel pulled out her phone and showed me her ticket—which was for the same movie, in the seat right next to ours. "Chloe, we are seriously soulmates!" I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, not even blinking. "You and Ethan are the soulmates. He's the one who bought the tickets." Rachel's smile faltered. "Ugh, I would never want to be soulmates with that annoying jerk." During the entire movie, my mind was miles away. Meanwhile, Ethan and Rachel were whispering and giggling, discussing the plot with great enthusiasm. When the movie ended and we walked out of the dark theater, the dim lighting made it hard to see. I stumbled slightly. But in the light from a passing screen, I saw Ethan holding Rachel's hand tightly to guide her. My hands clenched into fists at my sides. "It's still early, Chloe. Let's go look at wedding bands. The wedding is this weekend. I can't believe it's finally happening!" The excitement on Ethan's face felt incredibly surreal. Inside the jewelry store, the sales associate brought out the latest seasonal collection for us to choose from. I had zero interest. I tried on a few pieces half-heartedly, not liking any of them. "Oh, I think this one is gorgeous! Whoever marries me in the future has to get me this ring," Rachel exclaimed, admiring a diamond ring on her finger and flaunting it in Ethan's direction. In the end, we didn't buy anything. But after we got into the car, Ethan claimed he forgot something and ran back into the store. When he returned, he was holding a small shopping bag. He pulled out a box and put a necklace around my neck. "I saw this necklace just now and thought it would look perfect on you. I was right." He tossed his coat onto the back seat, giving Rachel a subtle, reassuring glance. I opened my phone camera under the pretense of taking a selfie, only to spot the corner of a ring box tucked deep inside his coat pocket. Fast forward to the day before the wedding. According to tradition, the bride and groom shouldn't see each other. I packed all my belongings, left the necklace and my keys on the kitchen counter, and walked out without looking back. The next morning, Ethan received a FaceTime call from the wedding planner. "Mr. Vance, I just wanted to do a final check with you. The bride's name is Rachel, correct?"

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