1 I possess an ability I can never speak of out loud. Whenever I get intimate with my girlfriend, I can see exactly what she was doing one hour prior. In the past, the visions were always sweet. I would see her secretly buying lingerie to surprise me. I would see her standing in the kitchen, carefully following a recipe to make my favorite chicken noodle soup from scratch. Sometimes, I would see her standing in front of a mirror, nervously adjusting her dress and practicing how she was going to propose to me. We have been in love for seven years, and for seven years, her past hour had always revolved around me. Until three days before our wedding. When she leaned in to kiss me, a scene suddenly flashed before my eyes. In a dimly lit lounge, she had my best friend, Declan, pinned against the door. Declan turned his head, his voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "We can't keep doing this!" "Adam is my best buddy. I can't do this to him..." Annie reached down and undid his belt, her voice incredibly husky. "I am marrying him in three days." "Let's just treat this as one last wild indulgence." The image vanished as quickly as it came. In reality, Annie was still resting in my arms, pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek. "Adam, we are getting married so soon." "Are you happy?" I looked into her deeply affectionate eyes and let out a quiet, hollow laugh. So, after all these years, a third person had finally appeared in her hour. ... After she spoke, she leaned down to kiss me again. Her lips brushed against my face, the gesture just as tender as it had been countless times before. It even carried a hint of that lingering, pre-wedding romance. But my entire body went rigid. The next second, another vision flashed before my eyes. Declan's dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar. A faint smudge of lipstick was smeared near the corner of his mouth. He was leaning against Annie, chuckling low in his chest. "Adam is way too skinny." "I went with him to his tuxedo fitting yesterday, and I swear, his shoulders and chest couldn't even fill out the jacket." Annie let out a soft laugh. "He is too thin." "Every time I hug him, it feels like holding a bag of bones." Declan immediately frowned, pretending to defend my honor. "How can you say that about him?" "Adam is my best friend." But right after he said it, he shifted his body closer to hers, his tone laced with blatant provocation. "What about me, then?" "How is my physique? Do I feel good when you hold me?" Annie did not answer. Instead, her hand, which was resting against his skin, slowly tightened its grip. That silence was more deafening than any answer she could have given. Declan laughed. "Forget it. I won't fight Adam for you." "He has been waiting for you for seven years. It's actually kind of pathetic." The vision violently snapped shut. In the present, Annie was still holding me. A freezing knot twisted in my stomach, and I finally could not stomach it anymore. I pushed her away. Caught off guard, Annie stumbled a half-step back. She frowned, looking at me with concern. "Adam?" "What is wrong?" I raised a hand, pressing it against my chest, and shook my head. My face was already pale as a sheet. Just then, the sound of the digital keypad echoing from the front door broke the silence. A second later, the door was pushed open from the outside. Declan walked in wearing nothing but a pair of athletic shorts. A faint, woody cologne drifted off him. It was the exact same sandalwood and cedar scent Annie wore. He smiled effortlessly. "Adam, man, my water heater just completely died on me." "Figured since you guys live so close, I would come over and borrow your shower." I stared at him. For the first time in our friendship, my face was entirely devoid of warmth. "Declan, do you really think it is appropriate to walk into my house dressed like that?" Declan froze. Quickly, he ducked his head and offered a sheepish laugh. "My bad." "I spent so much time living over in Europe, I guess I stopped paying attention to boundaries like that." Annie stepped right in front of him, practically shielding him from my gaze. "Adam, come on. Declan lived abroad for years. He is just used to being casual." "He doesn't mean anything by it. Stop overthinking it." Watching her instinctively protect him, I found the whole situation utterly laughable. Of course I knew Declan had lived in Europe. Because I was the one who paid to send him there. Back then, he could not afford his first year of tuition. I emptied my savings account, taking every dime I had scraped together for two years, and wired it all to him. On the day he left for the airport, Declan hugged me so hard I could barely breathe. "Adam, you are the best brother I could ever ask for." "When I get back, I am absolutely going to be your best man." Later on, Annie frequently flew overseas for business trips. I had specifically pulled her aside and begged her for a favor. "Declan is all alone over there. He doesn't know the language or the city." "When you have some free time, could you check on him for me?" Back then, Annie just ruffled my hair and laughed, calling me too soft-hearted. I laughed with her. I honestly thought their only connection was through me. But eventually, every time Annie flew to that city, she went out of her way to see him. At first, she would send me photos to check in. "The grocery stores near Declan's campus close so early. I brought him some supplies." "Declan is really stressed about his thesis. I'm taking him out to dinner." But as time went on, Annie began appearing frequently on Declan's social media. She dragged his luggage for him. She sat with him in waiting rooms at the clinic. Even on his graduation day, the person standing right next to him in his photos was Annie. It wasn't that I never felt a twinge of discomfort. But every single time, I reminded myself that Declan was my best buddy. And Annie was only looking out for him because she loved me. It was only now that I finally understood. Boundaries are never crossed overnight. It happens one small step at a time. Declan was still standing in the entryway, his expression neutral. "Adam, if it bothers you that much, I will just leave right now." He said he would leave, but his feet remained firmly planted on the hardwood floor. Annie frowned deeply. "It is already so late, and your water heater is broken. Where else are you going to shower?" "Just go wash up." I did not say another word. My eyes simply dropped to Declan's wrist. He was wearing a luxury watch. A few days ago, I had stumbled across the receipt for it in Annie's home office. The price tag was more than ten times the cost of the wedding band she had bought for me. At the time, I assumed it was a surprise wedding gift Annie had prepared for me. I had been secretly anticipating it for days. I even imagined how happy I would be when she strapped it onto my wrist on our wedding day. But now, that watch was resting on Declan's wrist. I looked down at the wedding band on my own hand. It was simple, unadorned, and very cheap. When Annie first slipped it onto my finger, she said, "A ring doesn't have to be expensive. It is the meaning behind it that matters." I had been genuinely moved for a very long time. I thought she just wasn't the romantic type. I thought she valued meaning over materialism. Now I knew the truth. The meaning, it seemed, depended entirely on who was receiving the gift. Declan kept his head down and walked into the living room. As he brushed past me, the smell of that cologne hit me even harder. My fingers slowly curled into tight fists. Yet he acted as if everything was perfectly normal, striding toward our master bathroom with the confidence of someone who lived here. Annie opened a cabinet and pulled out a brand-new bath towel, handing it to him. It was one of the matching towels I had just bought for our married life. A grey and white set. I had planned for us to use them together for the first time after the wedding. Declan took it without a second thought. "You always pay attention to the details." "Adam really trained you well." Annie's tone was incredibly soft, whispering a gentle reminder to him. "Be careful. The floor gets slippery." Once the bathroom door clicked shut, the sound of running water started immediately. Standing in the middle of the living room, I suddenly felt like an intruder in my own home. This was supposed to be the home Annie and I built for our future. Yet Declan knew the door code. He walked in half-naked. He used the towels I bought for my wedding. He wore the watch I thought was meant for me. And Annie didn't find a single thing wrong with any of it. She even walked over to me, acting as if she finally had a spare moment to soothe my temper. "Adam, don't read into it." "You and Declan are so close. I only take care of him because of how much he means to you." I did not look up. After a long, suffocating silence, I simply offered a quiet, "Okay." Annie let out a visible sigh of relief. She probably thought I had been successfully pacified. The sound of the shower echoed from down the hall. I walked into our bedroom and shut the door behind me. My phone lit up. It was a message from our wedding planner. "Mr. Davis, we need your final approval on the welcome posters for the reception tonight." I looked down and began typing. "Change the name." The planner replied almost instantly. "Mr. Davis, do you mean the groom's name on the poster?" I pulled the corner of my mouth into a bitter smile and typed out my response, word by word. "Yes." "Change the groom to Declan." The next morning, when I walked out of the bedroom, breakfast was already set on the dining table. Annie was standing near the kitchen island, the sleeves of her blouse rolled up. She looked completely unfazed, as if last night never happened. "You're up?" "Did you sleep well?" I stared at the glass of warmed milk on the table, my mind drifting for a split second. I had always suffered from stomach issues. Annie would always take the milk out of the fridge half an hour early to warm it up. She always said that drinking it too hot would hurt my stomach, and drinking it too cold would do the same. Back then, I always thought to myself, if someone remembers the exact temperature you like your milk, how could they not love you? Now, she still remembered these tiny details. But I could no longer tell the difference. Was it love? Or was it just a habit she had formed over seven years? Annie pushed a velvet watch box across the table toward me. "I saw you staring at Declan's watch last night." "My Adam deserves a decent watch, too." She spoke with such tenderness, her eyes overflowing with what looked like genuine affection. I glanced at the watch. It wasn't the same luxury brand as Declan's. The design was similar. But the price tag was drastically lower. Annie walked up behind me and began adjusting my shirt collar. She tilted her head up. The moment her soft lips brushed against the back of my neck, a violent flash of imagery ripped through my mind. The bright, blinding lights of a jewelry store. Declan was sitting at the display counter. A watch was resting in front of him. It was the exact same watch Annie was handing me right now. Declan picked it up and strapped it onto his wrist. He stared at it in the mirror for a few seconds before frowning. "It is too plain. The dial is too small, and the metal strap scratches my wrist." "I don't want it." He unbuckled it and casually tossed it back onto the glass counter. But Annie didn't let the sales associate put it away. She stared at the watch for a moment before speaking in a flat tone. "Box it up." Declan paused, then smirked. "Giving it to Adam?" Annie gave a vague hum of agreement. "He was sulking last night. I'll buy a watch to shut him up." Declan immediately frowned, playing the part of the concerned friend perfectly. "Don't just brush him off like that." "Adam is my best friend, you know." Annie let out a small laugh. "He won't care." "As long as I give it to him, he will love it." Declan picked the watch back up, dangling it from his fingertips. "True." "Adam was never a picky guy." "Back in the day, whenever I mailed him my old, worn-out suits, he would happily wear them to the office." In the vision, Annie did not argue. She simply handed her credit card to the cashier. My breathing hitched in my chest. During Declan's first few years abroad, he constantly complained about not having enough money to survive. Terrified he was starving in a foreign country, I lived on instant ramen just to wire him extra cash. I refused to buy myself new clothes. Every now and then, Declan would mail me designer jackets he had outgrown or gotten bored of. I never once complained. I thought that was just how brothers looked out for each other. Only now did I finally understand. I had simply been conditioned to accept the things Declan threw away. The vision faded. The cold metal of the watch was already clasped around my wrist. Annie leaned close to my ear, her breath warm and intimate. "Do you like it?" I unbuckled the watch, placed it back in the velvet box, and spoke very softly. "The metal strap scratches my wrist." Annie froze. She probably couldn't fathom how I had just spoken the exact same words as Declan. But she quickly chalked my reaction up to a bad mood. She likely assumed I was still throwing a jealous fit over last night. She reached out and patted my shoulder. "The wedding is in two days." "Don't make yourself miserable." I looked down and smiled. She thought I was unhappy because I was jealous. But she had no idea. I didn't even have the energy left to be jealous. My phone lit up on the table. It was a text from the wedding planner. "Mr. Davis, we need to finalize the schedule for the ceremony tonight." "Are there any additional segments you would like to include?" I stared at the glowing text on the screen. After a long moment, I typed my reply. "Yes." "Right before the ceremony officially begins, I want to add a segment where I read my vows." On the day of the wedding, I arrived at the luxury hotel venue as scheduled. While the stylist was adjusting my tuxedo, she smiled brightly. "You look incredibly handsome today, Mr. Davis." I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I really did look like a groom full of hope, ready to marry the love of his life. But I was the only one who knew the truth. Today's wedding wasn't about marrying Annie. It was about delivering her and Declan the ultimate gift. When the stylist picked up my necktie, her hands suddenly stopped. "Mr. Davis, this tie..." I glanced over. The edge of the tie was crumpled. And near the top, there was a faint, unmistakable smudge of lipstick. My fingers curled into a brutal, white-knuckled fist. That tie was sewn for me by my mother on her deathbed, stitch by agonizing stitch. She had been completely emaciated by the illness. She could barely hold the needle. Her hands shook violently with every movement. But she propped herself up in that hospital bed for an entire month. She carefully wove the intricate dark patterns and tiny silver threads into the lining of the fabric. She told me, "I probably won't live to see my Adam get married." "So let this tie walk down the aisle with you instead of me." "When you put it on, just imagine your mother is holding your hand." After my mother passed, I kept the tie locked in a pristine box. I barely even dared to touch it, afraid of ruining it. I had sent it to the hotel in advance. I even specifically warned the hotel staff to keep it in a secure, isolated garment bag. But now, it was wrinkled. And stained with someone else's lipstick. The stylist looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Would you like me to try and treat the stain for you?" I stared at that piercing speck of red. After what felt like an eternity, I slowly shook my head. "No." "Just leave it as it is." The door swung open, and Annie walked in. She was wearing a stunning white bridal gown. Her makeup was flawless, her expression radiating warmth. If my eyes hadn't been violently forced open to the truth. In this exact moment, my heart probably still would have skipped a beat. Annie stood behind me, meeting my eyes in the mirror. "Adam." "You look so handsome today." She reached out and adjusted the knot of my tie. With eyes full of deep longing, she cupped my face and leaned in for a kiss. The moment our breaths mingled. My vision plunged into darkness. In the vision, it was a bridal suite. Declan was leaning against the vanity. His dress shirt was entirely unbuttoned, and a smear of lipstick coated his mouth. My mother's tie was draped loosely around his neck. Annie was looking down, fixing the collar of his shirt. "Annie, are you out of your mind?" Declan's voice was low and heavy. "In less than an hour, you are walking down the aisle to marry Adam." Annie looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper. "That is exactly why this has to be the last time." Declan stayed quiet for a moment. "You say it is the last time every single time." "But every time you see me, you just can't keep your hands off." Annie didn't argue. Instead, she frantically reached for the buckle of his belt. As their bodies crashed together, she yanked the tie off his neck and blindly tossed it onto the sofa. One of the buttons on Declan's shirt caught the edge of the fabric. A piece of the silver thread snapped, unraveling a small section. I stood paralyzed, rooted to the floor. In that split second, the last remaining pillar holding my sanity together completely shattered. They both knew. They both knew my dying mother had sewn that tie for me. On the day my mother passed away, both Annie and Declan were standing right by her hospital bed. Reduced to nothing but skin and bones, my mother had grabbed Annie's hand and pleaded through tears. "I won't be able to see my boy get married. Please, promise me you will love him enough for the both of us." Annie had nodded with total conviction. "Don't worry." "I swear I will never let Adam suffer." Declan had stood right beside her, his voice choking with emotion. "I promise you." "I will always be there for Adam." "On the day he gets married, I will watch over him for you." But look at them now. One was my bride. The other was my best friend. And mere minutes before the wedding, they had crumpled and desecrated the last thing my mother ever gave me, just so they could do something so sickeningly vile. The vision violently cut out. In reality, Annie was still smoothing out the fabric of the tie. Outside the door, the MC knocked gently. "Annie, Mr. Davis, the ceremony is starting." Annie reached her hand out to me. "Let's go." I stared at her outstretched hand. It was slender and clean. Years ago, when I was burning with a terrible fever, that exact hand had stayed up all night, swapping out cold towels on my forehead. But today, that hand had just finished buttoning Declan's shirt. She had taken every ounce of devotion I ever gave her and crushed it into a pathetic joke. I placed my hand in hers. Annie led me out into the hallway. The grand double doors of the banquet hall slowly swung open. On stage, the MC smiled brightly at the crowd. "Before we officially begin the ceremony, the groom has specifically requested a moment to share his vows." "Let's all listen to what he has to say to his beautiful bride." Annie turned her head, a flash of genuine surprise in her eyes. "When did you add this?" I smiled. "Last night." I reached into the inner pocket of my tuxedo jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Down in the front row, Declan was sitting confidently in his tailored suit, looking up at me with a perfectly calm expression. He probably thought the wedding was going to go exactly as they planned. But neither of them knew. The speech I prepared. Was never about love. It was about ripping their reputations to shreds. Under the watchful eyes of Annie's family and every person we knew, I slowly brought the microphone to my lips. "I want to thank Annie, and my absolute best friend, Declan."
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