At a dinner party with my boyfriend's frat brothers, his female best friend, Veronica, started talking loudly about sex toys in front of everyone. "Every time Austin buys me a new toy, he always gets a duplicate one for Chloe. Honestly, those two are probably VIPs at the adult store by now." Noticing the look on my face, one of Austin’s friends quickly tried to smooth things over. "Oh, you mean that was for Veronica’s birthday last time, right? We all got her gifts. It was just a friendly gesture." My face went cold, and I slammed my fork down onto the plate. "You guys gift that kind of stuff for birthdays?" Veronica shrugged, looking completely unbothered. "That model feels amazing. Austin and I tested it out together. Don't be so narrow-minded, Chloe. Women should embrace their bodies." She smirked. "Besides, he only dared to buy it for you after testing it. It’s because he loves you." Austin leaned in and whispered harshly in my ear, "Can you stop making a face? Be a little more open-minded. Everyone put this dinner together to celebrate our engagement." I glared at him. "So your idea of 'open-minded' is messing around with someone else's boyfriend?" Veronica glanced at Austin, her tone playful and teasing. "Do we really have to explain such a tiny thing? You’re not even married yet, and she already has you on such a tight leash. If you actually get married, you won't have any freedom left." "No way, how could he ever forget about you?" the guys around the table immediately chimed in, sharing knowing, dirty smiles. "That 'coming-of-age' gift you gave him back in college? No guy would ever forget that for the rest of his life." I had known Austin’s circle of friends for a long time. Yet, at every single party, they would always drown themselves in their shared past and inside jokes, completely shutting me out. I had tried to join their conversations a few times before, but realized I could never fit in. Eventually, I just chose to sit quietly in the corner like a mute. But this time, I couldn't hold back. "What gift? Why have I never heard about this?" "Oh, that’s his private treasure. Of course he keeps it to himself," someone laughed and egged them on. "It’s nothing. Just a regular silicone intimacy doll," Austin said, trying to brush it off with an easy smile. Hearing this, Veronica reached over and pinched Austin’s inner thigh hard. "Stop playing dumb. That doll was custom-made, a 1:1 replica of my exact body shape. If you don't want it, give it back to me." "Damn! Everyone knows Veronica has a killer body. Austin, if you don't appreciate it, the rest of us are literally lining up for it," the guys' laughter became even more vulgar. Austin grabbed the drink from Veronica’s hand and downed it in one gulp. "My bad. Let me make it up to you, okay?" The alcohol spilled down Veronica’s arm. She frowned and whined, "Ugh, clean it up for me then. Don't leave me sticky." Austin glanced at me to check my reaction. I forced down my burning rage and warned him with my eyes. As he hesitated, one of his bros mocked him. "Seriously, dude? A few years ago when your family went bankrupt and everyone cut you off, Veronica was the one who dragged you back into our circle. You're seriously going to let someone else dictate your life over something this small?" A cold laugh bubbled up in my chest. These people didn't care about Veronica’s "favor." They only accepted Austin back because his family's business had recently crawled its way back to the top. Austin stopped looking at me entirely. He leaned down and gently licked the spilled drink off Veronica's arm. "You're still such a messy girl." Veronica laughed, completely unfazed. "I've always been like this. Good thing I have you to take care of me." She turned to me and winked. "I’m just super chill. I'm not like other girls. All the guys treat me like one of the bros. You won't overthink this, right, Chloe?" I smiled back at her. "Of course not." Austin let out a sigh of relief. "Chloe didn't go to an elite prep school like us, so she's not from our world. But since she's been with me for so long, she's not as conservative or sensitive as you guys think." I nodded in agreement, quietly filled my glass to the brim with red wine, then stood up and cleared my throat. Once everyone’s eyes were on me, I spoke with a calm, sweet smile. "I totally get it. You guys are just in a very normal..." I paused, dragging out the words, "...friends-with-benefits relationship." "I guess since I didn't go to your fancy prep school, I just don't know how to act as trashy as you guys." With that, I tipped my glass and poured the red wine straight over Austin’s head. "This is my toast to you two. Cheers to the ultimate douchebag and his trashy hoe." I turned and walked out of the VIP room. Austin rushed out after me and grabbed my arm. "Are you done yet? Did you really have to ruin everyone's night?" I looked at him and suddenly laughed. "Do you really think I'm an idiot? Three years ago, you told me Veronica was just your 'bro' and there was absolutely nothing going on between you two. And I believed you." "Now you guys are practically ready to crawl into bed together. Who are you trying to disgust with that lie?" He groaned impatiently. "You saw her. That's just her personality. She acts like that with everyone. You're just overthinking." I yanked my hand back. "If I did those things with another guy, what would you think?" Austin opened his mouth, but no words came out. Over the years, he had crossed the line countless times in the name of "friendship." Every year on Veronica's birthday, he would make sure to text her right at midnight. Even when I was burning up with a fever and woke up wanting a glass of water, he would shush me and whisper tenderly into his phone, "Happy birthday, Veronica." And when I was stranded in the pouring rain, unable to get an Uber, and begged him to pick me up, his voice would crackle over the phone: "The storm is too bad. I have to drive Veronica home first. Don't wait up for me for dinner." Time after time, he used "friendship" and "bros" as excuses to enjoy his emotional affair with Veronica, while I tolerated it. My patience only resulted in him pushing my boundaries further and further. I couldn't tell if I pitied my past self more, or if I hated the man standing in front of me more. Through tears that blurred my vision, I told him, "I'm done, Austin. We're over." Just as Austin was about to speak, Veronica walked out of the room. She naturally wrapped her arm around Austin’s neck. "Can't calm your fiancée down? Want me to bail you out?" I didn't give them another look. I got into my car and drove away. That night, as I was packing my bags in the bedroom, Austin’s voice drifted in from the living room. He was speaking in a gentle, almost begging tone. "Veronica, babe, don't be mad. I'll make Chloe apologize to you in a few days." "You know that exclusive, members-only spa you couldn't get into? I'll go line up there personally tomorrow morning to secure you a spot. Just let me make it up to you, okay?" Listening to his pathetic begging through the door, I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. "Cancel the wedding. Also, pull all of our family's investments out of the Miller Group."
The next morning, before the sun was even up, Austin was already up and active. He had to rush to that high-end spa to stand in line, keeping his promise to Veronica. I blocked him right before he could walk out the door. My voice was dead calm. "I'm moving out today. We are officially done." Austin reached out and gripped my wrist tightly, his eyes filled with a panicked desperation. "Chloe, please don't leave." He cupped my hands and pressed them against his face, whispering, "We've been through so much to get here. I will explain everything to you, I swear." But the next second, his alarm went off. He let go of my hands instantly and rushed out. "I have something urgent to handle. We'll talk when I get back." To Austin, anything involving Veronica was "urgent"—from a spa reservation to driving her to the hospital when she had period cramps. Everything of hers was a priority he couldn't refuse, while my needs could be delayed indefinitely. I didn't have much stuff in this apartment. One suitcase was enough to fit everything. I had once tried to decorate this place to make it feel like a cozy home. But when Veronica visited, she had simply frowned and said: "Why is this place so cluttered? I hate it." That very same day, Austin made me throw everything away. I called Austin because I wanted to end things face-to-face. I have my principles. I believe in proper endings, and that goes for breakups too. Austin was driving when he answered. "Oh, forgot to tell you. The guys are throwing me a pre-wedding pool party today." He paused, then added, "Veronica is coming too. But don't worry, none of us see her as a girl." Veronica’s giggling voice drifted through the speaker. "Screw you, Austin! I'm a solid C-cup. You think I'm just gonna wear swim trunks like you guys?" I forced myself to keep my voice steady. "I don't think I can wait for you to come home. If you have time, let’s meet up somewhere." "Sure. Actually, I forgot my swim trunks. Can you bring them over to the pool club for me this afternoon?" Then I heard Veronica's voice again. "Please, I've seen every inch of your body anyway. Why are you acting shy now?" She then let out a dramatic "Oh!" as if she had just realized the phone was on. "My bad, Chloe! I didn't know the call was still active. Don't get the wrong idea!" After hanging up, I drove over to the private pool club they booked. There, standing in the middle of a crowd of men, was Veronica, wearing a skimpy string bikini. "Damn, Veronica! You're really feeding the bros well today with this look." Veronica smiled cutely, playing along with the flirtatious vibe. "Shut up. Just treat me like one of the bros and we're good." Austin’s eyes were locked onto her like a starving wolf, filled with a raw, predatory desire. Veronica dove into the pool. She surfaced, her wet hair dripping water down her pale chest. "Are you coming in or what?" Even from a distance, I could see Austin swallow hard. "Chloe hasn't brought my trunks yet." One of his so-called frat bros groaned. "Man, that good-girl fiancée of yours is so slow. It's practically midnight, is she still waiting at every red light like a good little citizen?" "Seriously. I still don't get what you see in her. I bet she's like a dead log in bed!" "Totally. She can't even compare to our girl Veronica." Veronica looked up at Austin, her eyes full of temptation. "Do you remember back in high school, when we snuck into the school pool at night without swimsuits? What did we do then?" With that, she turned her back to the crowd, unclipped her bikini top, swung it over her head, and threw it right at Austin. "Do you still dare?" She swam deeper into the pool, completely ignoring the wild cheers of the guys behind her. Austin’s eyes went completely red. Without even taking off his clothes, he jumped into the water and swam furiously toward Veronica. He threw his long arms around her, pulling her tightly against him. Then, he yanked off his wet shirt and wrapped it around her shoulders, his voice thick with possessiveness. "Don't do that again. I don't want anyone else seeing you like this, got it?" Veronica leaned into his chest, blushing like a schoolgirl.
"Oh, come on, Austin! Even Veronica isn't shy. Why are you acting like a prude?" "Looking at you two, you should honestly just marry Veronica. Why bother with Chloe? Didn't you guys have a thing back in high school anyway?" It was true. Austin and Veronica did date in high school. But after graduation, Veronica went abroad for college as planned, while Austin had to stay because his family's business was on the brink of bankruptcy. They naturally drifted apart. That was the only reason I had believed Austin wouldn't go back to the girl who had abandoned him. But I hadn't realized how pathetic he truly was. Austin let go of Veronica and sighed. "You guys think I haven't thought about that?" "On the night of my engagement to Chloe, I almost lost my mind." "I actually went to Veronica and asked her if she would run away with me if I threw everything else away." He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "But she told me she only saw me as a brother." Austin raised his glass. "To our brotherhood." I felt a wave of intense nausea hit me, like I had just swallowed a fly. On our engagement night, Austin had come home incredibly drunk. He had wrapped his arms around me, his stubble scratching my face, smelling heavily of alcohol. He had mumbled, "I promised I'd make you happy for the rest of your life. Do you believe me?" I had laughed and tried to push him off, but he only held me tighter. "I do. Why else would I get engaged to you?" "Then why won't you run away with me?" his voice had cracked with tears. "I don't care about anything else. I just want you, please." My heart had ached for him back then. I ignored the smell of alcohol and held him close, promising him everything. I never could have guessed that the person he had wanted to run away with was actually Veronica. Under the moonlight, Veronica’s eyes shined as she stared at Austin. "What if I say I'm willing now?"
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