At our post-graduation dinner, Brad, our class president, suggested a game of "Secret Angel." The premise was simple: for the rest of the night, your assigned angel had to look after you from the shadows, catering to your every need without blowing their cover. The card I drew bore the name of my college sweetheart of four years: Austin. When the game came to an end, Austin reached over and ruffled my hair with an easy, fond grin. "I can’t believe my angel was you," he murmured, his thumb brushing my temple. "You were so sneaky. I didn’t notice a thing." I lifted my chin, offering him a playful, triumphant smile. "That means I won. And the winner gets a wish." Before the last word could settle in the air, Alyssa’s voice sliced through the room. "Austin, you were my angel tonight, weren't you?" She leaned forward, her eyes bright and slightly glassy, and began listing everything he had done for her over the course of the evening. How he had intercepted drinks meant for her, how he had jogged nearly two miles in the muggy June heat just to find the specific electrolyte water she liked, how gently he had tucked the stray locks of hair behind her ear when she started slumping over the table. Then, she looked directly into his eyes. "My wish is for you to kiss me." I watched, frozen, as Austin leaned toward her, his lips parting. Before they could touch, I lunged forward, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "You can't kiss Alyssa," I said, my voice shaking. "That's "my" wish." Austin looked at me with a furrowed brow, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Babe, don't be like that. It’s just the rules of the game." My best friend, Jess, caught my elbow and dragged me a step backward. "Come on, Laurel," she whispered, her tone laced with patronizing pity. "Alyssa’s had a thing for him for four years. Just let her have this one closure." Around the table, a chorus of teasing voices joined in, urging me not to be so petty, so uptight, so possessive. And then I stood there and watched as Austin, without a single glance back at me, bent down and pressed his lips firmly against Alyssa's mouth. A hollow numbness washed over me. He hadn't failed to notice what I did for him all night because he was unobservant. He failed to notice because his eyes had never been on me in the first place. When he finally pulled away from her, he strolled back over to my side, his expression casual, almost bored. "All right, babe," he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. "What's your actual wish?" I looked at his mouth—the mouth that had just tasted another woman—and answered him silently in my heart. "My wish is to leave you." ... Two days from now was supposed to be our engagement party. The moment Austin’s lips met Alyssa’s, the quiet resolve inside me solidified into stone. The engagement was over. When he pressed me again about what my wish was, I didn't yell. I didn't make a scene. I simply kept my voice flat and even. "You’ll find out the day after tomorrow." Austin chuckled, assuming I was teasing some grand surprise for our party, and reached out to playfully pinch my cheek. I jerked my face away and knocked his hand aside. "I'm heading home. You guys have fun." He didn't try to stop me. He simply turned back toward the circle of laughter, slipping effortlessly back into the party. The moment the heavy door of the private dining room swung shut behind me, the tears I had choked back burned down my cheeks. Through the frosted glass, I could still hear Todd’s voice. "Aren’t you going to go after Laurel? She looked completely wrecked." My heart paused. I waited in the dim hallway, foolishly hoping for a flicker of regret from Austin. If he just showed a hint of remorse, if he ran out after me, maybe I could convince myself it was a harmless joke. Instead, his careless laugh drifted through the door. "She’s fine. I’ll smooth it over when I get back tonight. She’s always like this—making a federal case out of every little thing." Jess chimed in with an exaggerated groan. "Seriously. I spend half my life talking her off a ledge, Austin. Good luck dealing with that once you put a ring on it." Laughter rippled through the room. Then Todd spoke up again. "Does Laurel still not know? About how we swapped Alyssa’s seat at commencement this morning so she’d be sitting right next to you?" "Holding hands when the caps flew," Brad added, reminiscing. "Now that’s how a college romance should end. Honestly, man, none of us ever understood why you picked Laurel over Alyssa. We’ve all been rooting for you two behind closed doors." "Shh!" Jess hushed them loudly. "Laurel might still be in the hall. If she finds out, she’ll throw a tantrum that lasts a week. Wait—her little sister was at the ceremony, wasn't she? What if she blabbed?" Austin’s voice faltered slightly, a tremor of panic breaking through his arrogance. I heard the rustle of fabric, followed by the electronic chime of a call connecting on speakerphone. "Corinne? Your sister didn’t see anything weird today, did she?" My younger sister's voice came through crystal clear, sweet and reassuring. "Don't worry, Austin! I told Laurel I was getting claustrophobic in the crowd and dragged her to the very back row. There’s no way she saw what was happening up front." The world tilted on its axis. A high-pitched ringing filled my ears. My sister hadn't been anxious. She hadn't needed my comfort. She had actively engineered the distance between Austin and me, clearing the stage for him and Alyssa. Outside, the heavy, humid summer air suffocated me, but down in the marrow of my bones, I felt an unbearable chill. As I stumbled down the front steps of the restaurant, my phone buzzed in my palm. It was the event coordinator from the hotel hosting our engagement party. "Hi, Ms. Ellis. I’m just calling to confirm the layout adjustment for Saturday. We received a request to add another seat at the head family table." I frowned, racking my brain. Every seat, every place card, every floral centerpiece had been meticulously vetted weeks ago. "Did Austin ask for that?" "Yes, Mr. Leonard called in earlier. He said a very important friend of his was supposed to catch a train back home tomorrow, but she just landed a local job offer and will be staying in town after all." A friend leaving tomorrow. Out of our entire graduating class, only one person had booked a one-way ticket back to her small hometown for tomorrow morning: Alyssa. We had even talked about seeing her off at the station. She wasn't leaving. I stood on the sidewalk, numb with disbelief. Clinging to the last shred of my sanity, I dialed Courtney. Courtney and Alyssa had been my roommates for four years. Courtney was always the practical one, the one I shared everything with. We had both kept our distance from Alyssa’s delicate, damsel-in-distress routine. "Courtney," I started, my voice tight. "Did you know Alyssa isn't going back to Ohio?" A heavy, guilty silence stretched across the line. "Laurel... how did you find out?" Courtney sighed, sounding caught. "Look, she only told me a few hours ago. Austin pulled some strings and created a position for her at his family’s firm. So she's staying." I felt the ground slipping out from beneath me. When had Courtney and Alyssa become close enough to share secrets like that? "Did you know she’s been in love with Austin for four years?" I asked, my voice cracking. Another silence. And that silence told me everything. A bitter laugh scraped its way out of my throat. Everyone knew. The entire world was in on the joke, except for the bride-to-be. Hearing my distress, Courtney abandoned her gentle tone and snapped defensively. "At first, I thought it was messed up too, okay? But Alyssa’s actually really sweet once you get to know her. When I had that awful flu last semester, she brought me soup and covered my shift. When I lost the department fellowship and cried my eyes out, she was the only one who sat with me in the dark." Tears spilled over my lashes, hot and furious. "Who do you think bought that soup, Courtney? I paid for it and sent it up with her because I had an exam! And the fellowship—who spent three nights rewriting your application so you could appeal and actually get the grant? That was me!" Everything I had ever poured into these people had been casually credited to Alyssa’s gentle smile. Courtney let out an irritated sigh. "See, Laurel? This is what I mean. You snap the second things don’t revolve around you. That’s why none of us can talk to you anymore. We have to go to Alyssa." I hung up before she could finish the sentence. Just then, the restaurant doors opened down the street. Alyssa stumbled out into the warm night, clinging tightly to Austin’s arm, her body swaying against his. "Austin... I’m so dizzy," she slurred softly. "Can I just stay over at your place tonight?" I cleared my throat, stepping out from the shadow of the awning. Austin froze, his eyes widening in shock. "Laurel? What... what are you still doing here?" He quickly gestured for Jess to hold Alyssa upright, then crossed the pavement toward me, wearing an expression of calculated patience. "Laurel, let Alyssa crash at our place tonight. It’s late, and the dorms are basically empty now that move-out started. It’s not safe for her to be there alone while she’s this drunk." I looked straight into his eyes. "If she steps foot inside our apartment, I will never walk through that door again." Austin rolled his eyes, treating my boundary like another toddler's tantrum. "Come on, stop being dramatic. She can't stay out here in the cold air. I'm going to take her upstairs and get her settled. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll book you a suite at the hotel down the street and come pick you up in a bit." Without waiting for my answer, he turned back, helped Alyssa into the back of his car, and sped away into the night. The refusal died on my lips. I stood on the corner as the minutes bled into an hour. The summer mosquitoes swarmed around my bare ankles. Despite the humiliation, the four years of shared history clawed at my chest. I dialed his number. "Austin? Are you on your way to get me? I’ve been waiting outside for an hour. I’m covered in bug bites." The line was filled with rustling sheets and the sound of running water. "Laurel, I can’t leave right now," he whispered hurriedly. "Alyssa’s throwing up. She can’t be left alone. I’ll send an Uber to take you to the hotel, okay?" Before I could speak, he tossed the phone onto what sounded like a nightstand. "Austin?" I called out. "Austin!" He didn't answer, but the call remained open. Over the line, I heard Alyssa’s soft, tearful whimper. "Austin... please don't leave me." I ended the call and closed my eyes. A memory flashed behind my eyelids—the night before Austin and I officially started dating, back in our freshman year. I had gotten drunk at an orientation mixer. He had stayed by my side the entire night, running through the rain to buy hot tea, rubbing my temples with infinite tenderness, walking me back to my dorm with his hand hovering protectively behind my waist. Back then, his universe began and ended with me. Now, all that tenderness belonged to someone else. I spent the night in a cold hotel room, staring at the ceiling, wondering when the man I loved had quietly hollowed out into a stranger. At dawn, a sharp knock rattled the door. I opened it to find Austin standing there, holding a greasy brown paper bag from a high-end bakery. "Laurel, look. I brought you those crab-stuffed croissants you like. Still warm." I stared at the bag with a bitter twist of my lips. Four years together, and he still didn't realize I was allergic to shellfish. Every time he bought them, he only gave me the leftovers he couldn't finish, and I had quietly thrown them away to spare his feelings. Looking inside the bag, I saw that one of the pastries was already broken in half, a bite missing. Alyssa's breakfast. The very last thread of affection inside me snapped. I looked directly into his eyes. "Austin, call off the engagement party." He blinked, taken aback. "Since I'm clearly not your first choice anymore, there’s no reason for us to keep pretending." His face cycled through shock, panic, and finally, defensive irritation. "Laurel, the party is tomorrow! Stop playing games. Nothing happened between Alyssa and me. Stop letting your imagination run wild." "Is it my imagination, or did you cross the line?" My voice rose, raw with unshed tears. "You never set boundaries with her. You bask in her worship, you love her attention, and you brought her into your family's company behind my back. Do you think I'm completely blind?" Realizing I was dead serious, Austin’s arrogance cracked. He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around me in a desperate, suffocating hug. "Laurel, listen to me, please. It's not what you think—" His phone blared in his pocket. The sharp ring cut through our embrace like a knife. I shoved him backward, screaming, "Even now? You can't even ignore one damn phone call for five seconds?!" He hesitated, eyes darting between my tear-streaked face and the glowing screen. Then, he answered it. "Hello? What happened?" His expression turned grave. He lowered the phone, looking at me with frantic urgency. "Laurel, I have to go to the office right now. Something happened with Alyssa." And there it was. Once again, he dropped me without a second thought. If he had chosen me just once—just one single time—I might have stayed. But every crossroad led him straight to her. As he sprinted down the hallway, leaving the door wide open, a strange, breathless laugh escaped my chest. It felt like relief. I took a cab straight to the banquet hall. Standing in the grand room decorated with the ivory ribbons and blush florals I had spent months curating, I looked at the venue manager. "Please cancel the event." The manager’s eyes widened. "Ms. Ellis, are you sure? We’re booked solid for the next six months. If you give up this date, you won't get it back. Shouldn't you discuss this with Mr. Leonard?" "Cancel it," I said, my voice steady. "Immediately." From the venue, I went back to the apartment that was supposed to be our future home. The place was quiet. Austin and Alyssa were still at the office. In the living room, the cream-colored linen sofa I had saved up for months to buy was stained with vomit, covered by a dirty sweatshirt. On the kitchen counter, our matching ceramic mugs sat side by side, one of them filled with cold coffee next to the half-eaten pastry. This sanctuary, built on four years of dreams, had been colonized in a single night. I wheeled out my suitcase and packed my clothes. In the closet, among the rows of dresses, one hanger was empty. My engagement dress. A custom silk piece I had ordered six months ago. I dialed Austin. "Where is my engagement dress?" His voice was hurried, distracted. "Oh, Alyssa had to wear it. Her clothes were ruined last night, so she just grabbed something from the closet. It’s just a dress, Laurel." A sharp pain lanced through my chest, making it hard to draw breath. If something could be stolen so easily, it was never truly mine to begin with. I zipped my suitcase, walked out the front door, and let it click shut behind me. That evening, Austin called my phone repeatedly. I declined every one. Then Jess called. "Laurel, Austin’s worried sick about you. Look, the party is tomorrow. Just let yesterday go. He and Alyssa are just friends. You're blowing this way out of proportion." I listened to her dismissive, exhausted voice, feeling no anger, only emptiness. "I hear you," I said softly. Jess sighed in relief, assuming she had managed me once again. The next afternoon, Austin, his friends, Alyssa, and Jess all arrived at the venue in their formal wear. Standing before the dark, completely empty ballroom, Austin's breath caught in his throat. He grabbed the nearest banquet server by the shoulder. "What's going on here? Where is the setup?" The server blinked in confusion. "Sir? This booking was canceled yesterday."