Chapter 3

I don't care for sweets, so I just stood near the bakery entrance, watching them.

The baker was incredibly friendly and offered Hailey a sample of their new flavor.

"Haven't seen you and your boyfriend in a while!"

"You guys look so fancy today. Going to a gala?"

Hailey blushed, pointing a manicured finger toward me.

"Oh, no! It's my best friend's wedding today. I'm her maid of honor."

The baker's smile froze. He looked back and forth between the three of us, his expression turning highly uncomfortable.

"Oh, my bad," he apologized awkwardly. "You two come in for afternoon tea so often, I just assumed you were a couple."

"I didn't realize there was a third party."

The "third party" he was referring to was, without a doubt, me.

I waited for Carter to speak up and defend me.

But he didn't.

He didn't care at all.

Instead, he bought every single flavor of cupcakes they had, walking out with three giant shopping bags.

I made one passing comment: "Don't waste food if you can't finish them."

And just like that, Hailey burst into tears.

"Chloe... I know this isn't about the cupcakes," she sobbed, sounding incredibly fragile. "You're just mad because Carter spent money on me."

"I'm so sorry."

She shakily pulled two hundred-dollar bills from her purse and tried to force them into my hand.

That was the final straw for Carter's patience.

His jaw tightened, and he looked at me with pure disgust.

"Chloe, do you have any sense of the bigger picture?"

"It's our wedding day, and you're choosing now to throw a tantrum? Hailey is your best friend. It's completely normal for me to buy her some treats."

Normal?

I looked at her. I wanted to laugh.

The LV bag on her shoulder, the Cartier necklace she was wearing, the designer heels on her feet—Carter had bought every single one of them.

Meanwhile, in our seven years of dating, the most expensive gift I had ever received from him was a electric toothbrush.

Even the outdated wedding dress I was wearing today was a cheap rental I paid for myself.

I had never asked Carter for a single dime.

I used to think that by not caring about his money, I would get his pure, unadulterated love.

How naive. In the end, I got neither.

"Carter, don't blame Chloe," Hailey pleaded, playing the saint. "It's her first time being a bride, so she's probably just anxious. Please don't fight because of me. You know my parents got a messy divorce, and all I want is for you guys to be happy."

I stared at Hailey.

In that moment, my heart felt like it was being stabbed by a thousand needles.

The year her parents divorced, she couldn't sleep for months.

I was the one who stayed up with her, cooked for her, washed her clothes, and held her hand through her darkest times.

I never expected her to stab me in the back like this.

"Yeah, whatever you say," I murmured.

It took me a long time to pull myself out of my memories. By the time my vision cleared, the tears on my face had already dried.

Back in the car, silence fell over us.

But it didn't last long because Hailey... was thirsty again.

"Carter, these cupcakes are kind of dry. I really need an iced matcha latte."

Her voice got quieter with every word, her eyes darting to my face to check my reaction.

But my face was blank.

Carter hesitated for a second.

"Hailey, we are... actually running really late."

"But," he quickly pivoted, "if you're thirsty, let's grab one fast."

Just then, Carter's phone started ringing off the hook.

"Carter! Where the hell are you?"

"The guests are all seated! We're just waiting on you and Chloe!"

Carter ignored the calls, hit the gas, and sped toward the nearest Starbucks.