Chapter 1

In our three-person Snap group, nobody ever replied to my messages.

At first, I thought they were just busy. After all, Ethan and I had been together for seven years, and Harper had been my best friend for eighteen.

Until today, when I sent my usual text:

"Do you guys want to take a trip to Colorado?"

All day, complete silence.

That night, Harper reposted a video of wild mushrooms in Colorado: "Omg, these look so delicious!"

Ethan replied instantly. Within seconds, their notifications were blowing up the chat.

I chimed in: "So, should we all go to Colorado together?"

The group chat went dead silent again.

I scrolled up through our chat history.

Yesterday, I texted: "I really want to quit my job, I'm so exhausted." No response.

The day before, Harper posted a selfie: "My skin looks awful today, I'm so sad." Ethan immediately replied: "Stop talking nonsense, you're gorgeous." They chatted late into the night. I jumped in: "Want to grab dinner tomorrow?" Silence.

The next day, I ran into them eating together at the same restaurant.

Last week, Ethan shared a movie trailer. Harper replied, "I want to see that!" I added, "Count me in too!" Still, no one replied.

When I texted Ethan privately, they had already watched it together.

Turns out, they weren't too busy to reply. They just didn't want to reply to me.

I didn't leave the group, nor did I send an angry essay. I just muted the chat.

On the day I gave my two weeks' notice, the group finally buzzed.

Ethan: "@Chloe My mom is asking when we're setting the wedding date. Harper’s asking too. Why aren't you answering?"

Touching down in Denver, I sent him my very last message:

"You two have fun chatting. No need to text me back anymore."

"Happy breakup."

Right after I muted the group, a private notification popped up on my screen.

Ethan: "Can't take you to see the new house this weekend. Something urgent came up."

I frowned.

"Is it that urgent? I finally got time off, and I have something important to tell you."

Ethan never replied.

I checked our Snap group. He was actively chatting with Harper, totally available—just not for me.

Instead of humiliating myself further, I closed the app, opened my laptop, and started drafting my resignation letter.

I was just so tired. I needed a long break.

The next day, I handed in my two weeks' notice at the office. The VP tried to convince me to stay, but in the end, he reluctantly signed off.

I originally thought about mentioning it in the group chat, but when I unlocked my phone, I saw Harper's new Instagram story.

"Someone said I've been working too hard and is taking me on a getaway."

Tagged at the airport, showing two boarding passes. Destination: Colorado.

I zoomed in on the picture.

One ticket had Harper’s name. The other had Ethan’s.

So that was Ethan's "urgent matter"—a private getaway with Harper.

I tagged both of them in the Snap group.

"You guys went to Colorado? Why didn't you tell me?"

Unsurprisingly, radio silence.

I sent Ethan a private DM: "Why did you go on a trip alone with Harper?"

Still nothing.

It wasn't until late afternoon, right before clocking out, that Ethan brushed me off with a careless message in the group:

"Just landed. It was a last-minute decision. We saw how busy you were with work, so we didn't want to bother you."

Followed by a giggling emoji from Harper.

When I got home, my landlord was already showing the apartment to prospective tenants.

Seeing me walk in, she smiled warmly:

"Chloe, congratulations!"

"I heard you're moving out to move into the new place with your fiancé. Though, that friend of yours I met last time didn't seem too happy whenever marriage came up. Was she just sad you're moving so far away?"

I froze for two seconds, realizing she meant Harper.

I pressed my lips together, too exhausted to explain.

"No, actually, I quit my job."

"They have things going on... The wedding isn't happening."