Chapter 1

At our pre-wedding party, we were playing Truth or Dare.

With a teasing smile, I asked my fiancé, Logan, who he would want to marry if I weren't in the picture.

Without a second of hesitation, he said another girl's name.

"Sierra."

My best friend.

Seeing me freeze in disbelief, Sierra giggled behind her hand.

"Chloe, don't freak out. I might be pregnant with Logan's baby, but I have no interest in stepping into the graveyard of marriage."

"When the baby's born, they can just call you Mom."

Logan gently wrapped his arm around Sierra's waist, softly resting his hand on her belly.

Then he looked at me, his face completely cold:

"Sierra is moving in with us after the wedding. Make sure you take good care of her. This is my first child, after all."

Seeing my eyes turn red while I stood there speechless, Sierra couldn't hold back another giggle.

"Chloe, you get to be a mom without going through labor! Isn't that amazing?"

Logan's younger brother, Tyler, rolled his eyes at me:

"If Sierra actually wanted to marry my brother, you wouldn't even have a shot."

"The wedding dress, the ring, the bouquet—Logan had all of it ready for Sierra. She just didn't want to tie herself down!"

He sneered, a mocking smirk spreading across his face:

"You're just getting the leftovers. You should be thanking your lucky stars."

I looked at Logan. He didn't say a single word to deny it.

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

We had been dating for seven years. I had brought up marriage countless times.

Every time, he would just shrug me off with irritation:

"Marriage is the death of romance."

"I'm not looking to settle down right now."

I thought I understood his hesitation. Coming from a broken home, he was naturally wary of commitment.

So, ignoring what everyone else whispered behind my back, I was always the one putting myself out there, proving my love over and over again.

Finally, on my ninety-ninth attempt, he said yes.

Back then, I was over the moon, thinking my patience had finally paid off.

Turns out, he had already proposed to my best friend behind my back long ago.

I suddenly remembered the night he said yes to me. I had stayed up talking on the phone with Sierra until sunrise, pouring out my joy.

And Sierra had just laughed along with me.

What a sick joke.

I swallowed hard, trying to fight back the burning sting in my eyes.

Sierra stepped forward, wrapping an arm around my shoulder:

"You've been waiting seven years to marry Logan."

"You're my best friend. How could I ever steal that dream from you?"

Logan spoke up, his voice low and firm:

"Sierra is being incredibly generous. You should be grateful to her."

Ridiculous. Absolutely insane.

I stared at him, my eyes wide, unable to comprehend the sheer audacity coming out of his mouth.

My voice broke into a trembling, furious shout:

"Grateful? You want me to thank my best friend for sleeping with my fiancé?"

"You want me to thank her for carrying your bastard child?"

I took a sharp breath, staring him dead in the eye:

"Logan, we're done. It's over."

The room fell dead silent for a few seconds.

Then, everyone burst out laughing.

Tyler doubled over in laughter, and Sierra hid her smirk behind her fingers.

Logan chuckled dryly, shaking his head with exasperation:

"Stop throwing a childish tantrum."

"If we actually broke up, you'd be the one crying yourself to sleep."

He treated my words like a petty joke. He was utterly convinced I could never leave him.

After all, I was always the one chasing after him.

Between us, I had always been the pathetic one.

Tears spilled over, running hot down my cheeks.

Logan leaned in and patted my head, the exact way someone would pat a dog:

"Nothing is actually going to change between us."

"Sierra already agreed that your name will be on the birth certificate."

Sierra chimed in with a sweet, mocking smile:

"Chloe, I'm literally saving you from pregnancy weight and stretch marks!"

They looked at me with smug satisfaction, as if expecting me to thank them on my knees.

A wave of intense nausea hit my stomach. I couldn't take it anymore. I bolted into the restroom and threw up until my ribs ached.

Footsteps echoed behind me.

I looked up, wiping my mouth, only to meet Sierra's smug, smiling face in the mirror.