Everyone in Logan Bradshaw's social circle knows he dotes on me endlessly. He turns down the marriage his family has arranged for him for my sake. His love for me remains unchanged for three years.

However, things change during his bachelor party before our wedding. His true love asks, "Will you leave with me if I crash your wedding?"

He says seriously, "I will."

I hold back my tears and text my wealthy best friend. "Can you take me away from here in the shortest time possible?"

She arrives seven minutes later. Her car's tires are practically on fire because of how fast she drove. "I told you you should've married a rich guy and enjoyed the good life!

"You totally deserve it, with your looks and personality! My brother is as handsome as they come, and my father still has it going. Pick one!"

With the wedding approaching, Logan Bradshaw's childhood friends threw him a bachelor party.

Everyone in Logan's close circle knew how much he adored me. If he didn't bring me along, he'd undoubtedly rush home before 10:00 pm, regardless of whether the others enjoyed themselves.

So this time, they warmly invited me as well.

However, the moment I stepped inside, I sensed something was off.

Everyone greeted me enthusiastically, yet I caught them subtly exchanging glances with Logan. I had no idea what was going on.

Once everyone was seated, a short-haired woman arrived fashionably late.

"Sorry, I'm late! Traffic was terrible!"

She was tall and slender, and her voice was crisp and confident.

Beside me, Logan instantly tensed up. For the first time in my life, I saw what it looked like when someone's heart skipped a beat.

The woman beamed at me and extended her hand.

"You must be the bride-to-be. Nice to meet you! I'm Leah Powell."

The second I heard her name, everything clicked into place. Leah was Logan's first love—the girl he had adored for five years.

From what I was told, Logan wasn't as composed back then as he was now. He pursued her relentlessly, be it by filling the street outside her home with roses or lighting up fireworks just for her. The years of his youth revolved around her.

But three years ago, Leah decisively left to study abroad with another guy.

That was when I met Logan. He walked toward me through the hazy glow of the lights at a party. I just had half a drink, yet I was already drunk because of him.

I immediately pestered my friends for information about him, and when they pushed me toward him, I was so nervous that my tongue tripped over itself.

"I'm Tara Cruz… May I get your name?"

Laughter erupted around us. The frown Logan wore for months finally eased into a smile.

After we got together, he poured all his tenderness into our relationship.

He remembered every little thing I liked and disliked. No matter how late I worked, he insisted on picking me up himself. Every holiday, he prepared gifts with such care and thoughtfulness.

He posted about me on his social media and introduced me to every single one of his friends and family. Even his friends couldn't help but tease me.

"Logan spent years chasing the hardest girl to get, and now he's a master at relationships. You're reaping all the benefits, Tara!"

I never let those words get to me. After all, people said Leah and I were nothing alike, neither in looks nor personality. I was never a replacement.

And most importantly, I could feel that Logan loved me.

After three years together, he proposed with unwavering certainty.

I thought our love was about to bloom into something beautiful. Nevertheless, just when everything seemed perfect, reality struck me like a crushing blow.

Leah plopped down beside me and pulled a perfume bottle from her handbag, handing it to me.

"This is a wedding gift for you. This scent is really sophisticated. I've been using it for almost eight years now and never switched."

She smiled, her eyes crinkling slightly.

I had to admit, she carried herself with grace and had a naturally likable personality. Even the wedding gift was prepared for me, not Logan.

I accepted it and thanked her.

Then, she took out her phone and added my number to her contacts.

"If you ever get mistreated, come to me. Logan and I might've grown up together, but I'm not about to take his side. If anything happens, I've got your back!"

The people around us broke into applause.

"That's our queen! Still as cool as ever!"

Leah paused, then looked past me to Logan, who was sitting on my other side.

"Hey, what's up with you? We haven't seen each other in three years. Why are you so quiet?"

The others at the party resumed drinking and chatting, but their eyes were locked on the three of us, eager not to miss a second of the drama.

Logan's ears turned visibly red.

He didn't even dare look at her. Instead, he held his drink and forced a joking tone as he replied, "I just don't know what to say to you. We're not as close as we used to be."

Leah chuckled. "So it's my fault for not keeping in touch these past three years?"

She raised her glass toward him. "Then let's keep in touch from now on."

Logan glanced at me before answering, "I'm under strict supervision now. If you want to reach me, you'll have to go through my wife first."

They clinked glasses, exchanging a smile as if putting the past behind them.

Their conversation was open. There were no hidden messages, no subtle hints—just candid words. But for some reason, I felt suffocated sitting between them.

Maybe because, after three years together, I knew Logan's body language too well. And tonight, I could tell that he was way too tense.

The night went on. Drinks flowed, songs were sung, and games were played. By the end of it, most of the people were drunk.

Logan lost a drinking game to Leah and had to choose between a dare or a truth.

After keeping it classy all night, Leah finally let loose. She tilted her head, tipsy and playful, and asked, "If I crash your wedding and try to steal you away, would you come with me?"

Immediately, the already-excited crowd went wild.

"Finally! No more pretending!"

"Yeah, now this is what we came for!"

"Come on, Logan, answer! Would you go with her?"

Logan's eyes were slightly red from drinking. He looked at Leah with emotions swirling in his gaze. Then, with complete seriousness, he uttered, "Yes."

The room erupted.

"Knew it!"

"Wedding crash incoming!"

Their cheers drew the attention of everyone at the venue.

As I sat between the two of them, I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I couldn't breathe, and my hands started to tremble.

I had no idea how to handle this. So I fled by making an excuse to go to the restroom.

Holding back tears, I texted my best friend, Josie Lawson.

"Can you pick me up as soon as possible?"

Her call came immediately. "What happened? Did they mess with you?"

"No, just—don't ask. Can you just come?" My voice wavered. I could hardly hold it together.

Josie's tone turned anxious. "I'm on my way! Ten minutes—no, seven!"

"It's not that urgent. Drive safe."

"Shut up!"

…

Seven minutes later, Josie arrived in her Bugatti. The car screeched to a halt with enough force to almost send sparks flying off the wheels.

As soon as I saw her, my composure crumbled, and tears filled my eyes.

Josie grabbed my hand, hard to hold back her anger as she bellowed, "What did you people do to her? Logan, are you blind? She's upset, and you're just standing there?"

Josie was from an absurdly wealthy family. She was bold and domineering with a presence that commanded the room. The moment she stepped in, the entire group fell silent.

Her sharp gaze landed on Leah. "Oh, so it's you."

Leah stood up and took my hand, smiling as if we were the best of friends. "We were just playing a game. Why so serious? I'm kind of dense and didn't realize you'd take it to heart. My bad."

Josie yanked me behind her and spat, "Who said you could touch her? You're not dense. You're just pretending to be dumb."

By now, Logan had sobered up. He rubbed his temples and stood.

"Tara's tired. I should take her home."

Josie sneered. "I'm already here. You can just keep playing dead."

The crowd awkwardly stood by, watching as Josie started packing up my things while muttering under her breath.

"I told you ages ago. With your looks and personality, you should've married into old money and enjoyed life. But no, you had to go suffer in a nouveau riche family. That kind of social circle is full of backstabbing and fake smiles. Someone as innocent as you doesn't belong in a place like that."

Logan's family had a net worth in the high nine figures. To call them a nouveau riche family was a rare insult. But when it came from her, no one dared to refute it.

Josie finished packing and grabbed my bag. Seeing the elegantly wrapped perfume bottle inside, she didn't even bother asking. She merely took it out and tossed it onto the floor.

"What kind of outdated garbage is this? Who thought it was a decent gift?"

The bottle rolled across the floor and stopped at Leah's feet, making her expression falter.

Then, Josie grabbed my hand and marched out.

Logan chased after us and caught my wrist at the door. He said, "Tara, don't be mad. It was just the heat of the moment. When she suddenly asked that, my mind went blank."

I looked into his deep, earnest eyes and felt all my strength drain away.

"You mean that was your instinctive reaction? That, deep down, you want to be with her?"

"Of course not. Tara, it was just a game. If I had said no, she would've felt humiliated."

"So to save her dignity, you had no problem trampling on mine?"

"I only gave her a superficial answer. I'm giving you marriage."

I yanked my hand free and let out a breathless, bitter laugh. "So I should be grateful? Logan, we've been together for three years, yet I never realized you're such a people pleaser."

Just then, Josie pulled up and honked furiously.

Logan tugged at my hand again. "Let me take you home. We can talk this through on the way."

Josie frowned. "If you've got that much free time, why don't you go drive your SUV for some extra cash? Maybe clear your head while you're at it."

Logan stiffened. For the first time, his car—his pride—felt like an insult.

I got into Josie's car. Before closing the door, I looked back at him and said, "Let's call our wedding off. We both need to think things over."

…

On the way back, I scrolled through my social media feed and saw that Leah had posted twice.

"She's nothing like me. But don't you think that just makes it even more obvious what you're trying to cover up?"

"If you've spent the last three years trying to prove that I was wrong to let you go… well, congratulations. You succeeded."

The emotions I managed to hold in all night suddenly burst forth. I broke down in tears and sobbed uncontrollably.

I gave out three years of genuine love, and for what?

I thought Logan's unwavering devotion was love. I never imagined it was just an act, something he deliberately put on for Leah to see. I was nothing more than a pawn in their long-running game.

Josie wasn't the comforting type. She preferred action over words.

"Don't cry. There are plenty of men out there. Just pick another one. My brother is fair and handsome, and my dad is still charming for his age. Take your pick!"

I cried until I was exhausted, then ended up laughing through my tears.

"Josie, am I useless? Even now, I need you to stand up for me."

Josie patted my head and said, "Don't be ridiculous. Everyone's different. I lost my mom early on, so it's just me, my dad, and my brother. None of us know how to express love properly.

"I was rebellious growing up, which was a constant headache for everyone. I hardly ever get the chance to be useful. But you… You're the kindest person I've ever met. Being around you is like basking in the sunlight.

"You're also the only doctor in town who gives the least painful shots. When I was hospitalized, I wouldn't have made it through without you visiting me every day, patiently comforting me without ever losing your temper."