"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."

Josie's words helped piece my shattered self-esteem back together.

"But seriously though, are you not considering marrying into my family?"

She asked me this countless times before.

Josie and I met when she was hospitalized. The hospital director personally took on her case, and I was his assistant.

However, as I had a gentle demeanor and gave painless injections, Josie stubbornly insisted that I be her attending physician instead.

That was the start of our unbreakable bond.

At the time, I was already dating Logan.

Josie would sigh in regret every day and say, "I should've gotten sick a few months earlier. You were still single then. I could've brought you home as my sister-in-law!"

The innocent bystander in all this was Simon Lawson, Josie's older brother, who flew back from abroad to visit her at the hospital. His expression would darken each time she brought it up.

Thanks to her relentless matchmaking, my relationship with Simon started off tense. Whenever we ran into each other, I kept my head down while he lifted his chin, both of us behaving awkwardly.

We simply pretended not to see the other.

Simon recently returned from studying abroad and joined our hospital. By some coincidence, his office was right next to mine.

The arrival of this high-IQ, aloof, and impossibly handsome doctor sent the entire hospital into a frenzy. The female staff suddenly found every excuse to pass by his office. Even sick leave rates mysteriously plummeted.

Meanwhile, I practically held in my bladder at work, terrified that too many hallway trips would increase my chances of bumping into him.

When I stayed silent, Josie got excited.

"You're not saying anything… Are you actually considering it? Well? Is it my brother or my dad?"

I hesitated and replied, "If those are my only two options, I'd rather pick your dad."

Josie lit up. "Great choice! Honestly, I thought the same. My dad's older, so he'll kick the bucket sooner. That way, you'll inherit everything in no time, and we can spend our days partying!

"My brother, on the other hand… He's too disciplined. He sleeps early, eats healthy, and is way too fit. I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to keep up."

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

…

The next afternoon, Josie showed up at the hospital to pick me up from work. As we passed by Simon's office, she grabbed my hand and marched right in.

"Simon, are you working late today?"

Simon looked up from his computer.

Simon was six-foot-three, had sharply defined brows, a straight nose, and a pair of deep, cold yet mesmerizing eyes. Overall, he was ridiculously stunning.

He glanced at me briefly, his expression indifferent. "No."

Dr. Wilson, who was sitting across from him, raised his head in surprise. "Dr. Lawson, weren't you—"

Simon shot him a sharp look, and Dr. Wilson promptly swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Josie pressed on. "Then are you going out for dinner?"

Simon seemed to consider it for a moment before replying, "I could."

He then stood up and began tidying his desk.

Josie beamed. "Perfect! Since you're going out, I'm bringing Tara home for dinner. It'd be awkward for her if you were there."

Simon froze. He slowly lifted his head to look at Josie, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.

"Then why don't you just take her out to eat somewhere else? It's not like our home-cooked meals are that great," he said with a stormy expression.

Their family's cook, Maria Danver, used to be their gardener. But when she got older and couldn't handle the physical labor anymore, she applied for a job in the kitchen.

Her cooking was… well, very healthy.

Josie tiptoed closer to Simon and whispered in his ear, "I'm bringing her home to introduce her to Dad. Hehe, you're getting a stepmom! Are you excited? Surprised?"

Simon slowly straightened up and gave Josie a deadpan look. A few seconds later, he grabbed her by the collar and started dragging her toward the CT room.