Sid Sanchez hated seeing me in white.

Even for the wedding gown, he'd chosen a gaudy bright red.

And the white gown I'd fallen in love with, he gave to my best friend to wear as her bridesmaid's dress.

My eyes rimmed red, I begged him, "This is our wedding. Just this once—can't I?"

Sid stayed cool and unmoved, stroking my hair.

"Be good. White's bad luck. The most it can be is a bridesmaid's dress. The red one looks just fine on you."

Lena Fox stood beside us, clapping and smiling. "Sid has such great taste. That red gown makes you look so elegant and regal."

But that red gown didn't suit me at all.

Then I caught Sid and Lena nestled together by the sea, watching the sunset.

Lena tilted her face up and asked, "Next month is your wedding to Penelope Henson, after all. Is it really appropriate for me to show up at the ceremony in a white gown?"

Sid wrapped her tenderly in his arms.

"Lena, just to see you walk in wearing a wedding gown, I've been laying the groundwork for two years. Acting like I hated Penelope in white—by now she believes it completely."

"Since I have to marry her in this life anyway,"

"then letting you show up in the gown—it'll be like you get to marry me, just once. That's not too much to ask."

When he finished, the two of them kissed like they couldn't bear to part.

I forced the tears back down and dialed the wedding planner.

"Hello. The bride needs to be changed."

——

The voice on the other end was a little shocked. "Miss Henson, are you sure there's no mistake?"

"The wedding's only a week away. You're certain you want every detail switched from your information to Lena Fox's?"

I looked at the two of them, still kissing deeply in the dying light over the sea, and my smile turned bitter to the bone.

"Yes. Switch all of it."

These past two years, whether I wore a white dress or a white blouse,

Sid would frown the moment he saw it.

He'd even act nauseated, like he might be sick.

"Penelope, take it off. White really doesn't look good on you."

Even my white pajamas got crowned with the label of bad luck by Sid.

So under his negative reactions, over and over,

I purged most of the white clothes from my closet and replaced them with soft pastels.

And Sid was finally satisfied. "Penelope, these soft colors suit you best."

"Be good. Don't wear white anymore."

Since Sid had been laying the groundwork two years in advance, all so that on the wedding day Lena could wear the white gown and openly marry him just once—

then I'd simply grant the wish.

White or red, I didn't want the gown anymore.

Sid, whom I'd loved for five years, I didn't want him anymore either.

"Sid, what excuse did you use to slip away and watch the sunset with me today?"

Lena giggled in his arms.

"Penelope is my best friend, after all. You really shouldn't keep coming to see me behind her back. It's not right."

Sid lowered his head with a doting smile.

"Not right? Haven't I already come to you behind her back plenty of times?"

"Last night in my sleep I almost called out your name, and I didn't even notice myself doing it. That's how much I miss you. Lena, you're my cure, plain and simple."

"If I don't come see you, I'm afraid I'll really start mistaking Penelope for you…"

Watching this, the pain cut at my heart like a knife.

I didn't want to keep digging into exactly when Sid had gotten together with Lena.

Maybe it was two years ago, the time Lena knocked on my door soaked from head to toe.

There'd been something clearly off in Sid's eyes.

Or maybe it was three years ago, the time a pipe burst at Lena's place and Sid, hearing of it, ran over without a second thought to fix it.

All I knew was that he didn't come home all night.

Early the next morning, Sid's voice was full of apology. "My car broke down last night, so I just made do and crashed somewhere out there."

But later, when I went over to my best friend's place, I happened to catch a few photos that the smart display had grabbed at random.

The timestamp was that very night.

Lena was curled up barefoot on the couch, binge-watching a show.

And the man cooking soup in the kitchen looked exactly like Sid.

Ten years of friendship, and Lena had always been single, never once close with any man.

She was forever telling me, in so many words, that she couldn't stand men.

Yet behind my back, she'd been sneaking around with my boyfriend for years.

I was about to step forward when, right then, my phone suddenly buzzed.

A message from Sid.

"Working late at the office, won't be back until nine tonight."

"Be good, eat dinner without me, don't wait up."

I looked up at Sid. He was carrying Lena's clogs in one hand, the other arm around her waist, the two of them heading toward the seaside bed-and-breakfast.

It was only six in the evening.

What they planned to do over the next three hours needed no spelling out.

But I didn't want to dig into it anymore.

I calmly typed back, "Sure, I've got something to take care of myself anyway."

Right after, another message from Sid popped up.

"Don't wear yourself out, baby."

"When I get back, I'll bring you your favorite mango cake."

Looking at those two words, mango cake, I couldn't help a bitter smile.

Five years.

He still didn't remember I was allergic to mango.

The one who loved mango cake was Lena.

Or maybe he'd just told so many lies.

Since this marriage wasn't going to happen, there was no point decorating the wedding home either.

I turned and flagged down a cab at the curb, and went to the apartment.

On the way I saw someone selling strawberry cake, so I stopped and bought one, eating it as I strolled unhurriedly toward the new place.

Mm. So good.

The sweet scent spread from the tip of my tongue, and even though it was sweet, my nose stung before I could stop it.

Strawberry cake, because Lena didn't like this flavor.

Every time she smelled it, she'd pinch her nose, even going so far, dramatically, as to run to the bathroom like she might be sick.

After that, Sid never bought me strawberry cake again.

He always patted my head and said, "Strawberry, blueberry, mango, it's just a different flavor, they're all pretty much the same."

"Be good. Lena's your best friend. If the smell makes her sick, we should be considerate of her."

So one line about being considerate of her.

And strawberry cake never appeared in our home again.

By the time I was nearly at the new place, the strawberry cake in my hand was nearly gone. I tossed the box away and pushed the door open.

Only to hear a faint rustling coming from inside.

My guard went up at once. I thought a thief had gotten in.

But the next second, to my surprise, Sid and Lena came walking in from the balcony, looking somewhat flustered.

"Penelope?"

Sid's eyes flickered with guilt the moment he saw me.

"Weren't you busy? What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I happened to be free, thought I'd come check on the apartment."

I pretended not to see the lipstick mark on his collar.

"Didn't you say you'd be working late till nine?"

Sid's face went slightly pale.

"Penelope, you've really got to admit your boyfriend loves you. I'd barely gotten off work when Sid called me over to help set up your new place."

"We wanted to surprise you. Didn't think you'd catch us in the act!"

Her clothes a little disheveled, Lena came over anyway and looped her arm warmly through mine.

"But it's just as well. Take a look and see what else needs decorating."

Lena patted her chest, beaming.

"Trust me, sis. I've got it all set up perfectly for you."

I glanced around. The whole bridal apartment was beautifully done.

If I were still the woman who'd been so set on marrying Sid,

I'd have been over the moon.

But now all I felt was a faint regret, knowing that in a few hours every bit of it would be reduced to rubble and trash.

"It's nice."

I turned to look at the two of them. "You've both worked hard. Go home and rest."

"I'll take care of the rest."

Lena looked a little reluctant, still wanting to stay and help, but seeing how calm my face was, she had no choice but to pick up her bag. "I'll get going, then."

"My phone's almost dead, though, so it's hard to call a cab. Mind if I borrow your boyfriend to give me a ride?"

Back when Sid was short on budget, he'd bought the bridal apartment out in the suburbs, a bit far from downtown.

Before I could even say anything, Sid was already taking her bag for her.

"Penelope, it's dark out, and this area isn't safe. I'll go drop Lena off first."

"I'll come back for you after."

It wasn't a question. It was a notification.

Without waiting for my answer, they left, one after the other.

And once they were gone, I pulled up the security feed for the apartment.

I'd had the cameras installed during the renovation.

To keep an eye on the workers and stop them from slacking off.

After the work was finished, they'd served no further purpose.

But on some strange impulse I opened the footage, and sure enough, I saw the scene that shattered my heart.

At half past, the moment the door opened, Lena's voice came through.

"What a dump of a rental. It got high ratings because it's right by the beach, but who knew the bed would be that hard? Worst stay ever."

Then came Sid's voice, warm with a smile.

"That's my clever Lena, thinking to come to the bridal apartment. It's out of the way. Penelope would never come over here."

On the feed, Sid loosened his tie with one hand while pinning Lena against the wall.

"Two and a half hours until nine. A moment of a spring night is worth its weight in gold…"

But Lena laughed and pulled him toward the balcony.

"It's just gone dark out there. Want to… try the balcony?"

The two of them shoved the balcony door open.

Kissing, stumbling backward.

I closed my eyes for a moment and exited the feed.

I already knew what was happening. Why torture myself by watching on, only to shame myself?

I watched the workers haul out all the new soft furnishings they'd just arranged in the apartment.

Only once it had all been thrown out as garbage did I let out a breath.

The workers looked dismayed. "Miss Henson, these all look freshly installed. Weren't they meant for the wedding? Why throw them out?"

"Because they're dirty."

Besides, I was the one who'd paid the down payment on this place. Since the bride had been swapped out for someone else,

it had no business being tied to me anymore.

The worker hesitated, wanting to say more, but I took out my wallet and gave them a little something for their trouble.

"Thanks for your hard work. Take the sofa and the bed too. They're yours, free of charge."

Through the cameras I'd seen that Sid had brought Lena to the apartment in secret, more than once.

The bed and the sofa were dirty too.

Even if they hadn't used them, just looking at them turned my stomach.

By past nine that night, Sid still showed no sign of coming to pick me up.

This was the suburbs, and cabs were hard to come by. Every other time we'd come to the apartment, Sid had always driven me there and back himself.

I was about to message and ask him when Lena's post popped up on my social media feed.

"Watching the night view, watching the ocean~ It really does feel different when someone's here with you."

Below it was a single photo of the sea, and in the bottom right corner you could just make out a man's hand caught in the frame.