Just as I was about to step inside, the girl in the white dress – Miles’s “best buddy” – shyly leaned her head on his shoulder.

I stopped in my tracks.

Miles didn’t seem to mind at all. He let her pull out a Truth or Dare slip and read it aloud.

“Kiss the person on your left for three seconds.”

The girl giggled and said, “Come on, guys! Don’t bully me! Miles has a girlfriend. How about giving me a break since I’m new here and letting this one slide?”

Miles ruffled her hair playfully, his smile full of affection.

“Ashley, that trick won’t work on them. They’re all troublemakers here – you can’t get out of this with just some pouting.”

She clung to his arm with practiced ease, her voice sickly sweet like spun sugar.

“But I don’t care! Can’t you all make an exception just this once, for Miles’s sake?”

One of the guys, a little tipsy from losing a previous round of dares, started egging them on.

“She has to kiss him! His girlfriend should be back soon, and isn’t the whole point of this game to take risks? That’s what makes it fun, right?”

A couple of the guys, who hadn’t had much to drink, joined in, teasing.

“Yeah! Word on the street is our guy Miles’s a total softie for his girlfriend, never dares cross her. Let’s see how he handles this!”

Miles threw an apple at one of them, laughing as he did.

“Idiots. You’re just trying to get me in trouble, aren’t you? I’m serious about Gretchen.”

The guy caught the apple and laughed it off.

“Ha, seriously though, it’s not a big deal. Everyone knows you and Ashley grew up together – you’ve probably seen each other naked as kids. Three seconds of kissing? It’s not like it has to be on the lips.”

The group kept bantering.

Miles seemed to be wavering, sipping his drink with a smile.

“Still, I can’t do it. Wrong time, wrong place. Gretchen is on her way back, and she’s got a strong jealous streak. She hates it when I’m too close to other women. She’ll throw a fit if she sees this.”

So, the location is the problem?

How thoughtful of him to remember this is our home.

Throw a fit?

Was I the unreasonable one?

For the first time, I started to see Miles differently.

I quickly reassured myself that he was probably just using me as an excuse to reject them.

After all, we’d been together for six years since college.

There was a girl who had pursued him for an entire year once, and he didn’t give in.

He hated cheaters the most.

His father had left him and his mother for a mistress.

I believed in his character.

Just as I was about to walk in, I heard the girl’s sweet voice again.

“Miles, they’re not entirely wrong. You wouldn’t embarrass me on my first day here, right? Besides, I’m curious – who matters more to you, me or Gretchen? It’s just a kiss on the cheek. People abroad greet each other like that all the time.”

She leaned further into him, blinking up at him with wide, sugary eyes.

“Just three seconds. Is that okay?”

So much for a “best buddy.”

Just when I thought Miles would say no, he glanced out the window to make sure the coast was clear.

Then he swiftly kissed her on her rosy cheek.

The group burst into cheers.

“Miles, you’re the man!”

“Total legend!”

The handsome man kissing the sweet and bashful girl – it was a picture-perfect scene of mutual affection.

As I thought back to Miles sweet-talking me in bed last night, my stomach turned.

A sharp realization hit me:

This must be what the internet calls “the childhood sweetheart who’s not quite innocent.”

But I couldn’t believe it.

Could six years of being together really not compare to this sudden reappearance of a childhood friend?

I entered the room with a calm expression.

The room fell silent for a moment when they saw me.

Miles quickly came over, taking the cake from my hands.

His voice was full of concern. “What happened? Your hair’s all wet.”

“It started raining while I was waiting in line.”

“You should’ve told me. I could’ve picked you up. Now you’ve caught a chill – how are you going to get better?”

He left the group behind to fetch a dry towel and started drying my hair. He even went into the kitchen to make me some ginger tea, bustling around to take care of me.

As soon as I sat on the couch, Miles’s “best buddy,” Ashley, excitedly plopped down next to me and introduced herself.

“You must be Gretchen! Hi! I’m Ashley, Miles’s childhood friend. You’re so pretty – Miles’s really lucky.”

I pulled my hand out of hers, my tone neutral. “Thanks. You’re pretty, too.”

Ashley’s attention shifted to the lemon cake on the table. Her face lit up with excitement.

“Gretchen, how did you know this is my favorite cake? When I was little, I always begged Miles to make me lemon cakes. He used to make the best ones.”

So, this was both of their favorite cake.

A sinking feeling hit me, but I kept my expression neutral.

“If you like it, then have more. I thought Miles’s best buddy was a guy, so I didn’t get enough for everyone. You can finish it – he doesn’t need any.”

Ashley hugged my arm affectionately. Whether it was innocence or something else, I couldn’t tell.

“You’re so good to me, Gretchen.”

Her overwhelming floral perfume made my stomach turn even more.

At eleven that night, after finally sending everyone home, Ashley, who had drunk a bit too much, clung to Miles, insisting that he take her back to her apartment.

He didn’t bother asking for my opinion, just helped her out the door.

“Gretchen, go ahead and sleep. I’ll be back in half an hour.”

Miles came back an hour and a half later.

I was lying in bed, fast asleep.

Without even taking a shower, he climbed into bed, his body reeking of that nauseatingly sweet floral perfume. He lifted the blanket and leaned in to kiss me.

In my daze, I noticed a smudge of lipstick on his white shirt.

A woman’s intuition told me that it was the same shade as Ashley’s.

Then I saw his lips – those lips I used to love so much, now wet and disgusting, like something rotten in a trash heap.

Miles cupped my face, about to kiss me.

I pushed him away and rushed to the bathroom, hunching over the toilet, vomiting uncontrollably.

The disgust was physical and emotional.

But strangely enough, I hadn’t eaten anything that night.

No man likes being rejected, especially in such a blatant, humiliating way.

Miles frowned and followed me.

“What’s going on? Are you feeling sick?”

I didn’t bother pretending anymore. My voice came out cold and hoarse.

“Funny, I didn’t realize your ‘best buddy’ was such a sweet girl. You’re really living the dream, aren’t you?”

His frown deepened.

“I should’ve explained it to you beforehand – that’s on me – but stop with the passive-aggressive tone and just say what you mean.”

“I saw everything you two were up to in the living room tonight. And next time, maybe clean off the lipstick on your collar before coming home.”

Miles froze, his face a mix of panic.

He walked over to where I was washing up at the sink, trying to wrap his arms around me.

“Gretchen, it’s not what you think. It was just a game. Ashley’s family helped mine a lot when we were kids. I’ve always seen her as a little sister.

“What happened in the living room was nothing more than a peck on the cheek, a greeting. She was drunk and got a little clingy – that’s all. There’s nothing between us.

“We’ve been together for six years. We’re getting married in May. If you don’t trust me after all this time, then what does our relationship even mean?

“You know better than anyone – I’ve only ever loved you. From college until now, I’ve only grown to love you more.”

I knew Miles loved me.

When I first started college, I was going through a tough time at home, and my temper was terrible. Miles was always the one to take care of me.

Back then, we weren’t even dating. When I had issues with my dormmates and had to move, he, despite being broke, still took my new roommates out to dinner, asking them to look out for me.

After we graduated and started working, even when his job was at its busiest, he never forgot to treat my colleagues to the most expensive restaurants.

He wanted to make sure they respected me, hoping they’d take good care of me at work.

Miles rarely went out of his way to build connections or ask for favors. But for me, he lowered his pride again and again.

How could I not have fallen for him back then?

From our days in college, when he had nothing, to now, when he was successful in his career, I’d been by his side through six years of struggles. And in return, he’d cared for me for six long years.

The next morning, I woke up groggy and made my way downstairs. Miles was sitting at the table, eating the leftover lemon cake from the night before.

If I wasn’t mistaken, the piece in his hand was the one Ashley had left behind.

He said, “You went out in the rain to buy this last night. I can’t let your effort go to waste, so I’m going to finish the cake today.”

I gave him a small smile but said nothing.

Before leaving for work, he reminded me, “I won’t be home for lunch today, so if you’re going to work, don’t bother having the housekeeper prepare anything.”

After Miles left for the office, I tossed the remaining cake from the fridge into the trash.

That evening, while waiting for Miles to pick me up after work, I casually scrolled through my phone.

That’s when I saw a new post from Ashley on her social feed.

She and I had followed each other on Instagram that night when she insisted.

Her post read: [A big thank you to Mr. Gomez for the dinner on behalf of all the colleagues, and an even bigger thanks to my dear buddy for the welcome gifts! They really made me feel special at the office!]

The pictures showed a private dining room at an upscale restaurant, along with a bouquet of flowers and a necklace.

The flowers were forget-me-nots. But it was the necklace that really caught my eye – it looked all too familiar.

It was the limited-edition platinum necklace Miles and I had talked about several times. I had mentioned how much I loved it.

It was rare, nearly priceless.

He had promised to buy it for me.

But now…

It seemed I wasn’t the only one he showered with such attention.

In the past, he had taken me to modest little restaurants when he couldn’t afford much.

He’d do whatever it took to make me feel special, asking others to look out for me.

Now that he was successful, the woman receiving this attention got to enjoy private, high-end meals with four-figure price tags.

I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter. She was like a sister to him, right?

Maybe his mom had asked him to take care of her.

When I got into the car, Miles noticed I was staring at my phone and leaned over to look.

He froze for a moment when he saw Ashley’s post.

Noticing my mood, he hesitated for a long time before offering an explanation.

“Gretchen, don’t overthink it. I see Ashley as a close friend, nothing more. My mom’s always reminding me to look out for her.

“As for the necklace, it was meant for you, but she saw it and wouldn’t stop asking for it. There were other people around, and I didn’t want to embarrass her, so I gave it to her.

“I’ll take you out to buy another one, or as many as you like – whatever makes you happy.”

I gave him a faint smile, but I didn’t say a word.