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.

A few uneventful days passed, though my social feed was constantly flooded with updates from Ashley.

There were photos of Miles taking her to work or out for meals.

Her caption read: [Big thanks to Miles for finding such an understanding girlfriend! She even let him pick me up after work while she got soaked in the rain! Love him so much!]

That happened two days ago.

Miles had told me Ashley was weak and couldn’t handle getting wet, especially during season changes when she easily caught colds.

He asked me to wait at the office while he dropped her off at her place before coming to get me.

I waited until 9 p.m., sitting alone at the office in the dark, with no one in sight.

The next evening, we had a fight.

He couldn’t stand the silent treatment I gave him for the whole day and was the first to break the ice.

“Do you have to be like this? I just gave her a ride. She’s not well. Can’t you be a little more understanding?”

“And who’s going to understand me? I’m supposed to stand alone outside the office building, in the dark, enjoying the cold wind and the pouring rain?”

“She’s nothing but a two-faced girl to me. If this continues, we might as well break up.”

Miles’s voice grew louder, “Don’t be ridiculous! She just got to the city. I’m taking care of her out of old friendship. Can you stop acting irrational? And don’t joke about breaking up!”

I glared at him, my voice icy. “Then take care of her forever. I never joke when I mention breaking up.”

Seeing how furious I was, or maybe feeling guilty, he lowered his head in defeat.

He slept in the study for three nights as a way of apologizing.

The following week, Miles tried to get close to me again. But I refused to let him touch me.

Though angry, he didn’t push things further.

A few days later, Ashley posted a video of Miles at a bar, getting into a fight for her.

Her caption read: [Miles’s so cool! Having a brother like him is my greatest luck! I’m so jealous of Gretchen for having such an amazing boyfriend.]

Seeing that post only made me want to laugh.

If this video gets out and people spin it the wrong way, it’ll definitely impact the company’s upcoming IPO.

But then again... the company was about to go public.

After six years of standing by him through thick and thin, I wasn’t about to let Ashley swoop in and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Why should she?

I didn’t have many six years to waste.

Besides, there was something else.

I hadn’t been feeling well lately – constantly tired and nauseous.

My period was late.

When I first felt sick seeing Ashley, I thought it was just her making me feel queasy. But now, it seemed I needed to go to the hospital.

Miles, as my boyfriend, had no reason not to accompany me.

On Friday, when I got home from work, I told him about it – that I wasn’t feeling well and needed to go to the hospital. He agreed.

But when I woke up the next morning, he was already gone.

He left a note:

I left the car and driver for you. Something urgent came up at work, and I couldn’t get away. I made some soup in the kitchen – make sure to drink it. Love you, baby.

In the past, even if I coughed a few times, Miles would panic and rush me to the hospital.

But now, when I actively asked him to take me, he found an excuse.

I hadn’t slept well the night before, so I took a nap in the morning.

By 3 p.m., I headed to the hospital with the driver.

We hit terrible traffic on the way, turning what should’ve been a short trip into a two-hour ordeal.

Bored in the backseat, I started scrolling through my phone again.

Once more, Ashley’s post hit me like a punch in the gut.

[Thanks to Miles for the amazing birthday gift! Totally in love with it! Can’t wait for tonight’s spa and hot spring at the resort. It’ll be our little secret!]

The photo showed two crossed fingers with matching rings on the middle fingers – clearly a man’s hand and a woman’s hand.

The man’s hand was long and veiny, and the ring on his finger looked painfully familiar.

Matching couple rings.

I remembered the time I had asked Miles to wear one for me.

He did, but only for a short while, claiming, “The company’s in a crucial phase, and I have to attend a lot of formal events. Wearing jewelry isn’t appropriate.”

After that, the ring I bought for him sat collecting dust in his wardrobe.

How ironic.

They were already at the resort, enjoying the hot springs.

Why was I still tolerating this?

I took a screenshot of Ashley’s post and sent it to Miles with a message.

[Stop pretending to be brother and sister. It’s disgusting. Just go ahead and make it official – I’ll get out of the way.]

Maybe I had hit a nerve because Miles responded quickly with a string of angry voice messages.

“Gretchen, what are you even saying?! Just because I didn’t go to the hospital with you, you think any random guy’s hand is mine? Think about it – how long has it been since we’ve been close? You keep pushing me away. I think you’re the one looking for an excuse to dump me. Stop creating problems where there aren’t any!”

I snapped back.

“You’re the one creating problems! I’ve had enough of the two of you! You’re already at a damn hot spring hotel – what’s next? Are you waiting until there’s a love child before you tell me?!”

Miles clearly wasn’t expecting such a heated reply. He responded with a written message, more desperate now.

[Stop it, Gretchen. I’m busy right now. I told you, there’s nothing between us. Calm down, and don’t you dare mention breaking up again. It’s not happening.]

By the time I reached the hospital, I had a confirmation from the doctor.

I was two months pregnant.

Despite suspecting it, hearing the news out loud left me terrified.

I was all alone.

Miles’s mind was elsewhere.

Back when we were still in college, Miles loved the idea of having kids.

When we graduated at 22, he’d place his hand on my stomach and talk about how we’d have two kids – one like me, one like him.

Boy or girl, he didn’t care.

But back then, we could barely support ourselves, and reality quickly crushed those dreams.

Now, at 26, we were having a child.

And neither of us seemed to care.