"Chloe, when you were younger, our family arranged a marriage for you. Now that you're almost recovered from your illness, would you be willing to return to Kingston City and marry?"

"If you still don't agree, I'll talk to your father and cancel the engagement."

In the dimly lit room, Chloe could only hear silence. Just as the person on the other end of the line thought they would not be able to convince her, she suddenly spoke up.

"I'm willing to go back and get married."

Her mom, Felicia, froze, clearly surprised. "You... you agree?"

Chloe's tone was calm. "I agree, but I still need a little time to wrap things up in Marina City. I'll be back within two weeks. Mom, please go ahead and start preparing for the wedding."

After a few more words, Chloe hung up the phone.

"Chloe, remember the childhood engagement our family set up for you? Now that you've almost recovered from your sickness, would you consider returning to Kingston City to tie the knot? If you're still not on board, I can have another word with your dad and call the whole thing off."

In the shadowy room, Chloe Smith could hear nothing but the sound of silence.

On the other end of the line, her mom had braced herself for another refusal, but then Chloe's voice cut through.

"I'll go back and get married."

Her mom, Felicia Brown, was caught off guard.

"You're... You're okay with it?"

Chloe replied steadily, "I am. I just need a little time to wrap up some loose ends here in Marina City. Give me half a month, and I'll be there. Mom, go ahead and get the wedding plans rolling."

With a few more parting words, Chloe ended the call.

As soon as she hung up, the booming beats from the party downstairs seeped into the room, mingling with the strains of a birthday tune.

It was Helen Zimmer's birthday bash, thrown by Andrew Lewis and Stephen Jones.

Out of nowhere, footsteps approached, and there was Helen, grinning with a slice of Black Forest cake in hand.

Her doe-like eyes fluttered, her pretty face dolled up, though a smear of cream made an odd contrast.

"Chloe, come join the fun, won't you?"

Chloe saw right through her friend's festive facade and responded coldly, I've got a pile of work to plow through, so I'll pass. You guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves."

In a heartbeat, Helen's eyes brimmed with tears. "Chloe, are you blowing me off because you don't like me?"

Chloe's eyebrows knitted together without her even realizing it. She had not done a thing, yet somehow, Helen looked like the victim. What was up with that?

She scoffed to herself, totally done with Helen's babbling. "Keep your little act for Andrew and Stephen. It won't work on me."

Her words had barely left her lips when she reached to slam the door shut.

"Chloe, please don't—"

Helen's hand shot out, stopping the door with a thud.

Just like that, her hand got caught, squished as the door snapped shut.

A dark bruise bloomed on her fair skin in an instant.

"Ouch!"

Andrew and Stephen were just coming upstairs and got an eyeful of the drama.

They both dashed to Helen's side, scooping her up and fussing over her hand like it was made of glass.

The sight of Helen's bruised hand made Stephen's eyes water with concern.

He had always been the hot-headed type, and he did not hold back, laying into Chloe, "You don't have to like Helen, but why stoop so low? Chloe, when did you turn into this kind of person?"

Andrew was the calm and collected one, but even he could not hide his disappointment as he stared at Chloe with those intense eyes of his. "Chloe, it's still Helen's birthday. You didn't have to go this far."

However, he softened as he turned to Helen. "Does it still hurt? Let's get some ointment on that."

As Andrew led Helen away, Stephen was right on their heels, trying to cheer her up.

"Don't be down, Helen. I'll give you my brand-new sports car, and we'll go for a joyride after the party. That'll lift your spirits!"

Helen, surrounded by two guys who treated her like a superstar, finally managed to dry her tears, though her voice still quivered a little.

"Thanks, Andrew," she said with a sniffle.

After expressing her gratitude to Andrew, she turned to Stephen with eyes brimming with tears and implored, "Stephen, don't go racing, okay? It's super dangerous, and I'll be worried sick."

Seeing Helen switch from crying to giggling, Stephen quickly promised, "Sure, sure, sure. Whatever makes you happy, I'll do it!"

Chloe watched them as they headed downstairs, standing at the doorway lost in a daydream.

She could not help but remember a time when she was the one standing between Andrew and Stephen.

Ever since she was little, Chloe had been weak and often sick, especially with her asthma, and the damp, rainy weather in Kingston City just made it worse.

When she was five, her parents sent her away from Kingston City to the always-sunny Marina City to live with her aunt, Natalie Smith, a doctor who could help her recover.

That was when Chloe met the boys next door, Andrew and Stephen.

They grew up together, as close as can be, like a trio of peas in a pod.

From the moment they laid eyes on her, the boys were head over heels, always by her side, acting like her personal knights in shining armor.

When they were kids, they would walk her to school, bring her breakfast and milk, and tear up any love letter she got, making sure no other boy could get close to her.

When they grew up, one became a big-shot CEO and the other a famous race car driver. Busy as they were, they bought the houses next to Chloe's, knocked down the walls, and made one big happy home. They made it a point to come back every day to cook for her, just to make sure she had everything she needed.

Chloe was on the mend, and her family was nudging her to head back to Kingston City, but her friends would not have it. They stood there, eyes glistening with unshed tears, practically begging her to stay. They would drop everything to go with her if she left.

They were her rock, always saying, "Where you go, we go."

It was their unwavering support that kept Chloe from heading back, even after she got better.

However, Helen came along, and the game changed.

Helen was the new intern Chloe had taken under her wing.

On her first day, she hung back, too shy to join the lunch crowd. That quickly became her routine until Chloe found her sitting alone, quietly eating plain bread.

It turned out Helen had clawed her way from a mountain town to the big city, scrimping every cent from her poor family's pockets.

Chloe, the Smith family's golden girl, who had been raised in the lap of luxury, felt a pang for Helen and began looking out for her, even bringing her along to meals with Andrew and Stephen.

That was how Helen met the guys.

Andrew, the calm, distant one, had never attended parties—until Helen.

Stephen had lived for racing, and no one could tell him otherwise—until a word from Helen had him hitting the brakes. That had been the new normal for a month by then.

Before Helen, Andrew and Stephen were all about Chloe, never hiding their crushes. They had even made a spectacle a few times, each trying to get Chloe to pick him.

Chloe's heart had fluttered for them, considering choosing one.

However, with her family's marriage plans on the table, that did not seem like such a bad option after all.

Chloe forced a smile and set a countdown timer on her phone for her departure.

From that moment forward, she would stay out of the way of those three.

Chloe shut her door, popped in her earbuds, and tuned out the noise from outside.

Having made up her mind to return home and tie the knot, she knew she would have to resign from her job. Still, she was determined to wrap up her projects, aiming to avoid causing any inconvenience to others.

She sat alone in front of the panoramic window, diligently finishing up her work.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the evening sky faded to dusk.

Chloe removed her earbuds, stood up, and stretched. After a long stretch of focused work, she was finally done.

The building had quieted down completely.

She flicked on her phone for a bit of mindless scrolling.

That was when a message from Helen popped up. Without a second thought, Chloe tapped it open.

[Why didn't you 'like' my post?]

A minute barely passed before another message followed.

[Oops! Sorry, Chloe. Wrong person. Don't be upset, okay?]

Driven by curiosity, Chloe checked Helen's social media feed to see what the fuss was about.

Her screen was filled with photo after photo of presents from Andrew and Stephen, including a luxurious pink princess gown laying spread out, resembling a fluffy pink cloud.

To complement the dress, Andrew had gifted a pair of bespoke crystal diamond shoes that glittered with every turn, the epitome of opulence.

The flashy red sports car had Stephen's name written all over it.

In the photo taking center stage, Helen was flanked by Andrew and Stephen, her hands linked with theirs, her smile radiating pure joy.

In the caption, she declared, [Yay! I got to be a princess for a day!]

Chloe understood all too well. Helen was baiting her, hoping to ruffle her feathers and provoke a reaction.

Once upon a time, Chloe would have been torn apart by the sight of Helen's fake sweetness, and even more by the fact that Andrew and Stephen had given their attention to Helen, a girl they had barely known for a month—a girl who was stepping into what used to be her exclusive territory.

However, with her departure looming, Chloe could not care less.

With a casual flick of her finger, she lit up a heart icon on her phone screen, sealing her approval.

From that moment on, she, Andrew, and Stephen were nothing more than friends. The tough decisions were Helen's to make.

The following day, Chloe strode into the office and handed in her resignation.

When she got home, she began to sift through the mountain of photos that chronicled the trio's shared history.

Over twenty years of friendship had produced album after album of memories.

Childhood games of house with Andrew and Stephen, middle school award ceremonies, college road trips... Each photo brought the past to life, as if she could step right back into those moments. However, those days were gone, and they did not matter anymore.

One by one, Chloe set the photos alight, tossing them into the trash can to burn.

A small fire crackled to life, consuming years of laughter and camaraderie, reducing them to nothing but ash.

Andrew and Stephen arrived home just in time to catch the last act of her personal purge.

Andrew rushed over, his voice trembling as he exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"

Chloe shot him an icy look and replied calmly, "Just burning some moldy old photos."

Stephen reached out, a desperate attempt to save what was left, but Chloe's hand flicked, sending the last of the photos fluttering into the flames.

The fire took them eagerly, leaving no chance for second thoughts or salvaged memories.

Stephen cautiously reached for the photo that was still burning at the edges, but the intense heat made him jerk his hand back.

"These are memories, you know! You don't just burn memories, even if they're a bit moldy!"

His voice was tinged with pain as he spoke, and his eyes started to turn red with the effort to hold back tears. Andrew, too, stared at the flames with a sense of loss, feeling utterly helpless.

Chloe could not help but find their reaction a bit funny. There she was, flesh and blood, right in front of them, and yet they kept getting all worked up over Helen.

Just a bunch of photos, and they were getting all sentimental.

She wondered, just for a second, how they would react if they knew about her plans to go home and get married.

Facing the two worried guys, she spoke with a calm she did not quite feel. "They're just photos. We can take more, can't we?"

"The fire did a thorough job, so we'll have to make new memories. It's about time we went on a trip again, anyway."

Andrew, trying to make the best of the situation, was met with Stephen's eager agreement.

"Yeah, and we can bring Helen along this time. She's always wanted to travel."

Chloe could not help but laugh a little at Stephen's words.

Andrew and Stephen took her chuckle as a sign of agreement and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Just as they were about to head back inside, they stopped short at the sight of several boxes in the living room—boxes that were not there when they left that morning.

"What's all this?" they asked together.

Chloe gave the boxes a quick look. "Oh, I quit my job. I'm thinking of trying something new."

She had liked her job before, had she not?

The same doubt crept into both of their minds.

Chloe was acting off, and it left Andrew and Stephen feeling a bit rattled.

Stephen parted his lips, about to dive into a sea of questions, but the sudden jingle of a ringtone cut through the quiet.

Andrew picked up the phone, and Helen's voice came through, panicked and lost.

"Andrew, the power's out at my place, and I'm freaking out! What should I do?"

Stephen, who was right there, heard her and his face changed. He jumped in before Andrew could respond.

"Helen, don't worry, I'm on my way."

Andrew's forehead creased with worry, a rare sight on his usually calm and collected face.

Worried sick about Helen, Andrew and Stephen grabbed their keys and bolted out the door together.

Chloe, on the other hand, was the picture of calm throughout. Once they were gone, she dialed up Natalie.

She had grown up in Natalie's care, and Natalie had been nothing but kind, treating her like her own daughter.

Since she was leaving, it was only right to say a heartfelt goodbye.

When Natalie heard Chloe was heading back to tie the knot, her voice was tinged with sadness and shock. "Chloe, do Andrew and Stephen know you're going back to get married?"

Chloe hesitated before replying, "They're in the dark, Aunt Natalie. Please keep it under wraps for me too. I just can't deal with any more drama."

The line went quiet for a beat.

Natalie let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I get it. You've been their gem since day one. It's clear as day those two fell hard for you, always stuck like glue. I really thought you'd end up with one of them. What a shame..."

Chloe chuckled softly. "There's nothing to be sorry about. We just weren't meant to be."

Natalie listened, and without pushing the issue, she said softly, "Chloe, I always knew you'd head back home eventually. I just didn't think it'd happen this fast. I've been by your side since you were a tiny tot. Before you take off, swing by and see me, okay? Once you're back in Kingston City, who knows when we'll get another chance to catch up..."

With a playful grin, Chloe replied, "Of course, I'll come by. I've got some presents for you, and I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet."

Natalie chatted a bit more before ending the call.

The moment the line went dead, Chloe's phone buzzed again.

It was her company's director.

"Hey Chloe, your design snagged an award for us! The trophy just came in, and since you've moved on, I've sent your intern, Helen, to drop it off at your place."

Before Chloe could even respond, the doorbell chimed.

She hung up, swung the door open, and there was Helen, trophy in hand, smiling on her doorstep.