After seeing Lilian off, my mother patted my shoulder and cheerfully said, "Good job today, girl. Finally, you're on the same page as me. When Lilian asked you, I thought you'd speak up for her again!"

My father looked at me approvingly and added, "I also thought you, silly girl, would embarrass your mom in front of everyone again."

Look at that. My reputation as Lilian's mouthpiece was firmly established at home. I sighed and said, "I used to be foolish, always wanting to stand up for her. But now I realize that being the first to stick out never ends well."

My parents were very pleased with my epiphany and praised me for finally growing up. Little did they know that this so-called growing up came at the cost of my life.

I remembered how, in my previous life, after I had stood up to my mother for Lilian, my mother had been sarcastic with me for weeks, and my father had been deeply disappointed.

Yet they had praised Lilian for suggesting forgoing the money, boasting to everyone about what a good wife their son had gotten.

I angrily confronted Lilian then, asking why she had undermined me. She explained, "I was afraid your parents and Ethan would think I was after money. Besides, we've been friends for so many years. You're so good, so your family must be good too. They will surely treat me well, and as long as they do, the money doesn't matter."

I had called her foolish at the time, thinking she should value something more reliable than people's goodwill. After all, human hearts changed, but money stayed loyal. Yet, why had her expression changed today if she didn't care about money?

Thinking back, it wasn't she who was foolish but me. The incidents where she betrayed me were countless. Since she claimed to be so modest and never chased after fame or fortune, I would let her be just that this time.

Genevieve was always efficient and decisive. Given that Lilian's parents had passed away early and she was raised by her grandmother, who had little say in the wedding arrangements, it took less than a month for my family to finalize the details of Lilian and Ethan's wedding.

There was no romantic proposal like Lilian had once dreamed of, nor the elaborate venue decorations, officiant, flower girls, bridesmaids, and groomsmen she had hoped for.

It was just a simple wedding procession and a feast. I saw Lilian's displeasure when Genevieve informed her of the wedding plans. It was evident that Lilian was not happy with the forthcoming wedding.

In my previous life, besides the 188 thousand dollars, I had also helped Lilian persuade my parents to have a grand wedding, booking a star-rated hotel in advance, decorating it nicely, and hiring an officiant to give her a spectacular wedding.

My frugal mother was naturally reluctant, but couldn't say it outright in front of Lilian. That was when Lilian jumped in, saying it was unnecessary to waste money and that a simple ceremony would suffice.

This gesture earned Lilian even more favor with my parents, while I got severely scolded.

I was furious and asked her if she didn't want a romantic wedding the most.

She replied lightly, "Gigi, we're not kids anymore. Now that I'm getting married, I must understand the importance of being frugal. We need to know which expenses are necessary and which aren't."

My parents felt extremely fortunate when they saw how sensible Lilian was and insisted on giving her and Ethan a grand wedding. That wedding brought her immense pride and joy.

Faced with Genevieve's arrangements, Lilian once again gave me that familiar pleading look. I ignored her and continued to play with my phone.

Lilian had no choice but to nod and agree.

On the wedding day, Lilian's face showed no happiness but embarrassment.

I knew precisely why Lilian felt this way. Her ex-boyfriend had sent her a wedding invitation, and she had taken me to attend.

That wedding was held in a five-star hotel, and everything from the venue decorations to the ceremony exuded extreme romance. It was the kind of wedding every girl dreamed of. Lilian tore up and told me it would be even more grand and spectacular when she married, outshining her ex's wedding.

But now, her ex was sitting in some obscure corner of the room, witnessing her ordinary, lackluster wedding. The simplicity of it all had robbed her of any sense of pride or triumph.

As expected, I saw a message from her ex on the phone that Lilian had temporarily left with me after the wedding.

[Lilian, I can't believe how far you've fallen since leaving me. Who is this guy you're marrying? He can't even give you a decent wedding.]

I pretended not to see it and handed Lilian the phone when she finished her tasks.

As soon as Lilian opened it, tears quickly welled in her eyes.

Ethan noticed and asked, "Lilian, what's wrong?"

Lilian quickly composed herself and replied softly, "Nothing, it's just that getting married like this suddenly made me a bit emotional."

Seeing Lilian's delicate demeanor, Ethan hugged her lovingly and then turned to me, saying, "Gigi, Lilian is new to our family and might feel out of place. Since you're her best friend, you should spend more time with her."

I nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will." I would spend time with her, alright, but how I did it was up to me.

Right then, I invited two friends over to my house. These two had no filter and spoke without thinking. In my previous life, they had indirectly insulted Lilian multiple times after they came over.

Back then, I stood up for Lilian, scolding them harshly, and our friendship sank instantly.

Lilian, however, stepped in, saying she believed they didn't mean it and that I was too sensitive. This made me so angry that I stormed off.

From that moment on, Lilian and those two became inseparable. They spread rumors about me and painted me as difficult to get along with. Because of their efforts, I became the pariah of our social circle, with many people avoiding me.