For ten years, I'd loved Eloise Lane in silence. Then my best friend announced he was marrying her.

The invitation arrived during what I knew was probably my last round of chemo.

I had a suit custom-made for the wedding and wore the most natural-looking wig I could find. The doctors had told me I might not see another winter. I wanted to watch the two most important people in my life find happiness before I… before the end.

Before the ceremony, I stood off in a corner, half-listening to Eloise's friends chatting. My thoughts drifted until I caught them reminiscing about our school days.

"Back in the day, Eloise once took an overnight train all the way to another city just to kneel at a shrine and pray for a charm for some guy," one of them recalled.

Another added, "No wonder she was so thrilled when Rowan's letter turned up. Guess they were on the same page after all."

Suddenly, I remembered our high school graduation. Rowan had snatched two charms from Eloise and tossed one to me without thinking, keeping the other. I'd treasured mine all these years, treated it like something sacred. And now I realized—it had been meant for him. I was just the third wheel tagging along.

Bitterness flooded my chest, and I turned to leave.

Eloise's voice rang out behind me. "That letter? It wasn't Rowan's."

I froze, my feet nailed to the floor.

Her tone was calm, almost indifferent. "It was Casey. I'd know his handwriting anywhere."

The person she was speaking to sounded surprised. "Then why didn't you say anything? Casey's been into you for, like, forever. You could've at least given him an answer."

Eloise let out a soft laugh.

"Answer him? Please. His mom has a shady job, and he doesn't even know who his real father is. What if I gave him an inch and he latched on like a leech? I'm not that nice. I don't need that kind of hassle."

She paused, then laughed softly. "Rowan comes from money. He started his own business right out of school. What could Casey ever offer me? Besides his pathetic sincerity, he's got nothing."

My fingers went ice-cold. A numbness crept up my arms, winding through my veins like icy tendrils, snaking right into my heart.

All these years, I'd thought I hid my feelings perfectly. I never imagined she'd known the whole time.

Seven years ago, that heartfelt letter of mine got passed around for everyone to see. Rowan snatched it back, claiming it was his.

When Eloise heard about it, she announced loudly, "Even if Rowan were the last guy on the planet, I wouldn't choose him."

The two had always mixed like oil and water. She was bright and confident; he was bold and shameless. Together, they were fire and ice.

Knowing Rowan had taken the hit for me and been humiliated, I felt crushing guilt. I went and confronted Eloise for him—even though she was the one I loved.

Rowan was my best friend. Whenever I was broke and desperate, he took me in. When I couldn't afford the school field trip, he'd secretly slip his allowance into my backpack. He was the only one who remembered my birthdays, hiking up to the mountaintop with me to make wishes at the summit.

In the end, because of me, Eloise apologized to Rowan and even exchanged numbers with him.

But once college started, Rowan started avoiding me. On his birthday, I used my part-time job money to buy his favorite jersey—only to find him leaning in to kiss Eloise right outside his dorm.

That image is burned into my memory. I walked away and left the gift behind.

I wished them the best, but I slowly pulled away. I never expected that Eloise saw me as a joke.

I pressed a hand to my aching chest, telling myself, This is the year. Stop loving Eloise. The time I have left should be just enough to forget her.

I spotted Rowan in the guest lounge. The instant he laid eyes on me, his smile vanished. "Casey, shouldn't you be overseas on business?" he asked.

I forced a smile and tossed him a box. Inside was a watch, his favorite model. Buying it had drained my savings completely.

Rowan glanced at it, then shifted uncomfortably. "Casey, there are a ton of guests today. Maybe you should head back."

I hesitated, remembering how he'd once said I was his only choice for best man. Now, he just flat-out told me, "We've already picked someone else."

Just then, Eloise walked in.

Before I could get out more than a "Congratulations," Rowan was already at her side, taking her hand and suggesting she touch up her makeup. Eloise nodded, but as she turned away, she shot me a brief, lingering glance.

In the past, her every little move would've sent my heart racing. Now, I was calm—still as a pond.

After Eloise left, Rowan spun around, snatched a steaming cup of coffee from the table, and hurled it right in my face.

The scalding liquid splashed across my skin, drenching my hair and plastering it to my forehead. Coffee dripped down my cheeks, staining the suit I'd so carefully picked out for the occasion.

I stood there, stunned, staring at Rowan in disbelief. I noticed his eyes were red, too.

"Casey, I'm sorry. Being with Eloise... I've always felt insecure. Sometimes, I really envy you..." He trailed off.

I was taken aback. Envy me?

My family life was a mess, the person I loved didn't love me back, and now I was on the brink of despair. Meanwhile, he'd always had Eloise's unwavering devotion.

He worked late? Eloise would drive to pick him up. He casually mentioned craving a spiced honey cake? She'd have it delivered to his office. He wanted to go to a concert? She'd make time, no matter how swamped she was.

All the things I dreamed of, he had without even trying. Why the hell would he envy me?

Before I could respond, Rowan grabbed my hand, his grip urgent. "Casey, you're still single. You still like Eloise, don't you?"

His voice caught, and a tear finally slipped free. "If you just nod, I can let her go to you."

Bitterness swelled in my chest. Let her go? Feelings aren't something you can just hand over like a gift.

But looking into his pained eyes, I softened.

From eighteen to twenty-four, I'd spent six years cautiously stepping back from both friendship and love, until there was nowhere left to retreat.

"No need," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I stopped liking Eloise a long time ago."

With that, the last flicker of hope inside me was snuffed out.

Rowan was skeptical, his eyes boring into me. I dropped my gaze and lied, "I have a girlfriend now. We're planning to get married."

His eyes lit up, his voice pitching higher with excitement. "Really? Who is she? Got a picture? Let me see!"

I hesitated. "She... doesn't like having her picture taken."

Rowan's smile froze. Skepticism crept back into his gaze. "Casey, are you lying to me?"

I opened my mouth to defend myself.

Just then, the lounge door opened again.

Eloise returned, a ring box in her hand. The moment she saw me, her brows furrowed sharply. "What happened?"

Without missing a beat, Rowan blurted out, "Nothing, we were just messing around."

Eloise's expression turned icy, her voice sharp as a blade. "Do you have any idea what kind of event this is? Go change. Don't disrupt the proceedings."

My fingers curled into my palm, nails biting into skin.

To her, I was just someone who didn't know their damn place.

Rowan must have sensed my humiliation and spoke up. "Eloise, don't be so harsh."

Eloise replied flatly, "I just don't want something this important ruined by irrelevant people."

Irrelevant? That word landed like a punch to the gut, right where it hurt the most.

Swallowing the bitterness rising in my chest, I shook off Rowan's hand, gave a numb nod, and walked out. A staff member led me to a makeshift changing room—a converted storage area, of all places.

As I turned to change, I heard a strange sound behind me—soft, but unmistakable.

I whipped around, startled by a middle-aged woman casually leaning against the doorframe. Her eyes lingered on my bare shoulder, a sly smile curving her lips. I recognized her immediately—Rowan's distant cousin.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, hastily pulling my shirt back on and stepping back.

With an unsettling grin, she inched closer. "Rowan's mentioned you," she drawled. "Says you're quite the catch, even though your family's going through a rough patch. I'm divorced, got a kid, and I run a business. Stick with me, and you won't regret it."

A chill ran down my spine. Not wasting another second, I clutched my suit jacket and bolted for the door. She tried to block my path, but I shoved past her and burst into the bustling corridor.

I stumbled into the crowd of guests, drawing curious stares. The commotion caught Rowan's and Eloise's attention, the woman hot on my heels.

Feigning distress, she pointed at me accusingly. "He tried to attack me!"

"I didn't!" I protested, my voice shaking, my head spinning. In my haste, my wig had gone crooked, and my rumpled suit from dressing in a hurry only made me look more pathetic.

The woman seized the moment, her voice dripping with disdain. "Look at you, dressed like this at a wedding. Isn't it obvious you're just trying to snag a rich lady to leech off of?"

I opened my mouth, desperate to explain.

But someone in the crowd chimed in, "Come to think of it, Casey was always tailing Rowan like a lost puppy. Maybe he's just hoping some rich woman will scoop him up."

A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd.

Old whispers and rumors I thought I'd buried long ago resurfaced, threatening to drown me. In their eyes, I was never Rowan's friend—just some pathetic fool pining for what he could never have.

At that moment, Rowan suddenly released Eloise's arm and stepped forward. "Enough! Casey is my best friend. Anyone else who speaks against him will answer to me."

His jaw tightened, shielding me just like he did back in high school when he got into a fight to get my diary back. For a fleeting moment, I believed nothing had changed—that he was still the Rowan who'd take on the world for me.

But then, he drew me aside, away from the crowd.

"My cousin was out of line," he rushed out. "I'm sorry. But it's my wedding, Casey, please don't make a scene. I can ask her to give you some money. She's loaded; you'd be set for a while."

The last flicker of hope inside me died out. "I don't need money."

Rowan's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Please, Casey, I'm begging you. Don't ruin my wedding..."

A vice clamped around my heart, squeezing until I could scarcely breathe.

Then Eloise's cold voice cut through the tension beside me. "Not enough? I'll pay you myself."

With a flick of her wrist, she held out a wad of cash, like she was tossing scraps to a stray.

My gaze shifted from the money to her face.

There was no anger in her eyes, just a weary indifference. To her, this was a trivial matter not worth her full attention—a nuisance to be brushed off with a couple of bills.

Suddenly I remembered that rainy night when we were fourteen, and she handed me her umbrella, running off into the rain herself. I once believed in the quiet kindness of the world, that maybe I too could bask in its warmth.

Now I get it—some people give umbrellas not out of care, but out of convenience.

It was my own foolish delusion that kept me tethered to her all these years.

"No thanks," I said, pushing the money back at her.

Eloise's expression hardened.

Rowan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, murmuring, "Don't be so tough on him, Eloise..."

But his eyes showed relief.

It hit me—there was no reason for me to stick around any longer.

This time, no one stopped me.

By the time I left the venue, the sky had already darkened. The October wind slipped down my collar, sending shivers through me as I hunched against the cold.

I stood at the roadside for a while, unable to catch a taxi.

Then my phone buzzed in my pocket—it was the hospital.

A stern voice on the other end said, "Mr. Peterson, your hospital bill is three days past due. If you can't pay up today, we'll have to discharge you."

I hung up and checked the balance on my phone. Only $183 left.

After thinking it over, I decided to walk back from the outskirts.

At some point, the wind whipped away my wig, leaving my bald head bare to the biting cold.

Reaching into my inner pocket, I pulled out a small trinket. I walked over to a nearby trash can and tossed it inside.

From this moment on, I cut all ties with Eloise and Rowan. May our paths never cross again, not even in another life.