When it was my husband's "sworn sister's" turn in the game of Truth or Dare, she winked at me.

"Kristoff has a scar on his butt. I'm the one who bit him."

The private room fell into dead silence.

My mind went blank. That scar near his tailbone—so it wasn't from a motorcycle accident like he had told me.

Seeing me freeze, she giggled and explained, "Oh, don't overthink it. It was just on your wedding night. Purely a ‘souvenir' of our brotherly love."

Then she smirked, "If there really was something between us, do you think I'd be bringing it up on your third wedding anniversary?"

——

The air turned heavy.

Kristoff lifted the banana in his hand and shoved the entire thing into Aileen's mouth.

"Shut up and eat. Maybe you'll choke on your nonsense."

Aileen rolled her eyes dramatically, then reached out to grope his pants with a laugh. "A banana is nothing compared to your lil junior, eh?"

The room erupted in laughter.

Someone tried to smooth things over with me.

"Don’t take it to heart, Elodie. We’re used to fooling around with that kind of talk. Come on, let’s get back to the game!"

It wasn't the first time.

My fingers dug so hard into my glass that my nails stung.

The beer bottle spun in front of me, clattering to a stop.

Everyone pointed at me, chanting, "Elodie, you lost! Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." I answered flatly.

I rose to my feet, strode straight to Aileen, yanked up her skirt, and snapped photo after photo in one swift motion.

By the time she screamed and tried to pull her skirt down, I had already taken over a dozen shots.

Kristoff was the first to react, shoving me hard.

"Elodie, are you out of your mind?"

I smiled coldly and held up my phone. "I just gave Aileen a proper graduation send-off. Tell me—how does this dare compare to biting someone’s ass?"

The room went silent. No one dared to laugh.

"What’s wrong? Why aren’t you laughing? Wasn’t it funny?" I asked, though my chest felt unbearably tight.

Kristoff's face was dark as he stripped off his jacket and tied it around Aileen's bare thighs.

Her eyes turned red as she clutched his arm, glaring at me.

"Elodie, why are you so serious? If you can't handle the game, don't play!"

I laughed sarcastically, mocking her words. "Isn’t this a dare? Why are you the one taking it so seriously?"

"Elodie!"

For the eighteenth time, Kristoff roared at me for her sake. "You've gone too far. Apologize to Aileen right now!"

I was the one insulted, yet somehow I was the one at fault.

Suddenly, everything felt pointless.

Grabbing my bag, I stood to leave.

But he yanked my wrist hard, his face pale with anger.

"Today is our anniversary! All my friends are here, and you have to make a scene like this?"

Friends. Always friends.

I jerked my hand free.

Smack!

The slap echoed as it landed across Kristoff's face. Everyone froze.

The atmosphere was suffocating.

Aileen gave an awkward laugh, wrapping an arm around Kristoff's shoulder and covering his mouth with her hand.

"Alright, that's enough."

Her smile softened as she said, "Elodie, Kristoff and I are nothing but childhood buddies. We grew up butt-naked together. Even if I stripped right now in front of him, he wouldn't get hard."

Then, with a little push, she playfully shoved him toward me.

“Go on, apologize and go home with your wife. If you stay here any longer, every man in this room will be suspected of sleeping with you.”

She exchanged knowing looks with the others, giggling behind her hand.

Under Aileen's urging eyes, Kristoff muttered through clenched teeth, "...I'm sorry."

My heart twisted painfully.

If only he hadn't apologized, maybe there would still be room left between us.

I turned and strode out of the private room.

Of course, Kristoff chased after me.

Inside the car, the man who was usually so silent couldn't stop talking.

"Why do you always pick on Elodie? What has she ever done to you?"

“I married you, Kristoff. I didn’t sell myself to you. Do I not even have the freedom to socialize like a normal person?”

“If Aileen and I really had something going on, our kid would already be old enough to buy soy sauce. Do you think there’d even be space left for you to throw a tantrum?”

That final taut string inside me snapped with a resounding crack.

“Yes—you’re right, it’s not my place!” My voice broke into a scream. “But I’ve had enough!”

All the resentment I had bottled up for years erupted at once.

I turned my gaze toward the window, fighting desperately to hold back my tears.

“Kristoff, you remember her period cycle. You remember she hates cilantro. At every dinner, you act like her servant, making sure her silverware and bowls are rinsed over and over with hot water.”

My eyes burned, and tears finally spilled.

“But the one thing you never remember is my mango allergy. On my birthday, you bought her favorite mango cake—and I almost died in the hospital from an allergic reaction.”

“When you were building your business, it was me who drank until my stomach bled, just to win you the investors you wanted. When you ran out of money, it was my parents’ life savings I pawned to cover your debts. Where was this so-called ‘sister' of yours then? Did she lift a single finger to help?”

“And now that you've made it, Mr. White—she suddenly drapes herself in the skin of ‘brotherhood’ and sticks to you like glue. And you—” my voice cracked, “—you actually enjoy it, don’t you?”

After letting everything out in one breath, I closed my eyes.

“Kristoff, let’s get a divorce.”

Silence fell. The only sound in the car was my own muffled sobs.

When I finally turned my head, I saw him slumped against the window, softly snoring in a drunken haze.

...

I sat alone until three in the morning.

Staring at the wedding photo on the coffee table, I finally dialed a lawyer.

"Sorry to bother you at this hour... Could you draft a divorce agreement for me?"

I was jolted awake by the sound of water running in the bathroom.

Kristoff adjusted his tie in front of the mirror, then looked down at his phone, grinning like an idiot.

My phone’s calendar reminded me—it was my birthday.

When he saw me awake, he came over and pinched my cheek playfully.

"Go back to sleep, wife. Later I have to check out Garrett's new camping project."

He acted as if nothing had happened.

It was always like this.

Every conflict was never resolved—if I stayed quiet, he would simply pretend nothing was wrong.

I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but he turned away, his fingers tapping rapidly across the screen.

A knock sounded at the door.

He set his phone down and strode out.

A strong, sinking feeling twisted in my chest. I picked up his phone.

The screen was still lit.

A group chat named "The Original Crew" was scrolling with messages.

Aileen: [I'm downstairs. Come greet your sister.]

My fingers scrolled up almost against my will. Each message stabbed me like needles.

[They're fighting again? Elodie is way too dramatic. I said from the start, you two wouldn't last.]

[She’s an outsider who’s eaten and drunk off us for five years. It’s terrible. Better to just divorce her and be with Aileen instead!]

Then came Aileen's reply, with a hug emoji: [I'm not even mad anymore. Kristoff said he's buying me that amazing camping site. Some people slave their whole lives, and I get it all just because I have a good brother~]

Kristoff's reply followed closely.

[Clinging to your brother finally paid off, huh? Now you know how good I am.]

[Mwah~ Let's go have fun today! Remember, no girlfriends allowed!]

[Kristoff, did you read that? Aileen said if you come, she'll share a tent with you tonight to show her gratitude.]

A freezing chill rushed to my head. My vision darkened.

How ridiculous.

Back then, Aileen had insisted I join their group, even renamed it “Perfect 6+1.”

And yet behind my back, they created another one.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried to fit in.

In the world of these so-called natives, I would always remain an unwelcome outsider.

My hands trembled, my chest tightened, and I fought the urge to smash the phone. Instead, I quickly took screenshots of their chat and saved them.

By the time Kristoff walked in, I had already put the phone back in its place.

He picked it up, hesitated, and finally said, "Wife, these people act like they've never seen the world before. They insisted on tagging along with me, so you just stay home and wait, alright?"

I calmly picked up my bag. "Garrett has been my friend for over a decade. This project—I'm going too."

Kristoff froze, then raised an arm to block me. "You never get along with their kind anyway. Better if you don't come, saves you from feeling left out."

He turned to leave after saying that.

I grabbed his sleeve and looked at him straight in the eyes. "Today is my birthday."

I didn't add anything else.

That was his last chance.

At the doorway, Aileen stomped her foot in irritation.

Kristoff instantly grew impatient. With a sharp shrug, he shook me off.

"Why are you acting like my mom? Always using the same old tricks. What's so special about a birthday anyway?"

The back of my hand hit the doorframe hard, the sting in my skin echoing the pain in my chest.

"Tsk!" Aileen stood on tiptoe and tapped Kristoff's head playfully.

"What did your sister teach you? Be gentle with girls! Honestly, I think Elodie's petty little temper makes her kind of cute. Bro, you should be grateful!"

Kristoff sneered. "That's just how she is—always looking for trouble. She can't survive a day without making a fuss."

He ignored me completely, his hand snaking toward Aileen's waist.

"And who were you just calling ‘bro,' huh? No respect at all!"

Aileen giggled, twirling out of his reach. "Oh no, you almost touched your sister's chest—such a pervert!"

Kristoff's lips curled into a smirk, and this time he reached out deliberately. "Is that so? Hah, it feels just like little steamed buns."

Laughter erupted as the group walked off together, leaving me standing frozen in place, the air sucked out of my lungs.

Watching them disappear behind the elevator doors, I pulled out my phone and dialed Garrett.

"I'll come find you at the campsite later."

He didn't waste words. "Okay."

Growing up alongside Garrett, I knew the difference between friendship and something more. Our bond was pure, with clear boundaries.

Two years of dating. Three years of marriage.

I needed to see with my own eyes just how disgracefully my marriage with Kristoff would end.

The campsite was far from the city, the cool breeze of early autumn rolling gently down the mountains.

Beside rows of white tents, a cluster of young men and women burst out in cheers and laughter.

Garrett led me to a quiet spot at the edge of the camp and handed me a chair.

Across an artificial lake, I could see a group of men surrounding Aileen at the center of their game.

Blindfolded, dressed in a tank top and shorts, she reached out blindly—yet somehow perfectly landed in Kristoff's arms.

The crowd roared. "Kristoff lost! Truth or dare—truth, truth!"

"Tell the truth, Kristoff—do you like Aileen or not?"

Aileen looped her arms around his neck, laughing as she scolded them.

"Oh, shut up already, you're so annoying!"

The teasing grew louder. "Come on, isn't it obvious?"

"How about a dare instead? Didn't Aileen already bite Kristoff's ass once? Let's see her do it again!"

Amid the raucous laughter, Aileen cast Kristoff a sultry sideways glance.

"Sounds good to me."

Before anyone could react, she reached for his belt.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Kristoff laughed as he dodged, but his resistance lacked conviction.

Then Aileen suddenly slipped. Kristoff immediately caught her, and the two of them tumbled together onto the soft grass.

In the chaos, Aileen's skirt rode up to her waist. Kristoff's arm tightened possessively around her waist, while his other hand pressed firmly against her bare thigh—as though claiming her.