chapter 2

The next morning, I acted like nothing had happened and even agreed to go with Ryan to a dinner that night.

I arrived late. When I got to the private room, the party was already in full swing.

“I mean, Isabelle, come on. You obviously like Ryan, but you keep pretending you don’t. And now he’s proposing next week.”

“Oh please, it’s just a proposal. Nothing’s set in stone. I’m still rooting for Isabelle.”

So they all knew about her. Every single one of them. And not one of them ever said a thing to me.

I waited outside the door for five minutes, letting the conversation fade before walking in.

The room went silent.

Ryan was completely drunk, leaning against a pretty girl who was gently helping him drink water.

His head rested on her shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Their fingers were laced together.

That had to be Isabelle.

When they noticed me, Ryan’s friends looked awkward and nudged him.

But he didn’t move right away. It took him a while to pull himself up.

Finally, one of his friends forced a smile and called out, “Claire, you made it!”

Only then did Ryan open his eyes, still half-asleep. He slowly pulled away from Isabelle, saw me, and smiled as he pulled me into a hug.

Then he led me over to where Isabelle was sitting.

“Isabelle, this is my girlfriend, Claire Wren.”

“Claire, this is Isabelle, a close friend. We grew up overseas together.”

Isabelle smiled, a deep dimple forming on her cheek.

Sweet. Innocent.

She reached out with a delicate hand and greeted me warmly.

“Nice to meet you, Claire. Ryan talks about you all the time. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”

I stared at her hand, the messages from last night echoing in my mind.

“Claire? Claire? Isabelle’s saying hi.”

Ryan’s voice snapped me out of it.

I steadied myself and took her not-so-friendly hand with a calm smile.

Only then did Ryan finally exhale and lace his fingers with mine.

“Everyone, I have an announcement. Next week, I’m proposing to Claire.”

The room filled with cheers and claps.

Except for Isabelle, who just offered a small smirk that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Ryan looked at me with exaggerated tenderness.

“Claire, I’m going to give you the biggest, most luxurious proposal ever. I want the whole world to know how much I love you. Everything I have is yours.

“Hey, baby, why are your hands shaking so much?”

I quickly pulled my hand back and laughed.

“I’m just... excited.”

He didn’t even notice how cold my fingers were.

But I did notice the quick glance he shared with Isabelle, and the subtle smile that passed between them.

This whole show was never about me. It was all for Isabelle.

Whether I liked it or not didn’t matter.

I was just a part of the show.

He was so eager to please her, it made me sick.

Isabelle raised her glass and smiled.

“Well then, congrats in advance. Let me toast you two.”

Before she could take a sip, Ryan reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“You’re allergic to alcohol. Juice instead. This one’s for Claire.”

He handed the champagne to me, bubbles rising fast.

My heart thudded in sync with them.

I dug my nails into my palm, but kept my face calm as I smiled.

“You forgot? I’m allergic too.”

Ryan froze.

Of course he didn’t remember.

Isabelle stepped in smoothly, “Claire, don’t take it personally. Ryan’s always been forgetful.”

“If you two get married, you’ll have to be really patient with him. He’s allergic to spicy food. He can eat grilled onions, but cook them any other way and he won’t touch them.

“And he’s scared of the dark. When we were kids, he…”

I couldn’t listen anymore.

All I saw was the way Ryan was looking at her—soft, affectionate, gentle.

He had never looked at me like that.

And Isabelle knew it. She could feel it. But she said nothing.

“Oh, and he hates woody perfumes, Claire. You might want to stop wearing them.”

I gave her a faint smile.

“Got it.”

My heart felt numb. Hollow and still.

But it was fine. By the time the proposal happened, everything would be over.