Chapter 2

2

Mila Thorne and I had been inseparable since we were kids.

She was the typical "it girl"―beautiful, outgoing, and effortlessly popular. She always had a trail of boys following her since middle school.

I often benefited from her popularity. Boys would buy me snacks and Starbucks just to find out where she was going.

Sometimes they would even treat me to dinner just so I'd say something nice about them to her.

But Mila was picky. Despite the endless stream of admirers, she never gave any of them a chance.

Later, we made a pact to attend the same university.

That was where I met Mason Hayes, the head of the Student Union.

Mason was a campus legend. He was wealthy, handsome, and had a gentle charm that made every girl swoon.

I was one of those girls.

But I was shy. I kept my feelings locked away in a secret corner of my heart.

Everything changed when Mason was planning the New Year's Eve gala. The original host fell ill, and he heard I had experience.

He asked me to step in and co-host the event with him.

Since the event was approaching fast, we spent days and nights rehearsing together. Naturally, we became close friends.

During that time, I neglected Mila a bit. She wasn't happy about it.

She started acting like she couldn't stand Mason. She would pick fights with him and criticize him every chance she got.

Mason, who was usually kind to everyone, was surprisingly cold toward her.

They seemed like total opposites who were destined to clash. They couldn't be in a room for five minutes without arguing.

During my junior year, I got a little tipsy and finally confessed my feelings to Mason.

I expected him to reject me or for things to get awkward. To my shock, he said yes.

When Mila found out we were dating, she was so furious she didn't speak to me for weeks.

I eventually managed to win her back, but she never stopped bad-mouthing him. She acted like she was praying for us to break up every single day.

Mason also told me I should spend less time with Mila.

The three of us had been stuck in this weird dynamic for years.

I honestly thought they were just one of those cases where the boyfriend and the best friend simply didn't click.

I never suspected they were actually hooking up behind my back.

All those years of fighting and bickering were just a performance. They were putting on a show for an audience of one. Me.