I have three childhood best friends. I was the only girl in our group of four. My family’s fortune had collapsed, and the elders were scrambling for a lifeline. Their brilliant plan? Marry me off to one of the boys. But Jace, the resident bad boy, swept a disgusted look over me and sneered, "No way. I like girls who are actually feminine. She’s just a bro to me." Liam, the puppy-dog playboy, threw his hands up in mock regret. "Same here. I only see her as a big sister." Ethan, the genius academic, was the coldest of them all. "She’s rash and dim-witted. She isn’t fit to be my wife." Refusals, insults, humiliation. They threw them out without a second thought. My parents could only sit there, smiling awkwardly, swallowing their pride. That was the moment my heart finally went cold. So, I looked at my parents and said, "Mom, Dad, I already have a boyfriend." Chapter 1 Jace sat with his sleeves rolled up, one arm draped lazily over the back of his chair, manspreading like he owned the place. He was joking around with Liam. Ethan, meanwhile, was staring at his phone. His long fingers swiped across the screen with indifference, the light reflecting off his glasses making him look detached and unapproachable. They were completely ignoring my parents’ desperate attempts to smooth things over. Until I dropped that single sentence. The private dining room went dead silent. Jace and Liam snapped their heads toward me in unison. Ethan finally looked up, his gaze sharp and meaningful. I pretended not to notice. I turned to my stunned parents. "You should have told me about this arranged marriage idea earlier. We could have avoided this whole embarrassing misunderstanding." "They’re right," I continued, my voice steady. "We grew up together, sure, but I only see them as brothers. There’s absolutely nothing romantic between us." My parents hadn't told me this was a setup. They were afraid I’d be too proud to come. They had carefully chosen Liam—he was two years younger than me, clingy, and we rarely fought. They thought he was the safe bet. I don’t know why the other two showed up. I was angry at my parents for blindsiding me, but mostly, I just felt a crushing ache in my chest. Back when my family still had money, my mom once asked if I liked anyone. I had looked away, refusing to answer. Mom knew immediately. She asked, with a knowing smile, if it was one of the three boys. I turned bright red and shouted at her to stop talking. She took that as a yes. But after that, I locked my feelings down tight. Even they couldn't guess which one I actually loved. Then my dad’s investments tanked. The Sterling family fell from grace. The other three families—the “Old Money”—started distancing themselves. Mom thought that if she didn't fight for me, given my stubborn pride, I’d never confess. So she took a risk and set up this dinner. She just didn't expect the boys I grew up with to trample her daughter’s dignity so thoroughly. I was used to their mockery. But seeing the strained, plastic smiles on my parents' faces, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by a vice. I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up, scanned the table with cold eyes, and said, "It doesn't look like you guys want to eat anyway." "Since that's the case, let's just call it a night." Chapter 2 My parents went to get the car. I was about to follow when a hand grabbed my arm from behind. I spun around to face Jace. He looked pissed. He was wearing a white dress shirt unbuttoned to reveal a black tee underneath, showing off two new diamond dermal piercings on his collarbone. Trendy, wild, unrestrained. Just like him. He loomed over me, a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. "Been a while. Your temper’s gotten worse, hasn't it?" "I thought you took a leave of absence from school. Where’d you find this boyfriend?" "How old is he? Is he hot? Do I know him?" The questions were rapid-fire, aggressive. It sounded like concern. But I knew better. If I answered, he’d just blink those pretty eyes and tear me down, telling me I wasn't good enough for whoever it was. It had happened too many times. I yanked my arm away, my voice rising uncontrollably. "It’s none of your business!" Jace stared at his empty hand, stunned. The smirk vanished. He frowned, his irritation growing. Liam popped out from behind Jace. He grinned, showing his canines. "Whoa, why the big reaction?" He used that sweet, boyish voice he knew people loved. It made him seem harmless. But his words were poison. "Does our Chloe really have a wild man on the side?" "Wow. Aren't the three of us enough for you?" His grin widened as he dropped his voice. "Slutty." Liam loved to joke that the three of them were my "harem." As if I held some high status. As if I was the queen bee. But in our little quartet, I was the desperate one trying to fit in. I used to lie to myself. I told myself their pranks and insults were just "guy things." They defended me from outsiders, right? We grew up together. I had to be special to them. Until that incident. That was when I realized I was just a toy to them. A clown for their amusement. I met Liam’s gaze. He was waiting for me to flinch at the insult. I stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then turned and walked away. A few steps later, a colder voice stopped me. "When are you coming back to class?" I paused but didn't look back. It was a normal question, so I gave a normal answer. "Couple of days." I heard Liam click his tongue in annoyance. He spoke loudly on purpose, ensuring I heard him. "Of course. She only answers him." "But seriously," Liam sneered, "you guys broke up ages ago. Chloe, why the special treatment?" Funny, isn't it? Of the three, Ethan was the one who hated the idea of marrying me the most. He called me stupid. Said I wasn't fit to be his wife. But he was the one I had actually dated. Ethan was the one who confessed to me first. Chapter 3 Unlike the generational wealth of Jace, Liam, and Ethan’s families, the Sterlings were "New Money." My dad caught a lucky break in the tech boom and rocketed into their social circle. But behind our backs, people whispered. They called us lottery winners. Trash with cash. They said we didn't belong. When I was little, I wanted to fight them. My dad stopped me. He told me that if we wanted to stay at the top, I had to make friends with those three boys. So, I swallowed my pride. I became the tomboy, the sidekick, the girl who laughed off every insult. I followed them from elementary school to college. I forced them to accept me. Even if my motives started out impure, after all those years, I genuinely loved them as my best friends. Then my dad’s stocks crashed. The boys started freezing me out. I finally understood that we were never equals. This time, I didn't beg for their attention. I went to school, kept my head down, and tried to adjust to life without them. Then, I got kidnapped. It was a group of acquaintances—guys I partied with—who cornered me. They needed drug money. I recognized them. I thought it was a prank. I even laughed and offered to lend them cash. But when they demanded a ransom my family couldn't possibly pay, I realized they were serious. They took everything valuable I had. Locked me in a warehouse for two days without water. When I heard them debating whether to sell me to human traffickers because they were too scared to call my parents, I felt a hysterical urge to laugh. It was like watching toddlers holding real guns. Absurd, but deadly. The laughter died when they stripped me naked to take photos for the "buyers." I curled into a ball, screaming, threatening them. But they saw my fear. One guy, Kyle, used to be my friend. He crouched down, sighing while his hands roamed over me. "Chloe, forgive me. I actually really liked you. I didn't want to do this..." I bit his finger. I bit down so hard I almost severed it. Chaos erupted. They swarmed me. And then— The warehouse door crashed open. A beam of sunlight cut through the darkness, blinding me. A tall silhouette stood in the light. It was Ethan. Chapter 4 After the rescue, I didn't leave the house for weeks. The betrayal by friends, the kidnapping, the humiliating photos—it broke me. My mind was fragile, teetering on the edge. During that time, Ethan—cold, aloof Ethan—never left my side. I had never seen him so gentle. He seemed to sense my crumbling mental state. He filled the silence with conversation. I stayed in his private penthouse. He handled my leave of absence from the university. He hid everything from my parents so they wouldn't worry. He used his connections to punish Kyle and the others quietly. He even managed Jace and Liam, keeping them away so no one would disturb my recovery. He was my shield. His maturity and reliability made me open up, made me depend on him. Finally, I couldn't help it. I asked him, trembling, "Why... why are you being so good to me?" I remember the scene perfectly. Ethan was wearing casual loungewear, sitting next to me on the rug. He had rolled up his sleeves, revealing pale but strong forearms, twirling a fountain pen in his fingers. Without his glasses, his eyes were soft. He didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" I fell. Hard. Under his care, I healed. I became happy again. Looking back, it feels like a fever dream. Ethan seemed passive, but he was dominant to the core. When we were dating, Jace stopped touching me. Liam stopped the dirty jokes. If I frowned, Ethan fixed the problem immediately. I was so happy I was planning our wedding in my head. But it was an act. It was all fake. I’ll never forget that day. I had spent hours cooking for the first time. My hands were covered in small cuts. I made a gourmet meal, eighteen dishes, just because Ethan said he wanted a home-cooked birthday dinner. The doorbell rang. I opened it, expecting praise. Instead, I got laughter. Cruel, raucous laughter. Liam was clutching his stomach, doubling over. Jace was whistling, recording me with his phone—me in an apron, holding a spatula, looking like an idiot. And Ethan. He was leaning against the doorframe, a faint smile on his lips, watching the scene like a player who had just won the game. "I never thought our arrogant Princess Chloe had a domestic side," Jace jeered. "Hahaha..." "Good thing the bet was only for a month. Any longer, and she’d be trying to have your babies, Ethan!" "Ha! Interesting. My turn next, right?" Jace paused after saying that. He looked at me. Then he shrugged, turning away indifferently. "Oops, she heard me. Guess I'll have to come up with a new game next time."
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