I chased Ethan Sterling for five years. Liam Sterling chased Chloe Banks for five years. Then came New Year's Eve. I waited for Ethan at the movie theater, but he never showed. Liam waited for Chloe at the amusement park, but she never came. Instead, at the exact same time, we both saw their "Instagram Official" posts pop up on our feeds. In the end, we came up with a plan. Liam said, "Why don't we just pair up? We know everything about each other anyway." I was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Deal." We wasted no time. We tried on wedding dresses, booked the venue, picked the date, and sent out invitations. The goal was simple: get married before they did. Later, when I was dizzy from looking at venue options, Ethan knocked on my door. He stood outside, jaw clenched and eyes rimmed with red, asking me, "Are you serious? Are you really going to marry Liam? Have you thought this through?" 01 On New Year's Eve, I was standing inside the mall off Main Street, watching the hydrogen balloons being released outside and countless couples embracing in the snow. I clutched the movie tickets in my hand. Snow flurries danced in the air. I couldn't quite describe the feeling. It was just the realization that after liking Ethan for so many years, it still didn't have a happy ending. My phone buzzed. I lifted my hand to check. It was Liam, Ethan’s younger brother. The message on the screen read: She didn't show up either. I grew up with Ethan and Liam. Later, I fell for Ethan, and Liam fell for my college roommate, Chloe. I encouraged him to help me, and I helped him. It was just a pity. On this New Year's Eve, he didn't get Chloe, and I didn't get Ethan. After slowly exhaling a breath of foggy air, I was about to leave. That’s when I got Liam’s call. The background noise on his end was loud, but his voice was clear and raspy. "Did you see my brother and her post?" In that instant, a bad premonition flooded my heart. My hand holding the phone and my finger hovering over the screen hesitated. It felt like if I clicked it, everything would change. In the end, I clicked. There were plenty of people posting couple photos on New Year's Eve. I only had to scroll down a little bit to see it. The moment I saw the photo, my confusion outweighed my sadness. Because the photo they posted was an old one, back from when we were in school. In the photo, Liam and Chloe were standing on the school track, smiling and making peace signs at the camera. Both of them were smiling happily. But whenever I took photos with Ethan, he rarely smiled. Chloe had never been willing to take photos with Liam. Chloe was my high school classmate. There was a time she had conflicts with her family, so I boarded at school. I refused to go home, so my parents helplessly asked Ethan and Liam to bring me things. Over time, Chloe got to know them too. But when did the two of them develop feelings for each other? Liam and I were like idiots, moths flying into a flame. I couldn't speak for a long time, like something was stuck in my throat. It was unbearable. Liam didn't hang up, and he didn't speak either. Finally, he asked, "Are you still at the theater?" "Yeah," I replied. "Wait for me there. I'll buy new tickets. Let's watch it together." "Okay," I texted back. It was pathetic, but at least I had him to be pathetic with me, so it didn't hurt as much. While waiting for Liam, I didn't dwell on the clues between the two of them. My mind was blank. I didn't cry either. I just felt that everything happened too fast. I don't know how long passed, but my legs were numb from squatting by the time I saw Liam appear on the escalator. He had dyed his hair red a few days ago. He said red meant good luck for the New Year and that good things were coming. I had wanted to dye mine red too, but since he did it first, I went with an ash brown. He saw me and quickened his pace. I waved my hand at him. "Help me up, my legs are asleep." Liam reached out and pulled me up, staring at my face before smiling. "Not bad. You didn't cry." I hammered my numb legs with my fists. The sensation was prickly and intense. "Neither did you." "Eh." He waved his hand. "Let's go, let's go. It's almost time." We had a tacit understanding not to bring it up. After the movie, he walked me home. After showering, I finally saw the message Chloe sent me. "Harper, Ethan and I are together. You're not mad, are you?" I closed my eyes, lying on the bed in irritation, and typed back expressionlessly: No. Who she dates is her freedom, even if that person is Ethan. But I treated her as a friend. I had happily and excitedly told her every moment of my crush on Ethan throughout our youth. But she never told me anything. After I chased Ethan for so many years, suddenly they were together. Sadness and anger almost filled my chest. I wasn't angry because she was with Ethan. I was angry because she never told me she liked him too. When I shared my stories of chasing Ethan with her, what was she thinking? Was she laughing at my overconfidence? It made me suddenly feel that this person was strange and terrifying. The moment I hit send, it was like she expected my response. "I'm sorry, Harper. It's so good to hear you don't blame me. It's not that I didn't want to tell you, I just didn't know how to bring it up..." Her text was long. I exited the chat and unpinned her conversation. Finally, she asked me, "Harper, let's go eat at that BBQ place on 5th Street tomorrow?" I knew this was a test. She was testing if I was truly angry. But I couldn't be friends with her anymore. Whether I was angry or not, and what she thought, didn't matter. "No, I'm a bit tired today. I'm going to sleep." A while later, she didn't text back. Instead, Ethan sent a message. "I pursued Chloe. I liked her first. Harper, I hope you don't blame her, and don't take your anger out on her." How should I put this? I used to really, really like Ethan. It was the kind of love that overflowed from my eyes. But now, seemingly overnight... I suddenly felt a bit nauseous. Disgusted. How could their love be sudden? How could they suddenly be together? They looked at Liam and me like we were clowns, enjoying how good we treated them, and then turned around to say, Thanks for the love, but I don't like you. I could accept any outcome, but I couldn't accept that the person I liked for so many years turned out to be a jerk. In the end, I didn't reply. I just screenshotted both chats and sent them to Liam with the caption: You get these too? A moment later, Liam sent me a screenshot. It was from Chloe. Basically thanking him for his years of affection... Liam: "Tell me, in five years, how come she never told me she liked my brother? Harper, we aren't that pathetic, right? Continuing to like them even if we knew they liked each other?" I chased for five years, but I liked him for more than five. I said, "It's my bad luck meeting them. But I don't want to see them ever again. Though, I guess I'll see them tomorrow. And when I do, sigh, I have to say 'it's fine,' 'it doesn't matter.' Even I feel fake saying it, but they definitely need to hear it to feel happy and guilt-free." As I typed, a wave of irritation hit me. I wanted to delete them, block them. "Me too. Mainly because my brother just knocked on my door asking if I was asleep. I didn't make a sound. Just thinking about it is exhausting. I'm not even that sad—I chased her for so many years, I can accept the outcome. It’s just... it hurts. Why did it have to be the two of them?" What gave them the right to do this? Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. The next second, Liam called. Since we were kids, neither of us were well-behaved. We were imaginative, and our crazy ideas usually aligned. "You say it..." "You say it..." I pursed my lips. "You go first." "Ahem." Liam cleared his throat. "Why don't we pair up? We know each other inside out." I was silent for a second. Even though I knew he couldn't see, I nodded. "Deal." "We need to get married before they do." "Relax. Leave it to me." 02 I never knew Liam was this efficient. Last night, I tried to force out a single tear to mourn my wasted years, emo-spiraling about whether those years of hopelessness had already worn away my love for Ethan. Then this morning—early, really early—my mom was knocking on my door like she was summoning a ghost. Her voice got louder and louder. "Mom, what are you doing so ear—" I opened the door with messy hair. Before I could finish complaining, Mom covered my mouth. "Daughter... you... wash up and get downstairs. Hurry, hurry." I was bleary-eyed, struggling to open my eyes. "What happened?" "Your boyfriend is here to propose!" Mom whispered excitedly in my ear. Mom used to always rush me to date and marry, even trying to arrange blind dates. Seeing Liam here to propose probably made her genuinely happy. "Huh?" That sentence woke me up instantly. No way. I walked to the railing and looked down at the first floor. It was all familiar faces, plus gold engagement gifts glowing under the crystal chandelier. I washed up, put on makeup, and changed clothes at record speed, then went downstairs. Mrs. Sterling saw me coming down and waved with a gentle smile. "Harper, come eat breakfast first. Your uncle and I picked this up from the brunch place." Then she turned to my mom with an apologetic smile. "Sarah, we came too abruptly today. We must have scared you." "Oh, what are you saying? We watched these two kids grow up. If they want to become family, I couldn't be happier." "Yes, yes. Our families know each other so well, we don't need so many formalities," my dad chimed in. Liam was wearing a formal suit today, hair slicked back, sitting up straight. "You move way too fast," I whispered, picking up a shrimp dumpling. He whispered back, "My brother isn't home, so I thought if I brought him here to propose later, you might feel uncomfortable." Hearing that, I just raised an eyebrow and said nothing. The elders were discussing the wedding enthusiastically. "I think the 5th of next month is a great date. Good for weddings." "Yes, yes. An auspicious day." "Okay, it's settled..." Liam and I listened, dumbfounded. We looked at each other. "Why are they in more of a rush than us?" Liam leaned over. "They're probably afraid we'll run away." Suddenly, it made sense. My mom was always nagging, "Why do you young people nowadays not want to get married?" 03 During this time, Liam and I were busy trying on wedding dresses, choosing venues, and writing invitations. Ethan and Chloe went on a trip to Hawaii together. One post a day. They looked so happy. While waiting for Liam to change into his suit, I looked at the ocean in the background of their photos and zoned out. Actually, going to Hawaii with Liam was a plan from a long time ago. I had told Chloe about it. I saw a travel vlogger's video online and sent it to her. Back then, I wanted to go with Ethan on his birthday. But a few days ago, Chloe twisted her ankle. I went to take care of her, and the plan was delayed. I didn't expect the ones going together in the end would be them. "What are you looking at?" Liam walked out in a black tuxedo, a faint smile on his face. I didn't hide it. I turned the phone to show him. He looked down to button his cuffs, then looked up. "I'll help you," I said. After the buttons were done, he had finished looking. He put the phone away and asked, "Do you want to go?" I shook my head, then nodded. "Yeah." Although Liam and Ethan were brothers, they were easy to tell apart after a while. Ethan was the type who disdained talking to others, always high and mighty, impatient. Liam’s eyes were like his mother's—curved when he smiled, bright and beautiful. His personality was sunny and emotionally stable. "Not because they went, but because I've wanted to go for a long time," I said firmly. Hearing this, Liam pushed me toward the mirror. "Okay, I know." In the floor-to-ceiling mirror, we looked like a perfect pair. A match made in heaven. The shop assistant stood aside and spoke at the right moment. "Sir, Miss, you truly are a talented and beautiful couple." "How is this suit? Do you like it?" He lowered his head slightly to ask me. I thought about it, a bit torn. I pursed my lips. "I feel like it's not quite... stunning enough." I made a small gesture with my fingers. "It's missing a little something." Liam looked at me and couldn't help laughing. Under the crystal lights, his eyes were full of starlight. "Sir, Miss, are you satisfied with these dresses and suits?" The manager came forward. Seeing the hesitation in our eyes, she spoke carefully. "Actually, we have a few designer dresses arriving from Europe in a few days. Can you wait?" "I guarantee these are masterpieces. We have the sketches here, and we can explain the design concept." "Is that okay?" I looked at Liam with a questioning gaze. He nodded. I smiled. "Sure." 04 A few days later, the dresses arrived. The manager called us for a fitting. Liam had an emergency at the company, so I told him not to pick me up. I could go to the bridal shop myself. Just as I was heading out, I saw Chloe walking toward me, glowing with happiness, carrying a gift bag. Seeing I was leaving, she asked, "Harper, are you going out?" I didn't answer, just asked what she was doing here. She smiled and handed me the bag. "Here, local specialties I brought back for you." "Harper, Hawaii is really just like the videos you sent me. The ocean is endless. The photos turned out so good. By the way, why didn't you like my posts?" She excitedly shared her trip with me. I looked at this person I had known for years. We were standing so close, yet I felt like I had never known her. Suddenly, she stopped talking. Her eyes fixed on the diamond ring on my ring finger. Her expression became subtle. She looked at me strangely. "Harper, you... you shouldn't wear rings on that finger. Take it off quickly. And when did you buy a diamond ring? It's really nice." I looked at the ten-carat ring on my hand. Liam bought it. He said our wedding was too rushed to have an engagement party, but we needed some ritual, so he insisted on taking me to buy a ring. I have to say, when the clerk upgraded us from one carat to ten, the bigger the diamond, the better it looked. "I know," I said calmly. "Then why..." She opened her mouth, but I cut her off, giving her a fake smile. "I'm getting married." "Huh?" Hearing this, she froze. Then she blurted out, "How can it be so fast? Have you gotten over Ethan?" When she realized what she said, her face turned ugly. She looked at me cautiously. I felt nothing inside, just pity that I had been blind to her true nature. She felt it was impossible for me to forget Ethan in such a short time, yet she still stood there reminiscing about her happy moments with him in Hawaii. She reached out and took my arm, shaking it coquettishly. "Oh, Harper, don't be mad. Didn't you say if you ever got married, you'd invite me to be your bridesmaid?" "I haven't even met the groom!" She was implying I should take her to meet my fiancé. There are people like this in reality. They like everything others have. They enjoy the superiority and thrill of snatching things from others. I didn't want to know if Chloe truly loved Ethan, but I really wanted to know if she ever liked Liam—the silly boy who would drive dozens of miles just to take her home because of one sentence from her. I smiled sweetly. "Sure." "Really? Let's go then." ... Because Chloe delayed me, Liam arrived at the bridal shop before I did. The moment she saw Liam in the shop, the smile on Chloe’s face vanished. She couldn't believe it. She twitched the corner of her mouth and asked me why Liam was here. In her widening pupils, I walked forward slowly and took Liam’s arm. The meaning was obvious. Liam looked down at me helplessly, then played along perfectly, saying to Chloe, "We're getting married on the 5th of next month. You're welcome to come." "How is that possible?" Chloe shook her head in disbelief. She looked at Liam, unable to say the words. "You... you..." What did she want to say? Didn't you used to like me? Did he? I asked her with innocent eyes, "Chloe, why is it impossible?" She could get together with Ethan overnight. Why couldn't we? Just as the atmosphere fell silent, Chloe’s phone rang. She seemed to wake from a dream and grabbed the phone from her bag. While she answered the call... I had already sat on the sofa. The assistants were wheeling out the newly arrived dresses one by one. I poked a piece of fruit from the platter into my mouth, pointing at her pale face, and said to Liam, "Look, even she knows this isn't right." "There's no true empathy in this world." "Hey, do you think she liked you too?" Liam glared at me. "Heh, no." He looked at the five dresses in front of us, shook his head and sighed, then asked me, "Any of these catch your eye?" When he said that, I remembered to look up. At first glance, I fell in love with the one in the center, covered in crushed diamonds. The design was full of romance and elegance. Under the lights, the diamonds refracted light that reminded me of a galaxy of stars. Liam saw me staring at that dress, unable to look away. He waved his hand in front of my face. "Go try it on." Marriage isn't necessarily every girl's dream, but a wedding dress certainly is. Outside, I could hear Chloe’s intermittent voice. Liam replied every now and then. Finally, when I was about to come out, Chloe asked him sadly, "Liam, you weren't like this to me before. Why is your attitude so cold now? If we can't be lovers, can't we be friends?" I stopped the assistant from opening the curtain, listening closely. I didn't want to be the only one standing at the altar next month. "You're really funny. Should I be warm and caring to my brother's girlfriend? Forget friends. It's inappropriate. I'm getting married." "You..." I gave the assistant a look. She yanked the curtains open. The conversation outside stopped the moment I appeared. Seeing the shock in both their eyes—and in the eyes of Ethan, who had just rushed in from outside—I was completely satisfied. To stun others like this? Money well spent. I was admiring myself in the mirror when Liam leaned in and whispered, "Tell me, why did both of these people suddenly run over here?" "Take some pictures. We look so handsome and beautiful in this mirror." Liam was being narcissistic beside me. I was just about to take the phone to snap a photo. Ethan, having recovered, suddenly spoke up. "You guys are getting married? How did I not know?" After speaking, his furrowed brows relaxed, and his tone loosened. "Liam, Harper is being immature, are you being immature too? You didn't tell Mom and Dad about something like marriage and just messed around. If this gets out, what will we do? Stop throwing childish tantrums." Chloe, who looked unwell, seemed to find logic in this and looked a bit better. Ethan thinking his brother didn't know meant he thought we were staging this. "Bro, call Mom and Dad and ask." Liam didn't argue, just looked at him steadily. Ethan saw we weren't panicking. He turned to me, lips pale. "Is it true?" "Yes." He still didn't believe it, so he called our parents right in front of us. The result: We are getting married. Under the dazzling lights, the four of us stood on two sides. No one spoke. Ethan looked at me with a lost expression. I stood behind Liam. The moment our eyes met... I suddenly didn't understand. If he didn't like me, why did he turn pale when he heard I was getting married? I subconsciously gripped Liam’s sleeve. He felt it, turned around, and patted me reassuringly. "Can you guys leave now?" Silence fell. They looked at each other stiffly. Chloe forced a difficult smile. "Harper, didn't you say you'd let me be a bridesmaid?" In our youthful days, Chloe, whose smile was always a bit shy, had turned into this woman with exquisite makeup. Back then, Chloe grabbed my hand, eyes full of sincerity, and said, "No matter who gets married first, we have to be each other's bridesmaids. Watching her, accompanying her, walking toward happiness." Now, Chloe, are you still that girl who wanted to watch me walk toward happiness? You aren't. I don't know if I was thinking of the past or realizing that friends from adulthood aren't friends forever. My heart felt sour and empty. I softly said three words: "No, I won't." It felt like saying goodbye to a partner in my memories. Chloe’s face went instantly pale, and she staggered a few steps. "Harper..." I didn't know how much sincerity was in her voice calling my name, but it didn't matter anymore.
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