Chapter 2
Our families tried to set Briar and me up. I never thought she’d agree. After all, we were like oil and water back then. She’d even glare at me just for walking past. After high school, Briar got into one of the country’s most prestigious universities, and I became her schoolmate. The day I received my acceptance letter, I told Briar about Jax’s crush on her. Part of it was selfish, yes. But mostly, I didn’t want romance to mess with Briar’s studies. Everyone knew what kind of person Jax truly was. He’d only been at our school for a year, but he’d already racked up a ton of disciplinary actions, constantly breaking school rules and getting into fights off campus. Not only did he smoke and drink, but he’d also gone through more girlfriends than red marks on his report card. He only saw Briar as a game. But Briar, for some reason, liked guys like him. With that charming, yet absolutely toxic, look of his, he’d sit in the back row, humming love songs all day. He’d fold his textbooks into paper airplanes and casually toss them out the window. We’d been childhood friends for so many years; I knew Briar better than anyone. If she knew Jax was planning to confess to her, she’d agree without a second thought. Then she’d fall deep and never pull herself out.
“Jax, I know what you’re up to. I suggest you don’t do it, or you’ll regret it big time.” That afternoon, Jax was excitedly grabbing chalk to write on the blackboard, taking advantage of the empty classroom after school. I stood at the back door, my voice cold, cutting him off. “Why not?” He raised an annoyed eyebrow. “Because I’m Briar’s boyfriend.” “You—” The name ‘Briar’ instantly changed his expression. He knew we’d been best friends since kindergarten, in the same class since then, and our parents were even neighbors in the same building. He thought our friendship was purely platonic. “You don’t want her to reject you in front of everyone, do you? You’d lose all face at Northwood High.” I continued, showing him the hair tie on my wrist, silently asserting my claim. It was the same kind Briar wore. Jax’s clenched fist tightened, then loosened. “Oh, and by the way, we’ve been together longer than you’ve even known her.” As I left, I didn’t forget to twist the knife, making sure Jax completely gave up. I lied to Jax. But the hair ties really were from Briar. She was always losing things, so she just gave me a whole box of them. She’d just hold out her hand for one when she needed it. Soon after, Jax shifted his attention to other girls, and we had a peaceful senior year. Later, Briar went crazy trying to chase him, hoping to make up for that missed love. She found out Jax had already moved abroad. They were worlds apart.
“Asher, I hate you…” She pounded my chest repeatedly, her tears flowing like a broken dam. For a moment, I hesitated. Should I have just let them be? But then I saw Briar, standing tall, going straight from her undergraduate to her PhD, becoming a dazzling female executive in the finance world, securing a future everyone envied. I still felt it was worth it. After thirty, I was still single, and so was she. Our elders started getting anxious. “Fine,” Just as I was about to refuse, Briar nodded, agreeing to the marriage. It completely blew my mind. She smiled at me, her eyes holding a tenderness I’d never seen before. Suddenly, an unrealistic fantasy sparked within me. After all these years, Briar had finally let go of Jax and was willing to look back at me. I loved her. It was the deepest secret buried in my heart. I don’t think any guy could resist a lively girl with sweet dimples who was always by his side. Her soft, long hair brushed my fingertips, sending an uncontrollable tremor through my heart. But a fantasy is just that, a fantasy. She could nonchalantly pick out a wedding dress, do a photo shoot, finalize wedding arrangements. But she would never actually say she loved me. Jax was her one true love, her ‘what if’ dream. So, she ran away on our wedding day. I was completely humiliated in front of all our guests. The video went viral, and someone even posted a breakdown of the whole story. Netizens mocked me, calling me a pathetic doormat who ended up losing everything. That manipulative snake who ruined true love deserved to be abandoned. Briar had successfully completed her long-planned revenge.