He Missed Our Engagement Party Twice

Ethan missed our engagement party.

He missed it to help my best friend, Chloe, rescue a stray dog that had been hit by a car.

He told me, The dog was dying, Hazel. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

I believed him.

But after that, he started running over to her apartment all the time. His excuse?

"The dog only recognizes me. It won't eat unless I'm there. I can't just let it starve."

Chloe would roll her eyes in annoyance.

"Who asked you to come? I wish it would forget you already."

Every time they met, they bickered.

Yet, through all that bickering, he somehow got a spare key to her apartment.

He knew exactly how long her water heater had been broken.

He knew her menstrual cycle and how she couldn't sleep from the cramps.

He even skipped our second attempt at an engagement party.

He sent a text:

"The dog is having surgery today. She can't handle it alone."

At the venue, all our friends and family looked at me with pity as I stood there alone in my gorgeous white dress.

I couldn't take it anymore. I drove straight to Chloe's apartment.

When I pushed the door open, the living room was spotless.

It was too clean.

There was no dog food, no dog bed, not a single trace of a pet ever living there.

Instead, there was a messy pile of clothesbelonging to a man and a womanthrown over the sofa.

In the bathroom, a pair of matching couple's toothbrushes sat in a cup.

And on the fridge, a sticky note was stuck to the door.

It was Ethan's handwriting: Hey dummy, dinner is ready. Remember to eat.

I stared at that sticky note on the fridge for a long time.

He cooked for her.

Ethan used to tell me that he would only ever cook for his girlfriend.

Now, he was cooking for my best friend.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened.

Chloe walked out, wearing an oversized grey men's T-shirt.

I recognized it instantly.

It was a limited-edition shirt I had waited in line for five hours to buy for Ethan's birthday last year. Then, it went missing.

I had searched everywhere for it.

Ethan had shrugged it off, saying, "It's just a stupid shirt, Hazel. I probably lost it at the gym."

When Chloe saw me, her face drained of color.

But quickly, she forced a smile and reached out to grab my hand, just like she always did.

"Hazel! Why didn't you tell me you were coming over?"

"I just took a shower. The place is a total mess."

I pulled my hand back. "Where is the dog?"

She froze for a microsecond.

"At the clinic," she said smoothly. "I told you, it's having surgery today."

I looked around the pristine living room.

No pet bowls. No toys. No stray hairs.

Just the tangled pile of male and female clothes on the sofa.

And a pair of men's boxers hanging on the drying rack on the balcony.

Following my gaze, Chloe scrambled for an explanation.

"Oh, Ethan got soaked when he helped me take the dog to the vet last time. I just washed his clothes for him."

Her voice softened, turning sweet and pleading.

"Hazel, I'm your best friend. You don't honestly doubt me, do you?"

Before I could answer, Ethan's voice echoed from outside the door.

"Chloe, did you order takeout sashimi again?"

The sound of a key turning in the lock followed.

Before he even stepped inside, his tone was full of scolding frustration.

"Does your stomach not hurt anymore? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Chloe's expression tightened. She shot me a panicked look.

The next second, Ethan walked in holding a bag of groceries.

Steak, broccoli, butternut squash, and a carton of milk.

Everything Chloe loved.

Chloe quickly rolled her eyes, forcing her voice back into that familiar, annoyed bickering tone.

"Who asked you to care? Gosh, you are so annoying."

Ethan dropped the groceries on the floor and let out a dry laugh.

"If I didn't care, who would? You called me three times last night crying because your stomach hurt so bad."

I stood by the fridge, feeling like a complete ghost in the room.

They had always been like this.

Fighting the moment they saw each other.

Chloe complained about his bad temper, and Ethan complained about how high-maintenance she was.

Back then, I used to laugh and try to make peace between them.

I thought it was nice that they became friends because of me and that stray dog. I just hoped they would stop bickering so much.

Finally, Ethan noticed me.

The coldness on his face flickered. He quickly walked over.

"Hazel? Why are you wearing so little outside? It's freezing."

He took off his coat, intending to drape it over my shoulders.

But before the coat could touch me, Chloe's eyes welled up with tears.

Ethan's hands froze in mid-air. His tone suddenly turned defensive.

"I told you I'd come over to your place as soon as the dog's surgery was done," he said.

"Why did you come all the way here?"

I looked at his hovering coat and let out a quiet, empty laugh.

"Where is the dog, Ethan?"

Ethan frowned. "I literally just told you."

I unlocked my phone and held it up to his face.

The message from the building management was crystal clear.

"Unit 1502 has no registered pets under Ms. Chloe's name.

In fact, Ms. Chloe is severely allergic to dog dander. She filed a complaint last month about a stray dog in the hallway."

The apartment fell dead silent.

I looked at both of them. "Ethan, the dog that supposedly only eats when you're around... where is it?"

Chloe's tears finally spilled over.

"Hazel, I didn't mean to lie to you. I've just been going through a really hard time lately..."

Ethan said nothing. His silence was louder and more humiliating than any excuse.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

It was my mom.

"Hazel, did you find Ethan? Your dad says all the guests have left."

My throat tightened.

They had waited for three hours.

Waiting for me to bring my fianc back to our own party.

I looked at Ethan and spoke into the phone, "Mom, don't wait up."

"He's not coming. Not today, not ever."

Ethan snapped his head up.

"Hazel, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Chloe sobbed, reaching out to grab my arm.

"Hazel, I'm so sorry! Please don't fight with him because of me!"

I yanked myself away from her touch, stepping back. In my haste, the back of my hand scraped hard against the sharp corner of the shoe cabinet. Blood immediately bubbled up.

Ethan instinctively reached out to help me, but Chloe started crying even louder, gasping for air.

His hand stopped. He looked back at her.

In that single second of hesitation, I saw everything with absolute clarity.

I pulled my hand back. "Ethan, we're done. Let's break up."

Ethan's face darkened completely.

"Hazel, don't use a breakup to threaten me."

I didn't look back.

As the elevator doors began to close, I saw him take a step forward to chase after me.

But behind him, Chloe whimpered, "Ethan..."

And he stopped.

When I got home, my dad was still wearing the sharp suit he had bought specifically for my engagement party. My mom was still in her formal dress.

Mom looked pale, her eyes filled with worry as she watched Dad.

Dad had just undergone heart stent surgery a few weeks ago. He hadn't slept a wink the night before, anxious and excited for my big day.

Seeing me walk in alone, they both stood up immediately.

"Where's Ethan?"

I hid my bleeding hand behind my back.

"Something came up at work."

Mom froze.

Dad forced a small, weak smile.

"It's okay. Young people are busy these days."

Watching them make excuses for Ethan made a lump form in my throat.

I didn't dare tell them we broke up.

I was terrified the shock would trigger my dad's heart condition.

I just whispered, "Dad, Mom, I want to go back to our hometown for a while. Just to clear my head."

Mom immediately held my arm.

"Did you two get into a fight?"

"No."

I lowered my head and started packing up the untouched engagement cake from the table.

"I just miss home."

An hour later, the doorbell rang. I was in the middle of throwing Ethan's things into a cardboard box.

I opened the door. Chloe was standing there, cradling a long-haired dog in her arms.

Her neck was covered in angry red hives, and her eyes were severely swollen.

"Hazel, look, I brought the dog to show you."

"Please don't be mad at me anymore, okay?"

The dog was squirming wildly in her arms, its claws scratching her wrists and leaving bright red marks.

Ethan rushed out of the elevator behind her, his face pale with fury.

He snatched the dog from her arms.

"Chloe, are you insane?!"

"You know you're severely allergic to dogs! Why would you hold it?!"

Chloe's tears flowed freely.

"I just... I just wanted Hazel to believe me."

Ethan snapped his head toward me, his eyes blazing with accusation.

"Are you happy now?"

My mom gasped, terrified.

"What is going on here?"

Before I could speak, Chloe suddenly clutched her chest, her knees buckling as she slid toward the floor.

Ethan caught her instantly.

"Chloe!"

He turned and screamed at me, "Get the car keys! We need to go to the hospital!"

My parents were completely panicking.

I didn't want them to see any more of this mess, so I grabbed my keys and followed them downstairs.

The entire drive to the ER, Ethan held Chloe tightly in his arms.

She leaned against his shoulder, whispering weakly, "Hazel, please don't hate me..."

Ethan kept scolding her in a low, trembling voice. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"If something happens to you, how am I supposed to face Hazel?"

On the surface, he was blaming her. But every single word dripped with deep, agonizing worry.

At the hospital, Chloe was rushed into the emergency room.

I stood outside in the hallway. The scratch on my hand had started bleeding again.

Ethan finally noticed it.

He frowned and grabbed my hand.

"Why is this still bleeding?"

I tried to pull away.

But he held on tight, pressing a sterile gauze pad against the cut, his tone finally softening.

"Hazel, stop fighting me. I know I messed up."

He sighed, and then, he dropped a set of keys into my palm.

I stared at them, confused.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently.

"I've sorted everything out."

"To make sure you don't keep worrying about Chloe and me crossing boundaries, I rented the apartment directly across from yours for her."

"That way, you can keep an eye on her whenever you want."

I froze, my entire body turning cold.

Yet, Ethan smiled, genuinely believing this was a generous peace offering.

"She's in no state to live alone right now. It's not safe."

"Since you guys are best friends, you can look after her too."

"And since your parents are in town, and they love to cook, they can just make an extra portion for her when her stomach acts up."

I stared up at him, wondering if I was experiencing some sick hallucination.

Last winter, when my parents' health was declining, I wanted to bring them to the city to live near me.

I found a cozy little apartment right across the hall from ours.

I was going to pay the rent myself. I just wanted them close so I could take care of them.

But Ethan had frowned and shut down the idea immediately. "Hazel, we just started living together."

"Having parents right across the hall destroys all boundaries. I don't want to feel like I'm being watched by elders every single day."

So, I deleted the agent's number.

My parents stayed in our hometown.

But now, he had rented that exact apartment for Chloe, and he expected my parents to cook for her.

I threw the keys hard against his chest.

"Ethan, do you honestly think my entire family exists just to be walked all over by you?"

His face instantly hardened.

"You're throwing a tantrum again."

"Have you forgotten everything Chloe has done for you?"

"Who drank with you at those miserable corporate dinners? Who brought you medicine when you were sick?"

"She lied to you once, with me, and now you're trying to use some moral high ground to ruin her life?"

I stared into his eyes. "What about you, Ethan? Whose boyfriend are you actually supposed to be?"

The question caught him off guard.

But he quickly suppressed his irritation, his voice cold.

"I am your boyfriend, Hazel. But the way you're treating Chloe is hurtful. When she wakes up, you need to go in there and apologize to her."

I let out a bitter laugh. "I need to apologize to her?"

"Yes."

He glared at me, his voice dropping an octave.

"She is in the hospital because of her allergies."

"Don't make me think you're completely heartless."

I turned on my heel and walked away.

Ethan grabbed my wrist in a vice grip.

"Hazel, if you walk away today," he threatened, "you'll regret it."

I barely slept that night.

My dreams were filled with tiny, forgotten fragments of the past.

I remembered a company dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Chloe sat next to me. The moment she reached for the salmon sashimi, Ethan frowned.

"Don't eat raw food."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Mind your own business."

But he ignored her, putting a piece of cooked beef from the hot pot onto her plate anyway.

"Don't come crying to me in the middle of the night when your stomach hurts."

At the time, I had laughed, saying, "You two fight literally every time you meet."

I also remembered a rainy afternoon.

Neither Chloe nor I had an umbrella.

Ethan had only brought one.

He shoved the umbrella into her hands, his voice harsh.

"Take it. If you catch a cold, you'll complain for weeks."

Chloe snapped back, "Who wants your stupid umbrella?"

I had stood under the awning, watching them bicker all the way to the parking lot.

In the end, I had run out into the pouring rain to hail a cab by myself.

Back then, I made excuses for them.

One was my boyfriend.

The other was my best friend.

But now, looking back, the clues were everywhere.

By the time I woke up, the sun was barely rising.

My phone buzzed. It was a Snapchat notification. Chloe had posted on her story.

In the photo, her hand had an IV line in it.

Ethan's coat was draped gently over her knees.

Her caption read: Someone scolded me all night.

Underneath, our mutual friends were commenting and teasing:

"Scolded you, but still gave you his coat?"

"Ethan's attitude is trash, but he clearly cares about you."

Chloe had replied with a blushing emoji:

"Ugh, he's so annoying. I told him to go comfort Hazel, but he insisted on staying here."

I stared at the screen for a long time.

When it was time for work, I got dressed and went to the office.

The moment I entered the breakroom, the whispering stopped.

A colleague brushed past me with her coffee mug, murmuring to someone else under her breath:

"Her best friend is literally in the hospital with an allergic reaction, and she's still making a scene."

"Yeah, her boyfriend was just trying to help. This petty jealousy is so toxic."

My grip tightened around my mug.

I turned around, walked straight to the HR office, and handed in my transfer request.

"I want to transfer back to the hometown branch."

The HR manager looked at my request, an awkward expression on her face.

"Hazel... I don't think we can process this right now."

"Why not?"

She closed the file.

"Ethan told us that you've been emotionally unstable lately. He gave instructions to hold off on any of your transfer requests."

I let out a cold laugh.

"What else did he say?"

She avoided my gaze.

"He said you should take a few days off to calm down at home."

"And that you can return to work once you've sorted out your personal issues."

As I walked out of the office, I heard more gossip floating from the breakroom.

"Ethan is honestly so professional. He doesn't even play favorites with his own girlfriend."

"Right? He explained that Chloe has been struggling with depression and anxiety, which is why he was helping her. He didn't want everyone blaming her."

"He said Hazel is just overly sensitive and blew the whole dog thing out of proportion."

"No wonder Chloe feels so guilty."

Standing outside the door, I finally understood.

All the gossip, the side-eyes, the whispersEthan had orchestrated it all.

Just to protect Chloe's feelings and make her feel better.

I turned to leave, but as I passed the stairwell, I heard Chloe's voice from inside.

"Ethan, why would you say those things about her?"

"You know Hazel did nothing wrong."

Ethan's voice was low and soothing.

"If I didn't say that, you'd just hide away and cry yourself to sleep again, wouldn't you?"

Chloe choked up.

"But... she's your girlfriend."

"She'll get over it," Ethan said, his voice brimming with confidence.

"Hazel has a soft heart. Especially when it comes to you."

Chloe went silent for a long time.

"There was never a dog," she whispered.

"Why did you keep up the lie for me?"

I leaned against the wall, my fingers turning icy cold.

Ethan didn't answer right away.

After a few excruciating seconds, he murmured, "Because I wanted an excuse to see you, too."

The air in the stairwell went dead silent.

I could hear the frantic pounding of my own heart.

Chloe's voice trembled. "Then... on her birthday... her parents waited for three hours. Did you know that?"

"Yes," Ethan said.

"She'll make an excuse for me. She always does."

The transfer request paper slipped from my fingers, fluttering silently to the floor.

Suddenly, the voices in the stairwell cut off.

When I looked up through the crack of the door, I saw Chloe clutching Ethan's collar, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Ethan froze for a split second.

But in the next moment, his hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her in deeper.

I stood at the entrance of the stairwell, watching my fianc and my best friend make out.

All that bickering.

All that feigned annoyance.

It was nothing but a game. A cheap curtain to hide behind.

Ethan saw me first.

His face turned instantly pale. "Hazel!"

I bent down, picked up my paper, and turned to walk away.

He bolted out of the stairwell and grabbed my arm.

"Hazel, let me explain."

I looked at him. "Explain how you two have been playing me for a fool this entire time?"

Chloe stood behind him, her face white as a sheet.

"Hazel, I'm so sorry..."

I ignored her.

Ethan lowered his voice, his grip tightening on my arm. "That was just a heat-of-the-moment thing. I swear, nothing else has ever happened between us before this."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I sneered and yanked my arm out of his grip.

That afternoon, HR returned my transfer request.

Stamped: DENIED.

Attached was a sticky note in Ethan's handwriting:

You can have your job back when you apologize to Chloe.

I stared at those words for a long time.

Then, I opened my laptop and started a new document.

The subject line:

Resignation Letter.

After hitting send, I took off my ID badge and placed it on my desk.

A colleague gasped nearby. "Hazel, are you seriously quitting?"

I didn't look back. If they wouldn't let me transfer, I would just resign.

Ethan didn't want to let me leave with my dignity.

Fine. I would carve out my own path.

A path that would never cross with his again.