Chapter 2Runaway Bride: Singles' Party With the Wrong Man

At the party, Olivia wore a white dress, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She looked strikingly innocent and captivating.

Still, I pretended not to notice her and drank too much. But the more I tried to suppress my feelings, the stronger the ache inside me became.

Then, I heard from my roommate that Olivia had broken up with her well-off boyfriend. He had apparently cheated on her, and she had been devastated for a long time.

It felt as if I had suddenly awakened, a powerful impulse surging through me. I set the bottle down and rushed toward her. "Olivia, will you be my girlfriend?"

Maybe it was the liquid courage. Even though I knew she would probably reject me again, I didn't want to graduate with any regrets.

Olivia looked up at me and stayed silent for what felt like an eternity.

Just as I turned to leave, she rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around me. Before I could react, her lips pressed softly against mine. I swore it was the happiest moment of my life.

And just like that, Olivia made our relationship public. But I soon realized it wasn't as pure as I had imagined.

Her childhood friend, Aiden, was always by her side. No matter what we did, she brought him along, whether it was dinner, a movie, or even a date.

I didn't like it and brought it up several times. However, all I got in return was an icy look.

"If you don't like it, then we can break up. I don't want my boyfriend to be so selfish and petty!" Olivia snapped. "Aiden and I have been best friends since we were kids. If you can't accept that, there's really no point in us being together."

I was terrified of losing her, so I tolerated it again and again.

If Aiden said he was hungry, Olivia would rush to cook for him. Yet, in the five years we had been together, I had never once tasted a meal made by her.

When Aiden's birthday came, she would thoughtfully prepare a gift for him. But she didn't even remember my birthday.

Sometimes I wondered if that kiss had been a joke. Maybe Olivia had simply had too much to drink that day.

I turned a blind eye to everything she did, thinking my love could move her. After all, I truly loved her.

And now, she had even forgotten our wedding. Instead, she had posted close-up photos with Aiden, her so-called friend, on Instagram and stayed out all night, ignoring my calls.

That was when I finally realized this one-sided relationship had to end. Olivia never loved me.

…

Since I had canceled the wedding, the hotel demanded full payment. After paying more than 20 thousand dollars for the wedding bar tab, I returned home.

Looking at the spacious apartment, I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

Every corner of the place had been decorated to Olivia's liking. The pink color scheme wasn't to my taste, but if it made her happy, that was enough.

I had imagined countless times the happy life we would have after the wedding. But in the end, it all dissolved into nothing.

I collapsed onto the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I had lost track of time when the phone in my pocket rang. I knew it had to be Olivia.

Even when my phone was on silent, her calls still got through. Habits had a hold on me, and I answered almost instantly.

As soon as I picked up, her languid voice came through. It carried a hint of guilt, but her excitement was impossible to hide.

"Hey, babe, I'm sorry. I got carried away with my friends last night and drank too much. You're not mad at me, are you?"