For five years I had been the lover of my best friend’s little brother… and I found out that he was only using me for practice!

For five years, she'd been in a secret relationship with her best friend's little brother.

Always with plenty of spending money on hand, he'd taken her to all sorts of places, where they'd done all sorts of things together.

Stacy Rivers couldn't even go to the restroom without getting cornered by him against the washbasin, the young man's arms encircled around her slender waist.

Stacy's eyes swam. "Joseph, not so rough…"

Joseph Dorne chuckled lightly, then leaned down and took one earlobe between his teeth, as he taunted her. "Is this too much for you, already? We're only just getting started, you know…"

A surge of pleasure rose up from within. Stacy gave in to the feeling, her protests falling silent.

Over the years, they'd made lots of little memories in lots of places, but she was ever the one scrambling to keep up with his insatiable desires. Truly, a younger lover wanted it all the time, and wanted it in so many ways…

Joseph peered at her with seething intent, hands caressing her hips hungrily. "How can it feel so good, just to touch you? I can't get enough… it's like an addiction. No other man is allowed to lay their hands upon you, I trust you understand. You belong to me."

Stacy had long known that he was the possessive sort. She gave him a smile and a kiss. "You know I'm yours, and yours alone."

They went for several rounds until Joseph was good and satisfied.

He fastened his belt once more, glowing with manly triumph. As he turned to leave, she caught him by the hand.

"I'll be turning thirty soon. People have been frantic about whether I'm ever going to get married. I've honored your wish to keep quiet about what's going on between us, but now my parents have a bunch of suitors lined up for me, and… do you have anything to say about all this?"

Joseph hesitated, then turned around and planted a little kiss on her lips.

"Please be patient for my sake, Stacy," he whispered, in gentle reassurance. "You'll hear my marriage proposal, real soon."

These words dispelled the anxiety in Stacy's heart.

She watched him turn off at the end of the aisle, then collected her clothes and put them on once again. She checked her handbag, straightened up, and then slowly made her way back to the party.

As she was just coming around the corner, she heard a raucous peal of laughter.

"Joseph, my man! We could all hear you back there, giving her the business! The way that hussy moaned… hah! It gave us all the shivers!"

"Stacy Rivers with that figure, that waist… yowza! Any man would get hooked on that taste! You know how many guys have their sights set on her? But no… only our boy Joseph has what it takes to score that forbidden fruit! Although… how many years has she been with you, now? Don't you think you've had enough fun with her already?"

What? What did they mean by, 'had enough fun with her already?'

Feeling a sudden chill, Stacy stood there, listening in confusion.

Someone inside seemed to ask a question, and then:

"Well, of course he's only having fun with her! Joseph's always been in love with that girl, from when we were in high school together! We were all roaring for him to go for it! I mean, can you imagine any girl saying no to this pretty face? But he was so serious about the whole thing, it was unbelievable! No experience, he said! No experience flirting with girls, or being in a relationship… or having sex! He simply refused to court that girl until he was sure he wouldn't mess things up… and that's why he picked up some other woman for a few years: it's all just for practice!"

"And now, guess what? The girl of his dreams will be returning from abroad, soon! Joseph, you've had your fun with her for years, now… aren't you going to break it off with Stacy, yet? Instead, the two of you are still going at it as passionately as ever! Don't tell me—it's become something real?"

In the questioning silence that followed, there was a thunk as Joseph set down his beer mug, then drawled, "No, she's only for practice. Basically a toy. Nothing more."

He'd said that so callously… Stacy felt as though she'd been stabbed through the heart with a knife. Her limbs felt numb, while every breath she drew seemed to fill her lungs with burning agony. It was all she could do to remain standing.

But there was no time for her to process these sudden emotions: The voices and laughter were rapidly drawing closer. Fearing to bump into any of them in this moment, she placed both hands onto the wall beside her, pushed herself around to face in the opposite direction… and then she fled, as quickly as she could manage.

As a full-grown woman, almost thirty years of age, it should be disgraceful to cry. Stacy stumbled aimlessly through the pouring rain outside, her thoughts and feelings roiling about in a chaotic jumble.

She'd first met Joseph during her first year in Summit University, where she'd become best friends with Jeanne Dorne.

Hanging out regularly at Jeanne's place, she'd naturally become acquainted with her younger brother, Joseph.

At first sight, she'd been utterly smitten by him.

However, romance had been the furthest thing from her mind. She was four years older than him. He was Jeanne's little brother. And so, Stacy had treated him as a little brother, too.

After graduation, she'd been eager to prove her own independence, and so she'd begun a career here in the city of Balmora.

Her looks constantly attracted the attention of all sorts of men. One time, during a social event, she realized she'd taken a spiked drink, and immediately fled to a nearby hotel, calling Jeanne to come to her rescue.

In her distress, she'd selected the wrong name from her contacts list, and called Joseph instead.

When Joseph arrived, Stacy had instructed him to fetch a doctor. Instead, gazing intently at her with those mesmerizing eyes of his, the young man removed his shirt. That night, the barely legal teen had helped her to alleviate the effects of the aphrodisiac drug she'd been given, in a more straightforward fashion.

That following morning, Stacy had woken up feeling as though she'd committed a terrible crime. She'd hurriedly made to leave, hoping they could both pretend that nothing had ever happened… but then Joseph had embraced her from behind, kissing her gently on the nape of her neck, while whispering, "Had your fun, now you're just gonna run? I won't allow it."

Following that incident, she'd tried to evade him, but he was relentless in his advances. Eventually, she'd succumbed to his charms, and they'd started seeing each other in secret.

The past five years, they'd gotten along perfectly, the passion between them never dissipating in the slightest. Stacy had come to believe that they'd make it all the way. She'd been eagerly awaiting his proposal, so that they could finally move on to the next stage.

But she'd been kept waiting.

Pressured by her family, she'd finally asked him about it. She hadn't expected, though, that there was nothing at all in store for her! He already had his heart set on another woman; as for Stacy, she'd never been anything besides a toy for him to 'practice' with!

She found her way home in a daze, then curled herself up in a corner, gradually freezing to death as she thought about nothing in particular.

She just remained like that, losing track of time completely, until the ringing of a phone shattered that icy silence.

She fished out her phone and took the call. The voices of her parents came through, somber with concern.

"Darling, it's been weeks! Have you reached a decision yet… about meeting one of these men?"

Stacy's eyes fell upon a photograph on the table: one she'd taken with Joseph, to commemorate their fifth anniversary together.

She sucked in a long breath of air. "Alright, I'll do it."

From here on out, she'd be starting a new life for herself.

Joseph was free to go pursue his old flame, or whatever.

And the two of them would never have anything to do with each other, ever again.

Stacy's parents hadn't expected her to give in, just like that.

"Really? You're sure? When will you be coming back, then? Shall we just proceed with the wedding arrangements? Or would you prefer to meet the guy first, and see how things work out?"

Emotionally drained, Stacy couldn't even be bothered to have an opinion about anything anymore. "I leave it entirely up to you guys. I've just gotta tie up some affairs over here, and then I'll be heading home."

Hearing the weariness in her voice, her parents had a few more words of concern for her, before hanging up.

Silence fell over the room once more.

At last, Stacy climbed back up to her feet, and staggered into the bathroom.

After a shower, she emerged to find Joseph on the sofa in the living room.

"You left without saying anything. Did something happen?"

Stacy's breath caught, and she lowered her head so he wouldn't see how she'd cried her eyes red and raw. "My phone ran out of battery, so I decided to just come back."

Not the most convincing excuse, but Joseph didn't dwell on it. He pulled her close, and with a light tug, undid the sash on her bathrobe…

Stacy gripped his hand firmly before he could reach inside and cause havoc.

"Didn't you just go several times, back at the party? It's only been a couple of hours…"

Not realizing that he was being rejected, he caught hold of her hand in return, lacing his fingers through hers.

"Has it only been that long? Don't you know, the mere sight of you instantly fills me with endless desire? I want you, more than anything else in this world…"

His usual sappy, romantic drivel… it all just sounded like cruel mockery, now.

Endless desire, huh? Wasn't she only a toy, for practice?

Hadn't he had quite enough fun with her yet, over these past five years?

She turned aside from an incoming attempt to kiss her. "Is that so?" she murmured coldly. "And what if you were never able to lay your hands upon me, ever again?"

At last, Joseph began to realize that something might be amiss. He paused in thought for a moment. "You love me; I love you. We are in love. What could keep us apart?"

In love, he said? Really, now…

Stacy's lip curled. Instead of giving a frank response, she dodged the question entirely. "Never mind, it's nothing. I got caught in the rain on the way back, and now I'm feeling kinda unwell. I just wanna get to bed, right now."

Joseph couldn't dispute that she did look somewhat drained and weary. He placed a few gentle kisses upon her forehead, and was about to carry her into the bedroom…

Just then, however, his phone emitted a tone. He reached over to the table to see what it was about. Stacy looked too, and read a message from someone named Charlotte.

[I'm just coming out of the airport now, but I can't find a taxi in all this rain! What should I do?]

Once he'd read that message, Joseph immediately set Stacy down on the sofa instead, then straightened up. "There's something I need to go handle. Get some rest. Don't wait up."

He'd closed the door behind himself almost before he'd even finished speaking.

Eyes watering faintly, Stacy quietly retreated into her room. She blew her hair dry, crawled between the sheets, and turned off the lights.

In the darkness, she was tormented by memories of all the times she'd shared with Joseph, these past several years.

He'd bought her a necklace worth millions, and put it on for her with his own hands, while promising to buy her enough diamonds to last her a lifetime.

To celebrate her birthday, he'd set off fireworks on the beach for three days and nights, non-stop. Cheerfully, he'd declared that everything he owned in this world was hers, without reservation.

As a once-in-a-lifetime comet passed overhead, he'd made a wish to remain with her until the end of time, never leaving her side.

She'd relived that cherished moment more times than she could count… but now, she knew that even then, it had been a lie.

He'd always meant for this relationship with her to only be a temporary thing.

Halfway through the night, Stacy developed a terrible fever, burning up even as she shook with violent chills that went all the way into her bones. By sunrise, the sheets were drenched with her sweat.

Joseph came in and found her, flushed and shivering. Instantly, he was wide awake. Scooping her up in his arms, he hurried frantically to the hospital with her.

As they stepped into the entrance hall, Stacy opened her eyes groggily, and grumbled, "Why bring me here?"

"You're burning up. I've brought you here to see a doctor. You're not a little girl anymore, don't you even know how to take care of yourself?" Joseph's voice was laden with panic and anxiety.

He carefully set her down in a chair, then hurried off to join the line at the counter…

But then, he ran into Charlotte Lane.

"Charlotte?" he exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here? I just sent you home!"

The girl named Charlotte was clad in a petite white dress. She looked like an angelic figure, innocent and sweet.

"I tried to cook something at home, but I ended up burning my hand, so I came here to get it looked at."

She showed him how the back of her hand was lobster-red. Joseph's expression shifted dramatically, and his urgent concern for Stacy was instantly forgotten.

Joseph accompanied Charlotte to take a number, consult with a doctor, and then pay for some ointment from the dispensary. The whole time, Stacy was the furthest thing from his mind.

Stacy watched in silence as the couple walked off. It was unlikely that Joseph would be coming back for her. She chuckled wryly to herself, and then levered herself upright on wobbling legs, and moved to join the queue.

The doctor prescribed her an IV drip bag, and instructed her to wait for three hours. However, exhausted from her sleepless night, Stacy dozed off.

With no one paying attention to her, the drip bag emptied out completely, and then the intravenous needle started drawing her blood out instead, so that the drip bag soon contained a bloody mess.

Finally, a nurse hurried over and shook her awake. "You came here alone? Is no one here with you? Your family? Maybe a boyfriend…?"

Stacy stared at the deep purple bruise across her hand. "I have no family here in this city with me, and I… don't have a boyfriend."

Right on cue, Joseph Dorne came striding up to her. "Stacy!"

The nurse had just hooked her up to a fresh IV bag. Seeing him, she snapped, "Are you her boyfriend, then? Why weren't you here with her? She was losing blood over here, you know? Things could have gotten ugly!"

Joseph wrapped both hands around Stacy's swollen hand. "I'm so sorry, I ran into a friend and got carried away chatting. Forgot about you for a moment, there. When I came back, you'd disappeared, and it took me a while to track you here."

Stacy knew the truth of the matter, of course… but all she did was nod silently in response.

After her second drip bag had run its course, Joseph helped Stacy make her way out of the hospital, toward where he'd parked his car.

Charlotte was there, waiting.

The moment he saw her, Joseph immediately let go of Stacy. "Charlotte! You're still here?"

Charlotte stared at the other woman for a moment, her smile faltering a little. "There was something else I needed to discuss with you, Joseph. But this is…?"

Accustomed to keeping their relationship under wraps, Joseph smoothly replied, "This is my sister's best friend. She's fallen ill, so my sister asked me to bring her to a doctor."

Hearing Joseph describe her in such terms, Stacy suddenly found it a little hard to breathe, as though something was constricting her throat.

For years, she'd struggled to understand why their relationship had to be kept secret. At first, she'd assumed that Joseph was afraid of what Jeanne might say… but now she understood. The real secret was the one he'd been keeping from her, the one standing before them right now.

Joseph didn't want Charlotte to find out.

Stacy forced herself to smile, and weakly spoke up to say, "Hello, I'm Stacy Rivers."

At this, Charlotte's smile brightened with more sincerity. She introduced herself, and then got straight to business. "My friends are throwing a party to welcome me back. Joseph, will you go with me? Stacy's welcome, too! The more the merrier! And I'm always happy to make new friends!"

Stacy meant to turn her down, but Joseph answered first, agreeing to everything.

The car door was opened for her. She had no choice but to get in.

The whole ride, Joseph kept probing around for conversation topics, and Charlotte was happy to revisit her mutual past with him.

"I see you've still got these strawberry candies in your car, Joseph! Remember that New Year's Day event, when I had to go on stage to perform on the piano, but I was absolutely trembling from stage fright? You asked me if there was anything that might help to calm my nerves, and I mentioned strawberry candy… then you ran outside, through the pouring rain, to buy some for me! After that, every time I saw you, you always had some more of that candy for me.

"Oh, isn't this…? I sent you a photo once, to show you the super cute teddy bear that I'd found somewhere… and you bought the same thing, yourself?

"Mmmm… Joseph, you smell good! It's that brand of men's fragrance I pointed out that time, isn't it? The one I described as 'wildly alluring!' And so you've been using it ever since!"

In the backseat, Stacy listened in on all this in sullen silence. Apparently, Joseph was the sort of guy who made countless romantic gestures for the girl he liked, and never missed even the tiniest details.

In the rearview mirror, she could see that his ears had gone red. Charlotte was bringing up stories from ages ago… did he still feel so strongly about those moments, even now?

But then again, this was his first love, innocent and pure.

They arrived at a pub, and Stacy found herself a hiding place in the corner.

Meanwhile, Joseph took a seat beside Charlotte, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her, so she could use it as a lap blanket.

Noticing this little gesture, everyone whooped and whistled.

"It's been five years, man! Joseph still acts like Charlotte's boyfriend? Are the two of you just gonna drink out of the same glass, tonight? Hah!"

"No one should be surprised, honestly! Joseph's still single, and he's a legal adult now! If Charlotte wills it, he'll drink this pub's entire stock all by himself, just to make her happy!"

Joseph glanced toward Stacy. She appeared to be distracted, looking at her phone. Nevertheless, he felt the need to send her a message now.

[They're just having a bit of fun, don't mind them. It's not like they know about us. I don't wanna start any drama when everyone's here for Charlotte tonight… but I'll find the right moment to announce our relationship to everyone next time.]

Next time? There would be no next time.

Soon, the drinking games began. Stacy lost the very first round, and the penalty was three glasses. Joseph wanted to help her with this, but no one would allow it.

"Whoa, there! The rule is, you can't share someone's drinks unless you get their permission! Miss Rivers, you're a mature woman, no stranger to the real world… three cups is nothing for you, am I right?"

'Mature woman'… Stacy didn't like the undertone behind that.

She couldn't bear to show any weakness, not now when she was just about to leave Joseph… and so she downed it all, ignoring how unwell she felt. Her reward was a round of applause and cheering.

Charlotte lost the next round. She glanced briefly towards Joseph. Understanding what she'd meant by this, the drink was served to him, in her stead.

Without hesitation, he drained the glass.

Charlotte went on to lose several more rounds, and Joseph paid the price each time. Soon, he was staggering drunkenly toward the restroom.

Ten minutes later, when he still hadn't returned yet, Stacy got up and left, and then found him at the staircase. The moment he caught sight of her, he yanked her into his arms, babbling senselessly.

"Charlotte, I'm so glad you've come back to me at last, after all this time… I want to spend the rest of my life with you, making you happy… I swear you'll have nothing but the very best… that's why I've spent five years learning how to sweet-talk a woman, buy her gifts… I'm a good kisser, now! I'll be so good to you! I'll make you feel like the luckiest woman who ever lived! So, please… say you'll be mine, won't you? I really, really, really like you…"

Every word cut deep into her heart, with a searing flash of agony.

She gazed at him, unable to hide the pain and sorrow in her eyes. Bit her lip so hard that her teeth broke the skin, and her tongue tasted the sharp tang of blood.

She asked, "Joseph… what exactly am I to you?"