I, Ariel Johnson, was heartbroken to know that my childhood friends, Morgan Hawkins and Nate Andrews, would choose my cousin, Demi Johnson, over me after the years that we had spent together. Their betrayal truly hurt me.

After all, how could they decide to trust Demi, whom they only known for a year, instead of me who had been with them for fifteen years? It really broke my heart.

Just when I thought the world was over to me, my mother came to save me. She had been urging me to consider an arranged marriage with Luke Steel, a man from a prominent family in another city. My mother told me that he wanted to marry me.

Initially, I never thought of considering it until that very day. The moment my friends betrayed me by choosing Demi, I only saw it as my only path forward. So, I made a decision by choosing to accept my mother’s urging to marry Luke who turned out to be caring, considerate, and thoughtful.

Just when I thought that I would have my happy ending, Morgan and Nate tried to ruin my happiness with Luke as they stalked me as my engagement party was being planned. It was then they confessed their regret of not choosing me. However, it was too late.

I coldly told them, “It’s too late, Morgan, Nate. I no longer care about you guys.”

***

I, Ariel Johnson, was still in disbelief. After all, my father had passed away a year ago. However, I would never expect what happened before me.

As I was about to prepare myself to go to my father’s grave to do a memorial for him, I was met with the sight of that person at my mansion instead. That person was my cousin, Demi Johnson. When I saw her smirk, I knew that she was up to no good.

“Ariel, can’t you just skip your father’s memorial? My birthday is in two days! We can always have a funeral after my birthday party, don’t you think? I’m still alive, unlike your father. So, I want it to be perfect and I want it to be planned as early as possible,” my cousin said in a very arrogant tone.

Frankly, I almost lost my temper when I heard how she talked about my late father. Besides, how could she talk like that when my father had sacrificed everything to get her here. If only my father knew that Demi was like this, would he still help her?

I firmly told Demi, “Listen, Demi. Let me tell you today-”

“I don’t care what day today is, Ariel! The party must be perfect! I want it planned as early as possible,” my cousin boldly cut me off as she stood arrogantly with her arms crossed and glared at me.

Despite being two years younger than me, she never even showed me any respect. Instead, she acted like she owned this house. However, that wasn’t what made me mad.

It was the fact that she considered my father’s passing as nothing to her that made me really mad. After all, my father truly sacrificed everything for her. Yet, she dared to ask me to throw her a lavish birthday party while I was still grieving? Unbelievable!

In an instant, I could feel that grief and anger surged within me as my memories of my father came back to me. The man had been my rock and my protector. He was the one who had loved me unconditionally. How could Demi not care that this day marked his loss?

“Demi, are you losing your mind?” I asked her, trying to keep my voice steady even as anger surged within me.

After that, I continued, “Don’t you remember how tragically my father lost his life, for you?”

“Oh, grow up, Ariel!” Demi shouted angrily, rolling her eyes as if I were being unreasonable.

The young woman then angrily talked, “Why can’t you just let it go? He’s gone, but at least you’re still here. You’re the one making this into such a big deal.”

“Demi, you’re unbelievable!” I eventually shouted with my voice raw with emotion.

Before she could talk again, I asked her even, “Do you honestly think you can make me forget what day today is? Or pretend my father’s sacrifice did not happen?”

Yet, she folded her arms defiantly as if she dared me to continue. Seeing it made me could not stand her behavior even more.

“I’m done listening to you!” I angrily shouted at her.

The moment I tried to push past her to go downstairs, Demi blocked my way. In fact, my cousin even grabbed my arm as she tried to stop me from leaving. That really surprised me because I didn’t expect her to do this.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked me in a demanding tone while digging her nails into my wrist.

Instinctively, I pulled my arm free. However, it made Demi lose her balance. Her eyes widened in surprise as she tumbled backward, falling from the second-floor landing down to the first floor as she screamed.

My heart froze. For a moment, I could not breathe when I saw her lying there as she groaned in pain at the bottom of the stairs. Then, something even more shocking happened.

Just as I was about to rush down, the front door opened. My childhood friends, Morgan Andrews and Nate Hawkins, walked in. When they saw Demi groaning in pain, I knew they thought that I really tried to harm her.

“Morgan, Nate, this isn’t what it looks like! She fell, but I swear I did not push her!” I told them as I rushed downstairs.

No matter how desperate I was, both of my childhood friends refused to listen to me. Morgan just looked at me with disappointment as he walked past me to Demi. That really hurt me.

“Demi, are you okay?” he asked softly, pulling her into a hug to comfort her.

Meanwhile, Nate, who was training to be a doctor, dialed for an ambulance and knelt down to check for injuries. After that, he looked at me as coldly as Morgan looked at me. Immediately, I knew what they thought of me. They chose her, not me.

“Ariel, I thought I knew you. I never thought you would hurt her,” he said quietly.

What Nate said really broke me even more than I knew. After all, both Morgan and Nate had been my friends for over fifteen years. They were the ones who stood up for me when others had mocked me for my mother’s absence. They were my greatest supporters.

Yet, it felt as if they were turning their backs on me. Both of them dismissed all the years of loyalty and laughter as if it meant nothing. It was all because of Demi whom they had known for barely a year.

“Ariel, why did you change so drastically since your father passed away? What makes you become this mean?” Morgan angrily asked me without even looking at me as he only focused on patting Demi’s back to calm her.

Like Morgan, Nate only focused on Demi’s condition.

As the young man checked Demi who still groaned in pain, he shouted at me angrily, “You should’ve been grateful that Demi was by your side after your father died, Ariel! She just wanted to accompany you, but you always brushed her off! You even tried to hurt her!”

From that very moment, I immediately understood that everything had changed.

No one cared about me. My father was gone, and my closest friends, the people whom my father had trusted to look after me after my mother left, were gone too. Somehow, Demi managed to get to spell over all of them, making them forget about me.

Soon enough, the paramedics arrived and took Demi away. Both Morgan and Nate followed her quickly. It was clear that their worry for her made them refuse to listen to my reasoning. Thus, I was left alone in my home as I stood in silence when the realization finally sunk.

It made me realize that there was no one left who truly cared about me. The only thing I could do was to take one last look at the house I had once called home before I left as I eventually made my way to my father’s grave.

As I was standing by my late father’s grave, my phone rang. It managed to interrupt my thoughts, though. When I saw it, I couldn’t help but be surprised when I saw my mother’s name on the screen.

My mother, Cecile Burton, was actually alive. She divorced my father fifteen years ago. Despite being separated from her ex-husband for almost two decades, my mother had chosen not to remarry and chose to focus on her career. Eventually, she became a famous businessman in Warlington.

Every month, my mother would never forget to give me my monthly allowance. Although I never really got to know her since she and my father got divorced when I was little, I knew that she was kind enough for me. Still, I had no idea who she really was as we only video-called several times.

Although I had my doubts, I decided to take her call.

So, I took a deep breath before I answered, “Hello, Mom?”

“Oh, Ariel! I was worried that you wouldn’t answer my call. I know that today is your father’s one-year anniversary of his passing. So, I thought you might be … well, still grieving. So, are you alright, sweetheart?” my mother asked me in her gentle voice.

Yet, her question really struck me in the chord.

For the first time on that day, someone had asked how I was doing and had shown concern.

“Yes, Mom. Everything is fine here. How about you?” I answered her question, trying to hold back my tears.

However, I noticed that there was a pause on her end before she sighed.

My mother then responded, “Oh, dear, I wish I could be there with you today. Unfortunately, I recently got hospitalized.”

The moment I heard that my mother was also sick, my tears eventually fell.

“What? What happened? Why? Are you okay?” I asked, bombarding my mother with questions.

Immediately, she said, trying to reassure me, “Oh, it’s nothing too serious, sweetheart. I guess I’m just getting older.”

Before I could respond to her, my mother spoke, “But, Ariel, I would love it if you could come to visit soon. We could celebrate your graduation together and I hope that I may get to see you walk down the aisle before I pass.”

Although my mother said calmly, it struck a nerve in me again. I had to admit that this whole year was the loneliest I ever felt in my life. In fact, it was even lonelier than when my parents divorced.

The reason was that I had been dealing with Demi’s arrogance and my friends who sided with her instead of me. What happened earlier might be the final push because I could no longer hold back. So, I couldn’t help but feel moved when I heard that my mother wanted me by her side.

That made me feel needed.

“Sure, Mom. I will come as soon as I can. But I’m not sure about marriage, though,” I told her as I let out a smile and wiped away my tears.

My mother chuckled softly before she said, “No need to worry about the marriage. I actually am thinking of arranging a blind date for you with my friend’s son. If you like him, you can date him and we’ll see if it ends with marriage or not.”

“After all, I think you need to enjoy your youth! You deserve it,” she said.

When I heard it, I couldn’t help but chuckle. But it really made me feel lighter. At that moment, it felt that it was a good idea. In fact, it seemed like a chance to start new life there.

Warlington, the city where my mother had been living, was far from Stanmore, the city where I lived, and the latter’s haunting memories. Why wouldn’t I go to Warlington to enjoy my youth there? Who knew that I might find my own happiness? It sounded tempting, I had to admit.

“Fine, Mom. I’ll tell you once I’ve sorted everything out,” I told her with a more relaxed tone as I could feel the burden on my shoulders had eased off.

After that, we talked for several minutes before I told her to take care of her health. Then, I ended the call. This time, I didn’t feel very lonely like I would feel for more than a year.

It made me realize that I had to make a decision. Actually, it was clear enough. The decision that I would take was leaving Stanmore and the people who abandoned me when I needed them the most.

‘Goodbye, Stanmore. Goodbye, Father,’ I thought to myself as I kissed my father’s gravestone.

I already made my decision. No matter what, I would leave Stanmore. This place only hurt me. So, it was time for me to live my life.

Tears flowed as I confessed what I had been holding in my heart. I couldn’t help but close my eyes because the tears became too much. Yet, I was again surprised.

Somehow, I felt that I heard my father’s whispers.

“It’s okay, Ariel. You deserve your own happiness.”

As soon as I opened my eyes again, I looked around to find the voice owner. But all I found was an empty grave. That was when I was convinced that it was a sign from my father to tell me to leave Stanmore.

So, I took a deep breath and forced a smile to say to my father, “Sure, Dad.”

Actually, I had been thinking about leaving shortly after graduating from university. Still, my father had a jewelry business. It was our family legacy that had been passed down from my grandfather. That was the reason I kept staying here.

I knew that I couldn’t abandon such legacy that was so deeply tied to my family. Eventually, I decided to study business. After all, I really hoped to carry on my father’s name and preserve his business.

Unfortunately, my plan went awry when my father passed away last year when I was in my third year of college. With him gone, it felt as if everything meaningful had vanished from the world. Everything became dark.

Frankly, I was used to people leaving me. From early on, I had learned to adapt. My mother had returned to her home country after she divorced my father when I was only seven years old. The divorce left my heart with a void I had thought would never be filled.

I could still remember when my father, who had been supporting me, filled that void with gentle promises and endless support when I heard that both he and my mother had divorced.

“You don’t only have me, honey. You have your grandparents, and you will always have Morgan and Nate by your side. You will never be alone, Ariel,” he told me.

Ever since my father promised me that, both Morgan and Nate had been with me. They were the sons of my father’s close. In the end, they became my constant companions. In fact, we grew up together as we filled each other’s lives with happiness and wishes.

Nate said that he would become a doctor.

The little boy said with eyes full of determination, making promise to me, “One day, I’ll be the one to perform surgery on you myself, Ariel. I’ll make sure you’re strong, healthy, and no longer have a congenital heart condition.”

Meanwhile, Morgan confidently vowed to follow in his family’s footsteps as a lawyer.

“I will be the lawyer so I can look after the business with you,” the little Morgan said, which gave me hope for the future.

For fifteen years, both Nate and Morgan would support me. I was also fortunate that my mother never forgot my birthdays and kept sending me gifts every year despite being very far from me. Despite what happened between her and my father, I still felt very connected to her.

As for my father, the man had been my unwavering support through it all. My father would cheer me on as I grew into a strong, spirited woman despite my fragile health. So, I knew that I couldn’t simply leave the house and studio where he had poured his life into.

Still, it was hard.

After I spent what seemed to be hours at the graveyard, I went to my father’s studio. My plan was to find someone trustworthy to manage it in my absence. I hoped I could find that person.

When I was thinking of my plan, I was lost in my thought until my phone buzzed, which woke me up from my train of thought. It turned out to be a message from Demi.

[Demi: If you feel guilty, you’d better bring some clean clothes to the hospital quickly.]

The moment I read her message, I felt angry. Why would I feel guilty? In fact, why would she expect me to feel guilty in the first place?

So, I quickly sent a short reply.

[Ariel: I’m busy.]

After that, I also noticed that Demi had just posted on social media. It was a photo of her with Nate and Morgan with a caption.

[So happy to have you guys. I don’t know what would have happened to me if there were no @Your_Morgan and @Nate_Than.]

Demi tagged both Nate and Morgan’s accounts, so she got lots of comments on her post. The commenters asked what happened to Demi, while some of them felt jealous because Demi was surrounded by two handsome men. Yet, it made me sick.

I immediately locked my phone and concentrated on finding someone who could look after my father's studio. Fortunately, I contacted a good friend of my father's. They had known each other for a long time, so I explained my idea and asked him to help me deal with my house and my father's studio. After hearing this, my father's friend readily agreed.

After thanking and saying goodbye to my father's old friend, I took a taxi home and booked a midnight flight.

When I walked to the front year, I noticed two familiar figures stepping out of a car. They were Morgan and Nate. I couldn’t help but freeze as I saw how they used the spare key to enter my house.

That key had been meant for emergencies, to protect me if something went wrong when I was home alone. But it was being used for Demi. Not me.

As soon as Nate saw me, he angrily looked at me.

The man angrily scolded me, “Ariel, how can you be so selfish? “Demi is in the hospital because of you! Yet, here you are, busy with your own business!”

Not long after that, Morgan followed. The man looked as angry as Nate. In fact, it seemed that he barely recognized me.

“If anything serious happens to Demi, you will be facing a lawsuit. Think about that, Ariel,” he warned.

Without waiting for my response, Morgan then entered my house with Nate. I couldn’t help but look at them in silence. The resentment I had been holding eventually snapped up as I tried to process what just happened.

It was clear that they didn’t care about my side of the story nor did they remember what day it was. All their attention was no longer for me. When I realized how far we had drifted, my heart felt heavy.

But I knew what I had to do. Soon enough, my gaze landed on a set of jewelry I used every day. It was the gift both Nate and Morgan had given me on my eighteenth birthday.

It was a beautiful set of jewelry. Actually, it was a rare design that was even unique and meaningful to me because I knew that they really checked every jewelry store in town to get this particular set of jewelry. Thus, I truly treasured it and wore it as often as I could to appease them.

Yet, they no longer valued me. Why would I keep it? They wouldn’t even bother at all, wouldn’t they?

As soon as I gazed that jewelry set, I put it inside the box on my dresser. I already made a decision to give it back to them. There was no use to keep it.

When I returned from my room, I could see that both Morgan and Nate were coming out of Demi’s room. I noticed that they packed a bag of clothes for her. However, it wasn’t my business anymore.

“Here,” I said coldly as I gave the box to Nate.

For a while, Nate just stared at the box because he recognized what seemed to be a rather familiar box. The man seemed to be confused at first. But he then became surprised when he saw what was inside.

“Isn’t this the set we gave you for your eighteenth birthday?” he asked with a softer voice mixed with shock.

“Yes, I thought it was time for me to give it back,” I told him as I met his gaze with something that I had never felt before, a numbing calmness.

As for Morgan, the man also took a step closer as he saw what was inside the box.

“Why would you give the jewelry back to us? We spent weeks to get this specific set jewelry just for you, Ariel,” he said with a hint of being hurt from his tone.

However, I was unphased.

I told them with a cold tone, “Well, its style doesn’t suit me anymore. But I know it costs you both a lot, so I appreciate your effort. That’s why I returned it. I thought you two might want to sell it or maybe put it in a museum. It’s up to you and no longer my business.”

When Nate heard what I just said, the man seemed to be taken aback.

“Ariel, you used to love this set,” Nate said in a rather insistent tone.

“Oh, really?” I retorted as I let out a half-hearted smile before him.

Before they spoke, I quickly talked, “Well,I might think that you two cared about me too, but I guess I’ve made a mistake, didn’t I?”

Morgan and Nate tightened both of their jaws when they heard my sarcastic remark. Yet, they said nothing of it. I did notice that they looked hurt with what I said, but I already made up my mind.

Frankly, it was just a waste to care about them. Since they no longer cared about me, why would I care about them? They chose to believe Demi over me.

Without further ado, I let go the box in my hand. I put the box on Nate’s palm quickly. After that, I went back to my room without saying anything.

It was already clear to me. Our friendship was gone. Although I wished to mend the broken bond between me, Nate, and Morgan, it seemed impossible. So, leaving Stanmore was the only way for me.

Although I would dearly missed them, I knew that I had to make my choice. That choice was leaving this place to be with my mother. She was the only one that I had left now.

That was it.

‘Goodbye, Nate. Goodbye Morgan,’ I bitterly said it to myself.

In the early hours of the morning, I dragged my suitcase to the airport.

A notification popped up, and I could not resist taking one last look.

The post was a carefully staged photo of Demi sitting in the middle, tongue out as if mocking me. Nate was pinching her cheek playfully, and Morgan was stroking her hair with a soft smile.

[In order to comfort me who was hurting, the twin brothers went on vacation with me. happy trip we are coming! As always, with @Your_Morgan and @Nate_Than who are kind, I love you guys so much.]

The caption, complete with heart emojis, was the perfect display of the game she had been playing all along.

She wanted everyone to know that Nate and Morgan were firmly by her side, leaving no room for me in the picture.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to distance myself for good.

I sent a message to Nate and Morgan.

I: [ Nate，Morgan, Everything between us turned to ashes, We shall never meet again.]

After the text message is sent, I opened my contacts, blocked all three of them, and deleted every trace of their messages.