Benicio Montgomery was a trust-fund kid, so of course, his birthday bash was extravagant.

When the three of us arrived at the party, Benicio and Adalynn Watson quickly became the center of attention, swarmed by guests. Meanwhile, I was swept away by the crowd, unnoticed and unmissed. For the first time, I felt the glaring divide between our worlds.

I had known Benicio since middle school but only met Adalynn in high school. Her warm personality made us fast friends, and she often sought me out. Over time, her familiarity extended to Benicio as well. It was only then we realized that Adalynn lived in the same neighborhood as Benicio. They were neighbors. Even though they met later than I had with Benicio, it seemed fate had its way of bringing them together.

Looking through the throng, I watched Benicio and Adalynn being nudged closer by the crowd. As everyone teased them about being a perfect couple, Adalynn blushed while Benicio smirked. At that moment, I regretted tagging along; it felt like I was setting myself up for heartache. Without having brought a present, I slipped out of the ballroom.

Once home, I turned in early. But in the dead of night, I was awoken by a knock. Thinking it was my mom, I groggily opened the door, only to find Benicio standing there.

He looked serious. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"

I couldn't fathom the irritation in his voice. Did my presence really matter to him? Everyone was posting clips from his party in our class chat, and he didn't seem the least bit upset.

"And where's my birthday present?" he suddenly asked.

I remembered the gift I'd been working on for months and then thought of the video where Adalynn had given him a pricy scarf worth thousands. I felt a pang of embarrassment. It wasn't just that our gifts were different, but hers was lavish, while mine was a simple, amateurish scarf.

"I forgot. I didn’t have one ready," I said.

Benicio inhaled sharply. Just when he seemed about to say more, footsteps echoed in the hallway. I stepped back and shut the door.

Benicio seemed upset that I hadn't prepared a Thanksgiving gift for him and didn't speak to me for over a week. Perhaps he thought I would, as usual, swallow my pride and apologize first. But this time, I didn’t cave.

I took the initiative and asked the teacher to change my seat, moving away from the desk in front of his. Benicio's special status meant he was exempt from our monthly seat rotations, and as his close friend, I usually got to stay put too. But my sudden move left Benicio visibly annoyed. He pulled me into the stairwell, demanding an explanation.

I wanted to leave, but he pinned me against the wall. During the struggle, Adalynn appeared, coming up the stairs just in time to witness the scene. Even though nothing inappropriate was happening between Benicio and me, the look in Adalynn’s eyes made me feel like I’d been caught in some scandalous act, leaving me inexplicably guilty and embarrassed.

Later that day, Adalynn casually asked, "Do you like Benicio too?" The word "too" revealed so much.

"Lilian, you're my best friend. I hope Benicio doesn’t come between us. You understand that, right?" Despite her familiar tone, she felt like a stranger to me. Or maybe I never really knew her at all.

Just then, as footsteps approached, Adalynn deliberately missed a step and fell down the stairs right before my eyes. Luckily, Benicio appeared just in time to catch her.

She glanced at me and said, "It wasn't Lilian's fault. We had a minor disagreement, and I lost my footing." Her words seemed explanatory but felt more like a cover-up.

From several flights up, I caught Benicio’s gaze—cold and disillusioned. He didn’t believe me. My heart sank.

I turned to leave. Benicio, looking uncharacteristically grim, caught up with me quickly, blocking my path. "What’s wrong with you lately?"

"She said herself she lost her balance. What more do you want from me?" I asked.

"Apologize!" he insisted.

"..."

He gripped my wrist tightly, holding it so hard that it hurt.

"Will you apologize or not?" His eyes were piercing, as if I wouldn’t be allowed to leave if I didn't comply.

After a tense minute of silence, I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Benicio."

He frowned.

I spoke deliberately, "You are an absolute jerk."

His expression shifted to surprise. I shook off his hand and returned to the classroom. It was the boldest thing I had ever said to Benicio. It was also the last thing I said to him during our school years.

Soon after, my mom and I moved away. As I left his house, I hesitated for a long time but couldn’t bring myself to throw away that scarf. So, I sneaked back to school and stuffed it into Benicio’s desk.

I left a note with it:

"I think you're okay, so I'm giving this to you!"

I had no idea who would sit at that desk when the new term began. I didn’t know if what I left behind would be discarded as trash. I left my feelings for Benicio, along with that scarf, in the past.

After transferring to a new school, I erased Benicio Montgomery's contact information and changed my phone number. Determined to adjust to my new environment without letting it affect my studies, I buried myself in my books throughout senior year. The demanding workload left me little time to dwell on the past.

Five years slipped by in what felt like an instant. I never expected to see Benicio again, but there I was, delivering documents to a client, when a sudden storm left me stranded at a mountain hotel. It was in the hotel lobby that I unexpectedly ran into him.

Outside, the wind howled and the rain pounded, creating a nearly deafening roar. Yet in that moment, when our eyes met after five long years, my world fell silent. I recognized him immediately, and standing beside him was Adalynn Watson. Five years, and they were still together. Although I had imagined this possibility, seeing it with my own eyes caught me off guard.

I desperately hoped they wouldn't recognize me. I was drenched and disheveled, a stark contrast to their elegant Victorian-style attire, as they walked in surrounded by a group of friends who seemed to orbit them like satellites. They exuded an air of effortless sophistication.

From the conversation, it seemed they were there for a getaway. "What's up, Ben?" someone asked, puzzled by his lack of movement. Benicio continued to look at me, his cool gaze flickering as if he was holding back some intense emotion. Pretending not to know them, I tried to walk past.

Sensing his intent to approach me, I instinctively quickened my pace, but he still caught my wrist the next second. "Planning to leave without a word again?" His voice, slightly trembling and hoarse, asked accusingly. I attempted to pull away, but he held on tightly, refusing to let go.

"Let go!" I demanded, but just as he was about to say something, his companions caught up to us. "Ben, who are you talking to? Did you run into an old friend?" Their eyes landed on me as they noticed Benicio holding my hand. Diverse expressions flitted across their faces, with some casting sidelong glances at Adalynn.

Adalynn forced a smile. "Lilian, what brings you here? And why are you in such a state?" Her words feigned concern, yet her actions subtly drove a wedge between Benicio and me. With her question, everyone's attention shifted to me. They took in my soaked appearance and my outfit worth no more than a few hundred euros, their surprise evident.

Someone blurted, "Ben, you still know people like this?" Another, more blunt, remarked, "Is that purse a knockoff? I remember there’s only one like it worldwide, and my brother gave it to his girlfriend!" Though not ill-intentioned, the phrases "people like this" and "knockoff" stung.

The truth was, I didn’t chase after luxury brands or aspire to own replicas. This bag was a gift from my boss at the law firm, costing half a month's living expenses. He said I represented the firm's standards and couldn't look shabby when meeting clients. Unable to afford an authentic piece, he suggested I at least carry a decent-looking imitation.

However, on my first day using it, I ran into Benicio and his crowd, and they called me out on it. Shame burned my face, and I dared not meet Benicio's gaze, expecting that he would, as in the past, find me embarrassing.

"Ben, Adalynn, what’s your connection with her?" someone inquired. Benicio watched me, hesitating momentarily. "She’s my..." Seeing his discomfort, I interjected, "High school classmate, not very close."

His face darkened instantly at my words. "Lilian..." "Lilian, since we ran into each other, why not join us?" Adalynn suddenly offered an overly friendly invitation. Her grip on my hand felt affectionate, but I caught the fleeting disdain in her eyes.

In the past, I was too naive to notice such surface-level details. However, after being toughened by my boss at the firm, I could now see Adalynn for what she was—a two-faced person. We used to be cordial, likely because of my association with Benicio. Now that I no longer held value to her, why was she putting on this act?