A year after Easton Carter turns down my 99th proposal, he calls me in the middle of the night, crying like his world's falling apart.

He says his grandmother is dying and her last wish is to see him married.

He tells me he's finally ready. He's already ordered the dress and booked the venue.

But when I show up at the venue in my wedding dress, his friends burst out laughing.

"You actually believed that? And you even swapped the cheap dress he ordered for a custom-made one? You're the queen of pathetic!"

Then one of them yells, "Look, the groom's side piece showed up to crash the wedding!"

"Security, come get this homewrecker!"

Guests turn to stare like they're watching a joke unfold.

Easton doesn't even look at me. He turns to the woman he loves and says, "I told you I'd ruin this wedding for you. I meant it. If you can't have him, no one will!"

She gives him a satisfactory smile.

Then, he finally glances at me.

"Tina said you did her a favor today. When we get married, you can be the bridesmaid, and you can still spend time with us after that."

So, he brought me here just to help his sweetheart ruin her crush's wedding.

But when Easton finally looks up at the wedding banner and realizes that I'm the bride, his eyes flare with rage.

Security grabbed my shoulder, and only then did the realization finally hit me.

This was another cruel joke.

Easton Carter quickly pushed the guards away, forcing a smile and saying to the guests, "Sorry, everyone. Big misunderstanding! She's my friend. Just a little prank today."

After the security guards left while grumbling, Easton smoothed the wrinkles on my dress as if he were concerned.

"Wanda, are you okay?"

His friends burst out laughing.

"You really nailed it, Easton! One phone call and she came running!"

"No kidding. This dress looks expensive. Didn't you say you got her a 99-dollar dress online?"

"She really is a lovesick fool. She paid for her own wedding dress! She must be desperate to marry you!"

The spotlight in the banquet hall lit up my face. The murmuring among the guests grew louder, each word worse than the last.

I felt my heart sink lower and lower.

Easton raised his hand and pretended to scold his friends, "Wanda did me a huge favor today. Show her some respect!"

Then, he turned to me with a gentle smile. "Thank you for helping."

For a moment, I thought maybe he finally felt a shred of guilt. But then, he rubbed his hands together and said with excitement, "Tina really appreciated what you did for her. When we get married, you'll be our bridesmaid!"

Then, he leaned in close and whispered, "She even said she wouldn't mind if you continued hanging around me. Not a wasted trip today, right?"

His friends laughed again.

"Easton, don't get too close to her or she'll think you're into her again!"

"She came running to marry you the second you asked. How many times has she been duped now? She must really love you."

So, they all knew I had proposed to Easton 99 times.

And each time, he never gave me a decision. He just smiled and told me not to be silly.

In the past, I would've run off crying.

But now, I just rubbed my sore shoulder and faced his friends with a slight smile.

"Well, since I'm already here, aren't you guys going to give me a wedding gift?"

Tina Jones, who had been standing off to the side enjoying the show, looked shocked at my words.

"Wanda, you're not actually treating this like your wedding, are you? Easton, this is getting out of hand. Did we go too far?"

Tina was the woman Easton loved the most.

He had made fun of me countless times for her sake, and yet she always treated him as a backup.

She had gone through boyfriend after boyfriend, and every time she broke up, she ran back to cry in Easton's arms.

Easton gently flicked her nose and said, "Babe, don't worry. She's just overwhelmed because I had rejected her so many times in the past."

Then, he glanced sideways at me, his face full of disdain. Even though it lasted just a second, my heart ached like it had been stabbed.

He thought I had been tricked.

But when he called me last night, I had actually been at the hospital visiting his grandmother, Mary. She had been in great spirits, happily sharing some pretzels with me and chatting away.

Easton's voice had trembled with fake emotion during the call.

"Wanda, would you still marry me?"

My heart skipped a beat.

Then came the line, "Grandma... She doesn't have much time left..."

I stared at the healthy, lively old woman in front of me. My blood slowly went cold.

If I hadn't seen her with my own eyes, I might've actually believed him.

I might've thought he saw the electronic wedding invitation I posted online and finally realized his mistake.

I simply answered, "Okay."

After hanging up, someone sent me a screenshot from Easton's group chat with his friends.

He had shared my wedding invitation with them.

"Look at this! Wanda is trying to force me into marriage now!"

One of his friends replied immediately, "She didn't even put a photo in the invitation. If she's going to fake it, she could've at least done it properly."

"Maybe she panicked because Tina went looking for Easton."

Easton sent a smug emoji and said, "I just called and asked her to marry me tomorrow."

Another friend said, "Bet she cried from joy. She said yes in a second, right?"

Easton replied, "You guys better show up. Just head to the address on her invitation. I got her a wedding dress that cost 99 dollars. If it weren't for Tina, I wouldn't have spent even that much on her."

Another friend joked, "Hey Easton, maybe you should just keep both of them!"

Easton replied, "Gross! She's not even good enough to stand next to Tina. If Tina hadn't begged me, I wouldn't let her anywhere near me again!"

I thought I was past the point of being hurt by his words.

But everything blurred in front of me, and the tears still fell.

I loved him for over ten years, but just one request from Tina was enough for him to throw me away.

Easton and I had grown up in the same compound.

Our fathers had been coworkers. During a routine inspection down in a mine shaft, a sudden collapse occurred.

His father had saved my father, but never made it out himself.

Easton was only ten then. His mother couldn't handle the pressure of life and disappeared one day without a word.

Thus, only he and his grandmother were left.

Out of guilt, I did everything I could to be good to him. Falling in love with him seemed only natural.

But he had fallen for a pretty transfer student named Tina.

When I got in his way, he changed my college application to some school way out of town.

When Tina needed research data, he called me in the middle of the night to help.

Over the years, I kept chasing after him, giving him everything I had.

But now, 15 years had passed since the fateful accident.

I had repaid my debt. Now, it was time to let go.

Tina suddenly grabbed my hand. "Wanda, this diamond ring is huge!"

Easton glanced at it and scoffed. "She probably bought it off some bargain app. Synthetic diamonds are dirt cheap these days."

One of his friends, Tony Spencer, chimed in, grinning widely. "Exactly, Wanda, don't be so vain. If you're so desperate to get married and Easton's out of your league, I might as well do you a favor!"

As he reached out with his yellowed teeth flashing, trying to touch my hand, I slapped him away hard. "Get lost!"

His face twisted in anger. He spat at the floor and cursed. "You think you're so special? I was just being nice, but clearly, you don't deserve it! You really think I would want you?"

Seeing this, Easton flared up. "Wanda, do you think I've been too soft with you? How dare you talk to my friend like that?"

Watching his face flush with rage, I felt my heart turn colder.

No matter what I gave to him, in his eyes, I would never matter more than Tina. Even his useless friends could humiliate me as they pleased.

Tina blushed and gently tugged on Easton's sleeve. "Easton, don't be so harsh. She's here to help, after all."

Then, she turned to me with that familiar sweetness, smiling with fake concern. "Wanda, thank you so much for today. Renting that wedding dress must've cost a lot. It looks like a designer piece. You must've really gone all out!"

Easton wrapped his arms around her and said softly, "You're too kind, Tina. She definitely rented it."

Then, he smirked and directed a jab at me, "This is the most luxurious hotel in the city. I only booked it for an hour. How could someone like her possibly land such a rich husband who can afford the whole venue?"

Tina pouted and snuggled into his chest like a delicate flower. "Easton, don't say that about Wanda. She's been so devoted to you."

But I had seen through her long ago. That sweet act was only for show. Behind the scenes, she smoked, drank, and partied like a pro.

Easton, blinded by her act, had even paid for her abortion.

When I once tried to warn him, he turned on me with fury.

"Wanda, I can't believe you'd say something like that. Tina just had her appendix removed! How can you accuse her of having an abortion? Say that again, and I'll slap you!"

After that, I never said another word.

Now, Tina raised her head in Easton's arms, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction and just a touch of pity. She sighed, pretending to be heartbroken.

"Wanda, as your friend, it honestly hurts to see you like this. You've been chasing Easton for years, but he's always said it made him uncomfortable. I know you love him, but forcing it only made things worse. He's never seen you as more than a friend."

Tony jumped in. "Exactly! Wanda's got no curves front or back. She's basically just another dude. No way she compares to Tina's hot body!"

He was still grinning lewdly when Easton suddenly punched him.

"Tina's not someone you can fantasize about! Watch your damn mouth!"

Tony clutched his swelling cheek, glaring at me spitefully.

And then, I understood. No matter how much I was mocked or humiliated, Easton would just laugh along with them. But the moment someone made a crude joke about Tina, he snapped.

Tina quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, let's not fight over this. Just let it go for my sake."

She reached out to tug at the diamond ring on my finger. "Wanda, you'd better return that dress and ring. You might get a little refund if you're quick!"

Her voice was sweet, but her hands were rough and unkind.

"I'll cover the return shipping. Stop pretending you're rich just because you're wearing these."

That gentle image she worked so hard to maintain was built entirely on this kind of manipulative behavior.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and looked her straight in the eye. "This isn't rented. My husband bought me both the dress and the ring."

Easton burst out laughing. "You're unbelievable, Wanda. You should write fiction. I'd actually marry you if that were true!"

His friends joined in, raising their voices on purpose.

"Yeah, didn't you say today was your wedding day?"

"So where's the groom? There are dozens of tables waiting. Don't mess around now!"

Tony, whom I'd just slapped, shouted even louder, his face red with anger. "Yeah, call the groom out! Everyone's dying to witness this so-called love story!"

Guests stood up one by one, their stares like knives.

Just then, the emcee's clear voice rang out from the stage. "And now, let's welcome the bride and groom!"

Tina's eyes lit up with glee. She stepped forward with fake concern. "Wanda, come on, just admit it. I'm really afraid this will blow up!"

But I waved her off and said coldly, "Step aside. I'm going on stage."

She stumbled back, losing her balance, and crashed into a display board near the entrance.

She scrambled to pick it back up. When she finally saw what was written on it clearly, she froze.

After a long pause, she slowly lifted her head and looked at me, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Wanda, why is there a photo of you and Gavin Hackett on this board?"