For four years, I was in a secret relationship with Luke Collins.

Even his closest friends had no clue. But everything changed when his first love returned.

His friends started betting on when he'd break up with his girlfriend.

"Right now." I blurted out.

I knew because I was about to walk into an arranged marriage with someone else.

...

The night was quiet as I made a call to my uncle, Mike Wilson.

"I booked my flight for Wednesday afternoon," I said. "I'm skipping the graduation party."

Mike's voice boomed with approval. "That's great. You're finally coming around. You dated that guy for so long, but we never got to see him. It just would not work. If you had agreed to this sooner, you would probably have had kids by now."

My eyes prickled with unshed tears. I lowered my gaze and whispered, "Sorry."

His voice softened as he caught the tremor in mine. "Never mind. By the way, why don't you invite Luke? He's my old college buddy and your professor. You two can come together."

He paused, then added, "Oh, and I listed him as the contact for your marriage documents. You can share the news when you pick them up."

"He's not coming," I cut him off.

Before Mike could reply, a shadow blocked the balcony's cool breeze.

A low, magnetic voice boomed, sending a chill through me. "Not coming to what?"

Luke Collins had come out of the shower. Droplets slid from his damp hair and vanished into the folds of his robe. The fabric clung to his frame, outlining his toned body.

"It's just a party." I hurriedly ended the call, trying to avoid him and leave the balcony.

'Actually, it's my wedding,' I thought.

His hand shot out, pulling me gently against him. The familiar warmth seeped through my clothes, stirring an ache in my chest.

He chuckled, "Were you talking to Mike? Did you spill our secret?"

Luke was undeniably striking. At school, he was an iceberg, cold and untouchable. But in private, he was warm and almost clingy.

In the past, I'd have melted into his arms, blushing. Now I just stepped back, creating distance.

"Didn't you want to keep us hidden?" I muttered.

His eyes flickered as he caught the edge of my tone. Still, he pressed on with the question that always lingered. "You know we can't go public."

His breath grazed my ear, but I couldn't smile.

At school, I was his invisible girlfriend. To my family, I couldn't even mention his name.

"Don't worry," I said blandly. "I didn't tell him anything."

I knew my place. I was more of a substitute than a girlfriend to him.

Love swept me away at 20. I fell hard for Luke.

It began on a rainy night when he picked me up, a favor arranged through Mike. The spark ignited, quiet but undeniable.

Later, I found myself caring for a drunken Luke. Beer cans littered the floor, and he was a mess, with flushed cheeks and hazy eyes. That image was nothing like the distant professor everyone knew.

Exhausted, I collapsed on the couch and fell asleep. When I woke, something tickled my face. I opened my eyes to find Luke gazing at me.

But instead of looking away, he smiled at me. "Ada, let's be together."

After that, we began a secret relationship. Every summer and winter break, my parents begged me to go home, but I always made excuses to stay.

For his sake, I hadn't seen my family for four years.

Mike would call Luke, grumbling about my lovesick behavior, asking about my boyfriend, and telling Luke to watch over me.

He never knew I was with Luke.

During one of those calls, Luke stroked my back. His eyes glinted with mischief.

After the call, he joked, "Mike would never guess I'm the one stealing your heart."

But all his love for me collapsed the moment I heard about Amanda Snyder.

One night, Luke stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. I caught him as he nearly fell. He looked up and smiled bitterly, "Amanda, you're back. I'm so happy."

Confused but worried, I helped him to the couch and brewed a hangover remedy. As he sipped it, his hand slid to my waist, his voice low and rough. "Amanda, don't ever leave me."

I froze, realizing I hadn't heard it wrong. He was muttering another woman's name.

I asked around and finally learned the truth.

Luke, the campus legend, had only ever lost himself to Amanda, a bar singer. For her, he dropped out, spiraled into chaos, and became a shadow of himself.

His mother paid Amanda to leave, and Luke swore off love until he met me.

The reason? I looked like Amanda.

Four years of my devotion couldn't outshine their brief, fiery romance. That was when I decided to go back to my family, marry who they chose, and never see Luke again.

The next morning, Luke was gone, leaving only a text with an address.

I arrived at the restaurant, but he wasn't there yet. His friends greeted me warmly, knowing me as Mike's niece but not as Luke's girlfriend.

"Ada, come and sit." They waved me over. "Spill some dirt on Mike."

My stomach twisted as I feared they had started to suspect our relationship.

"You live with Luke," one said, leaning in. "You've met his girlfriend, right?"

I nodded, my mind racing. That was clearly probing.

"His first love's back in town," another said. "Let's make a bet on when he is going to dump his current girl."

The words hit me like a blow, but Josh Morgan didn't hold back. "I give it two weeks. He's been with her for four years, after all."

Another guy scoffed, "Four years, and he never introduced her to us? I say one week."

"Three days," another bet.

Josh turned to me. "What do you think?"

I squeezed my hands under the table, forcing myself to stay composed, but each bet chipped away at the fragile hope I'd clung to.

I managed a thin smile. "Right now."

Laughter erupted around the table. They thought I was joking, but Josh's gaze lingered, as if he sensed the weight behind my words.

"Ada..." Before he could say more, Luke hurried in.

His eyes locked on me immediately, and he asked, "What's so funny?"

Josh shrugged. "Amanda's back. We're betting on when you'll ditch your girlfriend to get back with her."

Luke clutched his jaw. "I told you guys not to mention her."

The room fell silent. Someone quickly changed the subject to ease the tension.

Luke slid into the seat beside me. Under the table, his fingers found mine, squeezing gently.

He leaned in and whispered, "She is history. You're the one I'm with now."

Just then, the door swung open.

His hand jerked and quickly withdrew. His face tensed as he looked at the newcomer.

Amanda Snyder walked in, a vision in a bold red coat. She was radiating confidence and allure. But with her arrival, a chill swept through the room.

She chuckled behind her hand. "Why the surprise? You know I'm the host of the party."

Her gaze shifted to me, and she extended a hand with a calculated smile. "You must be Ada. Luke talked about you. Thanks for taking care of him all this time."

I froze, then reached out my hand, but Luke pulled me back, sulking, "Drop the act."

Amanda's eyes dimmed, her confidence faltering for a moment.

Josh jumped in, trying to smooth things over. "Well, that's Luke. He talks like that, but everyone here knows how much he cares for you."

The others joined in, reminiscing about the two's passionate past.

Flustered, Luke turned to me. I looked away, unwilling to face him.

Luke lost his composure. "Stop talking nonsense. Just eat your food."

Everyone fell silent, except for Josh. He turned to Amanda and said, "Come on and have a seat. Luke's just grumpy. Give him a couple of days. He'll come running back."

Another laughed, "We were just betting on when he was going to dump his girlfriend."

"Shut up!" Luke roared. "I'm not breaking up with her!"

His words silenced the room and injured Amanda's pride. She sat down and turned to him, but he turned away.

Unwilling to give up, she placed a shrimp on his plate and said, "Have some of your favorite shrimp."

He glanced at me and pushed it away, a move that made her cringe. But she managed a faint smile. "Alright. I'll have it."

Unable to bear it anymore, he slapped her fork down. "Are you out of your mind? You're allergic to seafood."

His voice was loud, but his tone was tinged with concern. The shrimp hit the ground, the clatter echoing in my chest.

Amanda's eyes welled up. "If you remember my allergy, why can't you remember me?"

She fled the restaurant, tears streaming down her face.

Luke's jaw clenched. Then he chased after her, not sparing me a glance. In front of everyone else, he was always so composed. His anger and passion belonged only to Amanda.

The dinner dragged on. The others gossiped and bet on when Luke and Amanda would reunite.

Tired of it, I stepped outside and overheard Amanda on the phone.

"The money given by that idiot ran out fast," she snorted. "Marrying into the Collins family is my ultimate goal, the ticket to a good life. Luke's girlfriend? No threat. I saw them at dinner, and he denied her."

I trembled, and she paused at the sound.

Seeing it was me, she smirked, "You heard that, huh?"

I kept my voice steady. "People who betray love deserve to be struck by lightning."

"You're just his secret lover," she laughed. "You've got no right to talk about love. A hidden girlfriend? Nah, just my replacement."

Anger surged within me.

Before I could shoot back, her smile turned cruel. She shoved past me, knocking my shoulder hard. "Know your place."

Her footsteps faded, leaving me clutching my chest. The pain was unbearable.

Luke failed me, but Karma always came back around.

Once I calmed down, I went home.

Mike called. "Your fiancé got you an animal biology book with real specimens inside. Pretty cool, right? How are you going to thank me?"

"I'll reward you when I'm back for the marriage," I smiled, but my voice trailed off as I felt Luke's presence.

He had come back at some point without me noticing.

"Marriage? Who're you talking to?" he demanded.

I met his gaze. "It's Mike..."

Before I could finish, he frowned, tossing some papers into my hands. "I already talked to him."

I looked up. "What did you tell him?"

He paused. "Not much. Asked if he knew who my girlfriend was. Good thing he doesn't. Oh, and I forgot to ask about your party."

He didn't know these were my wedding documents. "It's probably no big deal. I won't go."

I smiled bitterly. Of course, he didn't care.

I opened the envelope, and a golden invitation peeked out.

Luke sensed my coldness and pulled me into his arms. His head rested on my shoulder as he explained, "I had to leave the dinner early for something. And yeah, I was a bit harsh. But you know I can't go public. It'd mess up my job at school."

His eyes landed on the invitation. "What's this, Addy?"