Ethan and I had been together for ten years, and arguments were an everyday occurrence.

We were both stubborn, neither willing to back down first.

But today was different—him slamming the door and leaving me all alone was a first.

No, not a first.

I remembered another time.

Back in high school, the class held a farewell dinner.

By then, Ethan and I were officially together, at our clingiest stage.

One of the boys had drunk too much and joked that a quiet girl like Rose would never get married.

The words had barely left his mouth before Ethan’s face darkened instantly.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it, assuming he was just upset that the boy had spoken without tact and grabbed his hand to calm him down.

But he yanked his hand away from me and walked off without a word.

I was left standing there, facing a table of bewildered classmates, utterly embarrassed.

That night, his mother said he never came home. His phone was off the whole time.

It wasn’t until the next day that I found him at an internet café.

He only said he was in a bad mood and, in a casual tone, apologized for leaving me behind the night before.

I believed him.

Looking back now, it was laughable.

Inside the time capsule that Rose buried was a diary.

One page recorded that very gathering:

“Today, Victor Grant teased me again, saying no one would ever want to marry me.

It hurt, but I’m used to it.

I never imagined he’d get angry because of me—that he would shake off Autumn and run after me just to comfort me.

He stayed with me on the rooftop the whole night, telling me I was a good girl, that they simply didn’t know how to appreciate me.

In that moment, it felt like the whole world lit up.

Autumn, I’m sorry. I never meant to take him from you, even if it was just for one night.”

So he wasn’t in a bad mood that night—he’d gone to comfort another girl.

While I spent the night sick with worry for him, he was on the rooftop lighting up another girl’s world.

There was also a photo in the box—a group shot from our graduation trip.

Ethan and I stood in the middle, smiling brightly.

Standing in the far corner of the photo was Rose, her gaze fixed on Ethan, eyes filled with quiet longing and sorrow.

On the back of the photo, Ethan had written:

“May you always smile like sunshine.”

He had written the same line in my yearbook on graduation day.

There was also a bracelet—identical to the one on my wrist.

He once said he had searched several stores to find this “couple’s design.”

Turns out it wasn’t for a couple. It was for three.

Ten years, Ethan.

My youth, my first love, all my dreams for the future—

all of it, was nothing but a dream.

From the very beginning, I was never the only one.

I was merely the one you kept in plain sight.

The pain crushed the air out of my lungs.

I curled up on the couch, drained of every last bit of strength.

My phone lit up. Joe Jordan had sent a message — he was Ethan’s roommate back in high school, and they were still on good terms.

I opened it. A photo. The background was a private booth in a bar.

Ethan was slumped in the middle of the booth, holding a bottle of alcohol, his eyes glassy and unfocused, clearly drunk.

Next to him, gently wiping his face with a towel, was a woman. Who else could it be but Rose?

Joe’s messages came in one after another:

“Autumn, I know your wedding is the day after tomorrow, but I really can’t keep this to myself anymore.

“Ethan called all of us out tonight, said he argued with you and wasn’t in a great mood.

“But the moment we got here, he called Rose.

“Those two… they’ve always been like this, all these years.

“We’ve all seen it, but none of us dared to tell you.

“The address is Room 302 at NightSun Bar. I think you should see it for yourself.”

I stared at the photo.

Rose was looking at Ethan with a mix of worry and unmistakable affection.

And Ethan… he wasn’t resisting her at all.

I took a deep breath and rose from the sofa, grabbing my car keys.

Following the address Joe had sent, I found my way to Room 302 at the NightSun Bar.

The door was slightly ajar, and familiar laughter floated out from inside.

I stopped in my tracks, hesitating instead of pushing the door open.

“Ethan, don’t be mad. Autumn’s just got a bit of that spoiled-rich-girl temper. A little coaxing and she’ll be fine. You're getting married in two days anyway,” a man spoke up, trying to smooth things over.

Another voice chimed in right away.

“Exactly, what’s there to fuss over with Autumn’s little spoiled-girl temper?”

“If you ask me, Rose is so much better—gentle, thoughtful, never makes Ethan angry.”

“Right? If it weren’t for back then…”

“Ah, never mind. Ethan, you’re marrying Autumn, and we all feel it’s a pity for Rose.”

“A pity for what? Just look at who Ethan really cares about. He and Autumn are about to get married, but when they argue, the first person he thinks of is still Rose.”

Laughter erupted in the room.

I leaned against the wall, feeling my blood almost freeze.

These voices—I recognized every single one.

Ethan’s closest friends. Friends I had known for ten years.

I had even delivered their wedding invitations myself.

And in their eyes, I was nothing but a spoiled, high-maintenance girl, while Rose was the considerate first love.

And Ethan?

I pressed my eyes against the crack of the door.

Their gestures were so intimate, like a couple madly in love.

He didn’t deny anything. He didn’t say a word for me.

He just sat there, letting their teasing roll off him, while basking in Rose’s tenderness.

At that moment, I finally understood why, for ten years, I had always felt like an outsider in his circle.

Because in that group, I was the one who didn’t belong.

And Rose, she was the one they all naturally treated as Ethan's true love.

I didn’t have the courage to push the door open.

I recorded a short video through the crack and turned to leave.

Just as I rounded the hallway corner, I ran right into Joe.

He glanced at my red eyes, sighed softly, and handed me a tissue.

“You saw everything?”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Joe rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I just feel it’s unfair to you. Ethan, he… Forget it. Just don’t take it too hard.”

I forced a smile. “I’m fine. Really.”

How could I be fine?

Ten years of love, shattered in an instant.

The man I loved deeply had been deceiving me for a decade.

The friends I trusted were laughing at my foolishness behind my back.

Ethan didn’t come home all night.

The next morning, a new contact appeared on my phone—an unfamiliar number.

I tapped the profile picture—it was Rose, her gentle, harmless face staring back at me.

We barely knew each other. Other than knowing she was Ethan’s female confidante, we had no connection.

I had no idea how she got my number, yet for some inexplicable reason, I didn’t block it.

Almost the moment I opened the chat, she sent a photo—without a single word.

It was taken in a hotel room.

Ethan lay on the bed shirtless, fast asleep.

Rose wore his white shirt, nestled against him, and flashed a V sign at the camera.

Her smile was both triumphant and teasing.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, daylight poured in.

Time, place, and people—it was all painfully obvious.

Looking at the photo, my heart froze and shattered into countless pieces.

Yesterday he was at the bar; this morning, he was already in the hotel.

Seamless.

I turned off my phone, expressionless, and walked into the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of ice water and drank it in one gulp.

The cold liquid slid down my throat, but it couldn’t extinguish the fire in my chest.

At 10 a.m., Ethan returned.

He still carried a faint smell of alcohol and some unfamiliar perfume.

Seeing me sitting in the living room, he froze for a moment, then plastered on a conciliatory smile.

“Autie, you’re still mad?”

I stared at him quietly, deciding to give him one last chance.

“Ethan, where were you last night? What did you do?”

His eyes flickered, avoiding mine, and he reached out to grab my hand.

“I drank too much last night. I slept at Joe’s place.

“Autie, can we not fight?

“The wedding’s tomorrow. Don’t let a little thing ruin our mood.”

He was still lying.

I gave up completely, yanked my hand free, and stood up.

“Ethan, I’m tired. Handle the wedding yourself.”

I went back to my room and locked the door.

He knocked, confused and impatient, but I ignored him.

I took out my phone, found Rose in my contacts, and sent her a message:

“3 p.m., Corner Café downtown. We need to meet.”

She replied immediately: “Okay.”

At 3 p.m., Rose arrived right on time.

She saw me and gave a sheepish smile.

“Autumn, I’m really sorry. Ethan got drunk last night and insisted on talking to me. I spent the whole night taking care of him.”

Her words sounded apologetic, but her eyes betrayed pride.

“Is that so?”

I stirred my coffee slowly, my tone calm.

“Well, that must have been quite the effort.”

She seemed taken aback by my calmness, froze for a moment, then spoke again:

“Autumn, don’t get me wrong. Ethan and I are just friends.

“I know you’re getting married, and I sincerely wish you both well.

It’s just… Ethan has some burdens he can only share with me. He said his biggest regret is…”

“…that he can’t give you a wedding, right?”

I finished for her.

Rose’s expression changed instantly.

I looked at her and smiled. “The time capsules you two buried together—I dug them up.”

She stopped pretending.

“If you know everything, why are you still holding onto him?

“Autumn, the one Ethan has loved all along… has always been me.”

I set down my coffee and met her gaze directly.

“If that’s the case, I’ll let you have him.”

Rose’s eyes widened in shock, utterly incredulous.

“You… what did you just say?”

“I said, tomorrow’s wedding—be the bride.”