Chapter 2

The moment I left the venue, I submitted my resignation letter through the company portal.

HR replied almost instantly.

"Are you sure about this, Chloe? Do you need to discuss this with Justin first?"

"No need. Don't tell him."

They didn't push further.

"Alright. It's late. Come to the office tomorrow morning to sign the exit papers."

After confirming, I went home to pack my things.

My phone buzzed.

In our four-person Snapchat group chat, which was literally named "Amber's Recovery Plan," Elisa tagged me.

"Chloe, did you throw another tantrum and leave?"

"Amber has been looking forward to this wedding with Justin for so long. We couldn't bear to let her down, so we planned a mock wedding for her."

"We were afraid you'd be upset, so we didn't tell you the truth."

Ethan chimed in, still acting like it was no big deal.

"Exactly. Amber lost her memory saving your life. Don't be so petty all the time."

Then came a short message from Justin.

"Be good. I'll give you a much bigger wedding next time."

Promises like that---I had heard them a thousand times.

When they took my pre-wedding trip, Justin said he'd take me somewhere even better next time.

When they took my house, Justin said he'd buy me a more expensive one next time.

I kept waiting and waiting, only to get a trail of broken promises.

This time, I was done waiting.

My fingers swiped across the screen, and I left the group chat.

I turned back to packing.

Under the pillow, I found a journal.

It was a love diary Justin had written for me.

The day Amber moved into our house, to keep her from getting suspicious, the three of them threw away all our couple photos and our customized anniversary decorations.

They erased every trace of my relationship with Justin.

Only this diary had been hidden away by me.

It had been my only comfort, helping me survive countless lonely nights.

But now, I didn't need it anymore.

I threw the diary straight into the trash.

I turned around.

Suddenly, I noticed the roses on the balcony had been replaced with sunflowers---Amber's favorite.

The once-cozy walls were now covered in her cute stickers.

Bit by bit, Amber had completely overwritten my life here.

I packed for half an hour, only to realize my belongings couldn't even fill half a suitcase.

I laughed dryly. Before I could zip the suitcase closed, the front door swung open.

The four of them walked in.

Amber was barefoot, piggybacking on Justin.

Elisa was carrying her shoes, and Ethan was holding up the train of her wedding dress.

The moment they saw me, their smiles froze.

Justin quickly set Amber down and tried to explain.

"Amber drank too much because she was happy. I had to carry her."

Amber looked up drunkenly, her voice dripping with irritation.

"Hey! Justin! I'm your wife now. Why are you so worried about what she thinks?"

She reached out to pinch his ear.

But she lost her balance and fell right back into his arms.

Justin let out a helpless chuckle.

"Okay, okay, you little drunkard. You're right, okay?"

Amber huffed and pointed a finger at me.

"Chloe, you've been living in my house for months. Now that Justin and I are married, it's not convenient. You should move out."

How hilarious.

This house was bought by Justin and me three years ago.

I chose every single piece of furniture myself.

Yet, after living here for only a few months, she claimed it as hers.

Seeing my expression harden, Elisa quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Amber, it's hard to find a place to rent right now. Chloe is great at cleaning. Just think of her as a live-in maid."

Ethan nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you newlyweds are going to be busy. It's perfect to have her around to do the chores, right, Chloe?"

Justin shot me a warning look.

He was telling me to keep my mouth shut.

Everyone looked at me, expecting me to force a smile and agree like I always did.

But this time, I just laughed.

"No need to go through all that trouble. I'm leaving right now."

I turned around, grabbed my suitcase, and walked toward the door.

The three of them were stunned.

Justin instinctively reached out to grab my arm.

Behind him, Amber suddenly gagged.

Justin panicked, letting go of me to rush her to the bathroom.

Elisa and Ethan scrambled to follow them.

One patted her back, one handed her tissues, and the other ran to make a hangover cure.

Once again, I was left standing there---the invisible fifth wheel.

I smiled bitterly.

Holding my suitcase, I walked out of the house without looking back.