Chapter 2

The next afternoon was our scheduled wedding dress fitting.

Ethan showed up on time at the luxury bridal boutique, and to absolutely no one's surprise, Chloe was standing right next to him.

Chloe was wearing a chic Chanel-style tweed set, her makeup flawless. She showed absolutely no signs of the "water pipe trauma" from last night.

"Freya, thank God Ethan came over last night, or my apartment would have been a swimming pool. I came today to help you pick your wedding gown to make it up to you!"

Chloe reached out to grab my arm affectionately, but I took a step back, dodging her touch smoothly.

She didn't even look embarrassed. Instead, her eyes started wandering over the expensive custom gowns in the boutique.

The designer walked over with a warm smile, bringing down the custom gown I had ordered six months ago.

"Miss Miller, your wedding gown is ready for the final waist adjustments. You can try it on in the fitting room first."

Just as I was about to take the gown, Chloe let out an exaggerated gasp.

"Oh my gosh! This velvet cape is absolutely gorgeous!"

She pointed to a dark emerald velvet cape on a nearby mannequin, embroidered with intricate gold threads. It was breathtakingly luxurious.

"That's Miss Miller's custom-ordered cape. The gold embroidery is entirely hand-stitched. It took our artisans three months to finish," the designer introduced proudly.

Chloe bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with envy and a sudden, forced sadness.

"It’s so beautiful... I guess girls like me will never get to wear something this perfect in our entire lives."

Seeing this, Ethan immediately turned to me and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"Freya, that cape looks pretty loose anyway. Since Chloe loves it so much, why don't you let her try it on first? You two are about the same size."

The designer’s smile froze, and she looked at me awkwardly.

I stopped in my tracks and stared coldly at Ethan.

"This is my custom couture. I don't share things that touch my skin."

Ethan’s brows furrowed instantly, clearly feeling like I had embarrassed him in front of others.

"It's just trying it on, it's not going to ruin it. Since when did you become so petty? Chloe just wants to see how it looks. Can't you just do this small favor for your best friend?"

Chloe quickly waved her hands, her eyes turning red as she played the victim.

"It's fine, Ethan. Freya doesn't like people touching her things. I won't try it. I don't want to make her mad."

The more she played the victim, the more Ethan thought I was being unreasonable.

He walked right past me and ordered the designer, "Take that cape down and let her try it on."

The designer had no choice but to carefully remove the cape and drape it over Chloe’s shoulders.

Chloe walked to the full-length mirror, turning left and right. Her eyes were filled with the smug satisfaction of winning.

Ethan stood behind her, watching her reflection. His gaze was deep, and his throat bobbed slightly. He had completely forgotten that today was supposed to be his fiancée's fitting day.

Right then, Chloe reached out to touch the gold embroidery on the cape.

"Oh!"

With a sharp gasp, there was a sickening rip.

The massive, cluster-diamond ring on Chloe’s ring finger had snagged hard on the gold threads of the cape. She had pulled too quickly, ripping a long tear right through the custom embroidery. The expensive velvet fabric was ruined.

"Oh my goodness!" The designer gasped in horror.

Ethan's first reaction wasn't to look at the six-figure custom cape. Instead, he grabbed Chloe’s hand frantically.

"Did you hurt your hand? Did the ring scratch your finger?"

Chloe shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she looked at me in terror.

"Freya, I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to. I didn't know my ring would snag... How much is the cape? I'll pay you back!"

Ethan immediately shielded her behind his back, like a knight protecting his princess.

"Pay for what? It's just a piece of clothing. Freya won't hold this against you."

He turned to me, his tone commanding and dismissive.

"Since this one is ruined, just throw it away. Go pick a more expensive one, and I'll pay for it."

With that, he pulled out his phone and Venmoed me fifteen thousand dollars.

The notification chimed loudly in the quiet boutique, sounding incredibly mocking.

I looked down at the transaction on my screen, finding the whole situation absolutely ridiculous. Three months of artisan handwork, my months of excitement... to him, it was just trash that could be replaced with a quick Venmo transfer.

"No need. This one is fine."

Without even entering the fitting room, I turned around and walked out the door.

"Freya! What kind of tantrum are you throwing now? I said I'd buy you a new one! When are you going to stop being so dramatic?" Ethan yelled from behind.

I ignored him, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Standing in the cold autumn wind, I pulled out my phone and called my sales rep at the Porsche dealership.

"Hey Marcus, that Macan I ordered... if I transfer the lease to someone else right now, can we close the deal today? Yes, original price. I'll pay the transfer fees. Just make it quick."

I hung up and glanced back at the boutique's glass window.

Ethan was holding a tissue, gently wiping away Chloe’s tears.

I let out a cold laugh, hailed a cab, and drove away.