Chapter 3

The bottle actually exploded against Austin’s back. He had thrown himself over Brooke without a second thought.

My eyes burned with unshed tears. He didn't care about my pain at all; he just glared at me with pure rage.

"Chloe! Can you stop acting like a spoiled brat?"

"I brought you out to hang with my friends, and you can't even take a joke? You're such a buzzkill."

"If we weren't already legally married, I would’ve called the cops on you! You seriously need to be locked up for a few days to clear your head."

Brooke stood up like a victorious queen.

"Come on, Austin. Let's go. I don't want to hang out with dramatic little girls anyway. It's exhausting."

Austin gave me a cold glare and walked away with her.

The ocean breeze was freezing, but my heart was colder.

The rest of the guys exchanged awkward glances, quickly made excuses, and left one by one.

I was left sitting alone on the dark sand, staring at the endless horizon.

For four years, I honestly thought Austin was the perfect partner.

He remembered every anniversary. He hand-made gifts.

Every Friday, a bouquet of flowers was delivered to my office, making my coworkers green with envy.

If I casually mentioned a restaurant, he would drive me there the very next day.

Our parents had met and approved. We had already signed the marriage license, and our big wedding ceremony was scheduled for next month.

But all of his sweetness evaporated the moment Brooke was involved.

When Brooke returned to the country, he lied to me to pick her up at the airport in the middle of the night.

The lunches he packed for me? He packed one for her too, and hers was always noticeably nicer.

On a rainy day, he told me he was too busy to pick me up. But as I walked home soaking wet, I saw him walking into an arcade with his arm draped over Brooke’s shoulder.

Every time I got upset, he would dismiss it with the same line: "I literally view her as a dude. How could I ever be into her?"

"We're just bros. Stop being so toxic."

Since they claimed to be such great bros, I couldn't wait to see how much closer they’d get once Brooke actually became a man.

I let out a soft laugh. Suddenly, a roll of bandage appeared in front of my eyes.

"Your hand is bleeding. Let me wrap it for you."

I looked down and realized my right hand had been cut by the broken glass. Blood was dripping onto the sand.

When I didn't move, Ethan knelt down, gently took my hand, and began wrapping the bandage around it.

I thanked him. He didn't leave. He just sat beside me, cracking open a beer.

We sat there in silence all night, until the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen broke over the horizon.

I took a picture and posted it on my Snapchat Story with the caption: "A fresh start."

When we got back to the hotel, we ran into Austin. He looked disheveled, stepping out of Brooke's room.

Seeing me, his face fell. He opened his mouth to explain, but Brooke popped out from behind him.

Only one day had passed, but just as the System had promised, Brooke was already changing.

The peach fuzz on her upper lip had darkened significantly, and her body hair looked much thicker.

Yet, she seemed completely oblivious. She wrapped her arms around Austin’s. "Hey Chloe, Austin was such a beast in bed last night. You're a lucky girl."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Austin pushed her hand away and rushed to my side.

"Chloe, don't misunderstand. We just played video games all night."

I looked down and noticed him nervously scratching his thigh—a nervous tick he always did when he was lying.