The Game Was Rigged, So I Cancelled Our Wedding

After we got engaged, the six of us planned one last trip before the wedding. That night, my best friend Chloe suggested we play a game: "24-Hour Partner Swap." The rules were simple. Whoever drew matching cards would have to act like a couple for the entire day. But the person who drew the blank card? They had to be the designated photographer and luggage carrier for everyone else. In the first round, I drew the blank card. My fiancé, Ethan, and Chloe both drew the "Moon." They held hands as they watched the sunrise. I walked behind them, carrying three heavy backpacks. In the second round, I got the blank card again. They drew the "Rose." Their penalty was to hug each other for a full minute. Everyone cheered and hyped them up. I stood off to the side, timing them with my phone. The third round, the fourth round... Seven rounds in a row. I was always the leftover one. Chloe leaned into Ethan’s chest, smiling as she "comforted" me. "We’re just playing a game, Hazel. You’re not actually jealous, are you?" Ethan ran a hand through her hair, looking at me. "Don’t worry about her. She’s always been a sore loser." On the last night, they drew matching "Wedding" cards. The rule was that they had to hold a mock wedding ceremony. Chloe slipped into the simple white wedding dress I had brought for my pre-wedding photoshoot. Ethan slid my engagement ring off my finger and slipped it onto Chloe’s ring finger. All our friends crowded around them, chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" The next second, Ethan actually leaned down and kissed her on the lips. While everyone was celebrating, I quietly walked over and opened the custom card deck box. The compartment meant for me was filled entirely with blank cards. But Ethan and Chloe’s compartments? They were packed with identical Moons, Roses, and Wedding cards. It turned out my bad luck wasn't luck at all. This entire game had been rigged for the two of them from the very start. I smiled faintly. Then, I pulled out my phone and deleted all the digital wedding invitations I had spent months preparing. Since there was never room for me in a six-person trip. Then for the rest of my life, I didn't need to save a seat for them either. *** Chapter 1 Right when I deleted the invitations, a loud cheer erupted behind me. Ethan ended the kiss and released his grip on Chloe’s waist. Chloe’s cheeks were flushed, but her hands were still resting on his shoulders. Tyler shouted, still wanting more drama, "One more time!" Ethan laughed and flipped him off. "Get lost." But he didn't push Chloe away. It wasn't until Chloe noticed me standing there that she seemed to suddenly remember. She looked down, touching the ring on her finger. "Hazel, the ring is stuck. I can't get it off." She waved her hand at me, her voice dripping with innocence. "Can I just wear it for tonight? Is that okay?" That engagement ring was a custom piece Ethan had given me on my birthday. He told me it was tailored specifically to my ring finger. But right now, it fit Chloe perfectly. I didn't call her out. I just nodded. "Sure." Ethan looked at me, seemingly surprised that I had agreed so easily. He frowned. "Hazel, don’t look so miserable." "Everyone came on this trip to celebrate with us. Don't ruin the mood over a silly game." I looked at him. "I’m not ruining the mood." "Then smile." Tyler was already holding up his phone. "Come on, temporary bride and groom, look at the camera!" The others quickly crowded around Ethan and Chloe. The five of them stood in a perfect line. Tyler handed the phone to me. "Hazel, you take the best photos. Take a bunch for us." I took the phone. They stood incredibly close, with Ethan right in the center. Chloe wore my wedding dress, holding his arm. The other three surrounded them. It looked like a real wedding photo. "Hazel," Ethan called out, his voice laced with impatience. "What are you staring at?" I snapped out of it and pressed the shutter. One, two, more than a dozen photos. Not a single one had me in it. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was already 2:00 AM. I had booked three double suites. The other four stayed in two suites, while Ethan and I were supposed to share one. But when we got the room keys, Liam suddenly announced with a grin, "The partner swap still has twelve hours left." "According to the rules, Ethan has to stay with Chloe tonight." My hand froze on the keycard. "Staying in the same room is a rule too?" Chloe explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It’s just sharing a room, Hazel. The suite has two beds." "It’s not like anything is going to happen." Ethan’s face darkened too. "With everyone watching, what are you so worried about?" I looked at him. "Then where do I sleep?" They exchanged looks. Tyler pointed down the hallway. "Ethan and Chloe’s suite is a family suite." "There's a pull-out couch in the living room. Can’t you just sleep there?" So, they wanted me to sleep right outside the room of my fiancé and my best friend. Listening to them close the door, Waiting for their twenty-four-hour game to end. Suddenly, the whole thing felt incredibly absurd. "I’ll book another room." Liam immediately stopped me. "Don't do that." "Rooms here are hundreds of dollars a night. Why waste that money?" "Besides, we all grew up together. We all know each other." *** Chapter 2 I didn’t actually grow up with them. The five of them had been best friends since high school. I only met Ethan in college, and he brought me into their circle. For the first few years, I tried so hard to fit in. When they talked about the time they snuck out of school, I didn't get the jokes, but I laughed along anyway. They had inside nicknames only they understood, and I would secretly write them down in my notes app so I wouldn't forget. I remembered everyone’s birthdays, allergies, and habits. When they had dinners, I was always the first to arrive. When we traveled, I was the one booking the cars, the hotels, and making the itineraries. But no matter how much I did, Whenever they brought up the past, they always said the same thing: "You didn't know us back then, Hazel. You wouldn't understand." Eventually, "You wouldn't understand" turned into "No need to tell her." They would change restaurant reservations last minute without letting me know. They all changed their group profile pictures, but no one sent it to me. Even for this trip, I only found out about it through Ethan and Chloe's Snapchat chat history. They had been planning it for six months. When I asked why no one told me, Ethan just laughed and patted my head. "Weren't we just waiting for you to handle the logistics?" So, the flights, the hotels, the itinerary—I handled all of it. I even paid for everything upfront. In the end, the five of them came to enjoy the vacation. While I handled the labor. And now, even my own room Had to be given up. I let go of the keycard. "You guys take it. I’ll go down to the lobby." I didn't argue anymore. The next morning, when I woke up, the living room was empty. There was a photo in the Snapchat group of the five of them having breakfast. Five plates were set on the table. Chloe sent a message: [Hazel, we didn't want to wake you up, so we came down first.] [Grab some food when you wake up!] After getting ready, I went down to the restaurant, only for the waiter to tell me that breakfast service had just ended. Right then, Ethan called. "Where are you?" "The restaurant." "Why are you still at the restaurant?" His voice was impatient. "We’ve been waiting at the dock for twenty minutes." I checked the Snapchat group. No one had told me what time we were leaving. "You guys didn't call me." "Didn't Chloe message you?" "She only said you guys went down to eat first." Ethan fell silent for a second, then snapped, "Any normal person would ask where everyone went when they saw the room was empty. "Everyone is waiting for you." I ended up skipping breakfast. By the time I reached the dock, the yacht was already starting up. The five of them were standing on the deck. No one had saved a spot for me. Chloe was wearing Ethan’s white button-down shirt. The hem of the shirt barely covered her thighs. When she saw me, she quickly pulled the collar tight. "Hazel, don’t get the wrong idea. The zipper on my dress broke, so Ethan lent me his shirt." Ethan’s shirts were something I was never allowed to touch. Once, when doing laundry, I accidentally washed one of his white shirts with a dark shirt, staining it slightly gray. He didn't speak to me for an entire week. He told me he hated people touching his personal clothes. But now, Chloe was wearing it, And he barely glanced at her, only saying softly, "Put on some pants later so you don't catch a cold." Chloe stuck her tongue out at me. "See? He’s such a control freak." I grabbed the railing to climb onto the boat. Liam shoved a pile of gear into my arms. "Perfect. Hold the sunscreen, the camera, and the water for us, will you?" I held their things, And sat in the seat closest to the loud engine. The sea breeze hit me, and because I hadn't eaten, my stomach started to ache. For today’s diving activity, I had spent six months taking swimming lessons. Ethan loved the ocean, but I was terrified of water. Still, I had secretly signed up for diving classes just to surprise him on this trip. But once we reached the diving spot, the instructor said only five people could go down at a time. Tyler laughed and looked at me. "Hazel is scared of water anyway. Just stay on the boat and watch our bags." I opened my mouth, wanting to tell them I had already gotten my diving certification. But Chloe suddenly grabbed Ethan’s arm. "Ethan, I’m a little nervous. You have to hold my hand when we go down." Ethan checked her oxygen tank. "Don’t worry, I’ll be right next to you." I swallowed my words. The five of them jumped into the ocean, Leaving me alone on the deck, watching over their clothes and phones. After a while, the instructor asked me, "Don't you want to go down?" I pulled the brand-new diving certificate out of my bag. I stared at it for a long time, then shook my head. "No, I’m good." *** Chapter 3 At lunch, Chloe got seasick, and Ethan stayed by her side the entire time. My stomach hurt so badly I couldn't eat. I wanted to ask the waiter to exchange my meal for some plain oatmeal. But Liam laughed and said, "Hazel, why are you suddenly feeling sick too?" "Are you copying Chloe's seasickness on purpose?" The others laughed. Ethan looked up at me. "You're usually fine on boats." I explained, "I didn't eat breakfast, so my stomach is hurting." But he just looked down, handing a glass of warm water to Chloe. "Then just bear with it. Don’t cause trouble while she's actually miserable." The waiter soon brought a bowl of oatmeal. Just as I reached for it, Ethan slid the bowl over to Chloe. "Eat some of this first." My hand froze in midair. That was the oatmeal I had ordered. But no one in the group thought anything was wrong with what he did. Chloe took two bites and complained it was tasteless. "I don't want it anymore." She pushed the messy bowl back to me. "Hazel, didn't you say your stomach hurts? Here, you can have it." The oatmeal was already a mess, and her lipstick was smudged on the spoon. In the past, I probably would have eaten it anyway. Because Chloe would always tell me, "We're best friends, what's mine is yours." And Ethan would praise me, "Hazel is always so understanding, not high-maintenance like other girls." But this time, I called the waiter over. "Could you throw this away, please?" Chloe’s smile froze. "I barely touched it. Do you find me gross?" I said calmly, "I don't eat other people's leftovers." Ethan’s face instantly darkened. "Hazel, she’s feeling terrible and she still thought of saving food for you." "Do you really have to embarrass her right now?" I looked at the five people in front of me, suddenly feeling a sense of detachment. Over the years, they always left their leftovers for me. When a table was too full, they made me sit elsewhere. When there wasn't enough room in the car, they made me take an Uber. When they needed a photographer, they remembered me. But the moment I said no, just once, I became the one who didn't fit in, who was petty, who couldn't take a joke. I lowered my eyes. "I'm sorry." Everyone’s expressions softened. Tyler laughed, "That’s more like it. We’re on vacation, let’s just have fun." I smiled too. But this apology wasn't because I thought I was wrong. It was because I was done trying to explain myself to them. That night, they went to drink on the balcony again. I stayed in the room alone, packing my bags. This trip was supposed to last seven days, and only three had passed. But I didn't want to play their game anymore. I booked the earliest flight back for the next morning. After finishing, I realized my charger was missing. Remembering Chloe had borrowed it earlier, I went to her room to grab it. The door was unlocked, and the room was empty. But the tablet on her nightstand was glowing. A new message notification popped up. The group chat name was: [The Core Five] Tyler had sent a video—it was the clip of Ethan and Chloe kissing from yesterday. Below it was a flood of teasing emojis. [Finally kissed!] [Told you this game would work.] [Hazel’s face went totally pale, but she still took it. Impressive.] [She really knows how to fake it.] *** Chapter 4 I stood by the bed, my fingers turning cold. It was a group chat without me. I scrolled up through the chat history. The oldest message went back three months. Chloe had shared a screenshot of a "Partner Swap Game." [Hazel always says she fits right in with us, right?] [Let's see how many rounds she can last before she loses it.] Liam replied quickly, [Make sure all her cards are blank.] Tyler added, [And make sure Ethan and Chloe's cards match up perfectly.] [From holding hands to hugging and kissing. This is going to be wild.] I kept scrolling up. Ethan hadn't replied at first. But much later, he sent a text: [Don't take it too far.] I stared at those words, a pathetic spark of hope rising in my chest. At least he had tried to stop them once. But in the next message, Ethan wrote: [Hazel takes things too seriously.] [We still need her to organize the wedding. Don't actually drive her away.] Tyler sent a laughing emoji. [Don't worry, she’ll never leave you.] Ethan replied: [True.] Those few words felt like a slap to my face. It turned out he knew all along that the game was rigged. He knew from the very start that my cards were blank. He knew everyone was waiting to watch me make a fool of myself. And he knew I would swallow my pride and endure it over and over again. But he was only worried they would play too hard And ruin the wedding preparations I was handling for him. I kept scrolling. Further up was the planning of this trip. I had sent them the detailed itinerary I spent weeks making. No one had replied in our main group. But this private group of five was extremely active. [The diving spot Hazel picked looks so boring.] [Chloe is scared of water. Let's do a yacht party instead.] Ethan wrote: [No need to tell her.] [We’ll just change it when we get there. She won't say no.] They even discussed the room arrangements. [Let Ethan and Chloe take the family suite.] [What about Hazel?] [The couch.] [What if she refuses?] Ethan replied: [I’ll say a few words. She’ll agree.] Standing in Chloe’s room, I suddenly found it hard to breathe. All these years, I thought I was just a slow-to-warm person, which was why I couldn't fully integrate into their group. So I tried my best to be good to them. I memorized their preferences, tolerated their jokes, and took care of all the tedious tasks. Only now did I realize it was never about me not fitting in. They were just standing inside a locked room, holding hands, Watching me struggle outside, laughing at my futile attempts to get in. A new message popped up in the group. Liam asked, [Where is Hazel?] Tyler replied, [Probably crying in her room.] [Should we start the next round?] Chloe quickly sent a voice note. "Let’s stop. Hazel seems actually mad." Ethan replied, "If she’s mad, let her cool off on her own." "Does everyone have to baby her every single time? It's exhausting." Listening to his voice, The last bit of warmth in my chest vanished. Just as I was about to turn off the tablet, a new video popped up. It was a video sneaked by Tyler. On the balcony, only Ethan and Chloe were left. Chloe was drunk, leaning on his shoulder, asking, "Ethan, if I hadn't rejected you back then..." "Would you still be with Hazel?" My finger hovered over the screen. The wind on the video was loud, And Ethan remained silent for a long time. Finally, he said softly, "No." Chloe smiled, but tears fell down her face. "Do you regret it now?" Ethan didn't answer, But he reached out and gently wiped her tears away. That tender gesture was more than enough of an answer. The video ended there. The group chat was silent for a few seconds before Tyler texted, [I’m telling you guys, you two are the real soulmates.] Liam chimed in, [Hazel was always the interloper anyway.] [She’s taken Chloe’s spot for so many years. It's time to give it back.] My ears buzzed. It turned out that in their eyes, The girl who had loved Ethan for seven years and was about to marry him Was just an interloper. I turned off the tablet and put the charger back. I didn't confront them, nor did I storm onto the balcony. Because the answer was already crystal clear. I went back to my room and changed my flight to the final red-eye of the night. I had two hours left. More than enough time to leave. Since there was never room for me in a six-person trip, Then for the rest of my life, I didn't need to save a seat for them either.