My Best Friend Had His Baby, So I Threw the Ring in the Trash

On the night before our wedding, the bridesmaids and groomsmen were too excited to sleep. Someone suggested playing an anonymous "Truth or Dare" game. Everyone had to write down one thing they wanted to say to me, the bride-to-be, on a slip of paper. I closed my eyes in anticipation, expecting sweet blessings. But when I opened the first note, I froze. "You bitch. If you hadn't forced Ethan, Harper would have married him!" Harper, my best friend. Just three hours ago, she called me to apologize, saying she had a last-minute business trip and couldn't make it to my wedding. My hands shook as I opened the next one. "The wedding ring he bought you? Harper actually picked it out first. She rejected it because it was too cheap, so he gave you her leftovers." "Did you know? The day your mother died, he was in bed with Harper in your future home." "The real reason Harper isn't coming to your wedding is because she just gave birth to Ethan's baby and is recovering." When my eyes fell on the last note, I recognized the handwriting instantly. "I accept my fate of being ruined by you in this life. Just let me go in the next." After the initial shock of this absurdity, a wave of cold mockery washed over me. I crumpled the notes into a tight ball, slipped the wedding ring off my finger, and threw them all into the trash can. Then, I looked up at Ethan. "Since things are like this, let's turn tomorrow's wedding into a birthday party for your baby." 1 The room fell dead silent. Then, a scoff erupted from the corner, and soon, the whole room burst into laughter. "Chloe, cut the act. Everyone knows you practically begged for this marriage. How could you just call it off?" Ethan's best friend, Logan, laughed so hard he slapped his knee, his eyes filled with pure mockery. "Seriously. You should be crying tears of joy that Ethan is willing to marry you. Stop drama-queening." Another bridesmaid chimed in, taking a sip from her glass. I said nothing. Ethan knelt down, picked up the paper balls from the trash can one by one, smoothed them out, and read them. Then, he looked up at me. He was calm, as if he had expected this moment all along. "Since you already know, there's no point in hiding it anymore." "The wedding will go on as scheduled. I'll give you everything I promised. Just don't go causing trouble for Harper." I laughed. My fingertips were shaking, and my chest ached. They were the ones who betrayed me, yet his words made me sound like the villain. A million words swirled in my throat, but when I finally spoke, only one question came out. "When did it start?" Was it when they always kept secrets from me, hung out alone, and claimed it was just a "coincidence" when I caught them? Or was it when the three of us ate together, and he always subconsciously catered to Harper's taste? Ethan was silent for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Neither." "It was four years ago, during our trip to Malibu." During that trip, I had a terrible fever. Feeling dizzy, I went back to the hotel early to sleep. I left the two of them on the beach to watch the sunset. "We had a few drinks afterward. We couldn't help ourselves and did it in the room right next to yours." "It was supposed to be a one-time mistake, but later... we just couldn't help falling in love." As he spoke, a sense of relief washed over his face. Like he was finally able to say out loud what he had been holding in for four years. Seeing my clenched fists and my shaking body, he added. "Harper wanted to keep it from you forever. She didn't want to ruin your happiness." "I was the one who couldn't take it anymore. Don't go after her. She feels worse about this than you do." I stared at his face, feeling the blood rush to my head. "She feels worse than I do?" "Ethan, she and I grew up together! My mother treated her like her own daughter!" "And yet, on the day my mother died, you two missed her funeral because you were sleeping together in our new apartment. Don't you find yourselves disgusting?" I lunged forward and shoved him hard. Anger and resentment boiled inside me. He didn't budge. He just stared at me. "I was in the wrong for that. If you're angry, take it out on me. Don't hurt her." My eyes stung at his words. Once, he couldn't bear to see me suffer even a little bit. He used to stand in front of me, shielding me from everything. But now, he was standing in front of me to protect another woman. Suddenly, all my strength drained away. I felt completely hollow. "Since you love each other so much, I'll step aside." "I'm not marrying you tomorrow." He froze. The laughter around us vanished completely. The air in the room seemed to solidify. He stared at my face. After a few seconds, his tone softened. "Stop acting up. Everything has been booked." "The makeup artist is coming at nine tomorrow. I'll make sure they're on time." With that, he opened the door and walked out. The people around us looked at each other in awkward silence. No one dared to speak. Logan cleared his throat and muttered, "I'll go check on him," before slipping out the door. One by one, the guests dispersed, and the doors shut. I was left alone in the suite. The wedding balloons were still floating against the ceiling, and the room was fully decorated for tomorrow's big day. Just three hours ago, Ethan had held me in his arms, laughing. He had promised me that no matter how hard the groomsmen made it for him, he would carry me over the threshold and make me his wife. But now, standing among the flowers and balloons, I only felt a deep, piercing irony. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I looked down. It was a Snapchat message from Harper. "Chloe, I'm so sorry! The company suddenly sent me on a business trip. I had already booked my flight." "Please don't be mad. I'll send you a huge wedding gift when I get back!" Her tone was urgent and apologetic, followed by several crying emojis. I stared at the screen for a long time. In the end, I only sent one reply. "Stop acting. I know everything." 2 My phone vibrated on the table all night. Harper's messages kept popping up, one after another. The screen lit up and went dark, over and over. I didn't read them. I put my phone on silent. At nine in the morning, the door opened. Ethan walked in, followed by the makeup artist. He had changed into his charcoal-gray suit, wearing the tie I had specially bought for him. "Get your makeup done. It's almost time." I sat still. "I told you, the wedding is off." His expression darkened, and he frowned. "The guests are arriving soon. What are you throwing a tantrum for now?" I met his gaze and let out a cold laugh. "I can't pretend nothing happened. I can't marry a man who slept with my best friend behind my back." "Ethan, don't you find yourself disgusting?" His lips parted, but before he could say anything, the door was pushed open. Harper rushed in. She was wearing a loose-fitting dress, her hair thrown into a messy bun. "Chloe, let me explain..." She lunged forward and grabbed my wrist. "It was just an accident!" I yanked my hand back. "Save your breath." "Even if four years ago was an accident, is the baby an accident too?" "For four years, I treated you as my sister, while you were sleeping with my man behind my back." Harper opened her mouth, tears streaming down her face. "Chloe, I..." I looked down, my eyes falling on her dress. On the collar, there was a small embroidered logo: Malibu Cove Recovery Center. I suddenly laughed and turned to Ethan. "No wonder you had to travel to Malibu every other week. No wonder you never picked up my calls or replied to my messages." "You were there to take care of her. To see her." "And there I was, praying for your flight to land safely every single day, waiting up until I got your text." Ethan's mouth tightened into a hard line, and he looked down. Harper sobbed loudly. "Chloe, I'm sorry... I didn't want to hide it from you..." Ethan took two steps forward and held her up. "Harper, you just gave birth. Don't stand for too long." He helped her onto the sofa and knelt in front of her, gently patting her back. My gaze fell on the ring on Harper's finger. It was three times the size of mine, the diamond facets sparkling brilliantly under the light. No wonder she thought mine was cheap. No wonder she let him give me her leftovers. "Ethan, I stayed by your side for eight years." For a moment, I didn't know whether to be angry at how cheap I was to him, or furious at their betrayal. "From that cramped, leaky studio apartment to this luxury penthouse. From the days we couldn't even afford a decent meal to you making seven figures." "And yet, the ring on my finger isn't even a fraction of what you gave her." "Am I really that worthless to you?" Ethan snapped up, his face pitch black. "Enough!" "She just gave birth. Her body hasn't recovered yet. Stop it." "Fine, I'll stop." I turned around, grabbed my phone from the nightstand, and walked toward the door. Before I could take more than a few steps, I ran straight into Ethan's mother, Victoria. She was wearing a wine-red formal gown. When she saw me, the smile on her face vanished. "Chloe, what time is it? Why aren't you in makeup? Where do you think you're going?" "Home. The wedding is off." She froze for a second. "What did you say?" "I said, the wedding is canceled. I'm not marrying him." Victoria's face flushed red with anger. "Chloe! Are you playing games with our family?!" Before she could finish her sentence, she looked past my shoulder and saw the people in the room. Harper was sitting on the sofa in her loose dress, tears streaming down her face. Victoria blinked, her expression shifting instantly. "Harper? You just had a baby! Why are you out here?" I stood frozen. When the truth finally clicked, a wave of cold mockery washed over me. Everyone knew. I was the only one kept in the dark. 3 Victoria brushed past my shoulder and rushed into the room. She grabbed Harper's hands, her eyes filled with deep concern. "Harper, sweetheart, you just gave birth. Why are you out of bed?" Harper looked up at me, keeping silent. Victoria followed her gaze to me, her face instantly turning hostile. "Chloe, did you make Harper come here?" "Do you have any idea how weak she is right now? She needs rest!" I was so angry I laughed out loud. "And do you have any idea that I was the one your son was supposed to marry today?" "He had a baby with another woman behind my back, and all of you knew! Not a single person bothered to tell me!" Victoria let out a cold, arrogant laugh, as if my feelings didn't matter to her at all. "Chloe, let's be real. You begged for this marriage. Our family never approved of you anyway!" "You have no family background, no status. How could you ever be good enough for our Ethan?" "I told Ethan a long time ago to find someone from our own social class, but he wouldn't listen. He let you cling onto him for years." I couldn't take it anymore. I clenched my fists and spat back. "No matter how 'low-class' I am, at least I didn't raise a son who couldn't keep his pants zipped and got his side-chick pregnant!" "Is this how you raise your son? Teaching him how to cheat..." Slap! Before I could finish, Victoria raised her hand and slapped me across the face. My head whipped to the side, my cheek burning like fire. Ethan rushed over. "Mom!" "Stay out of this!" Victoria pointed a finger at my nose, her face red with rage. "Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?" "I'm telling you, Chloe, if you hadn't shamelessly clung to Ethan for the past eight years, he wouldn't have been dragged down by you for this long!" I slowly turned my head back, feeling the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. But she only sneered, enjoying my humiliation. "Harper is a hundred times better than you. She's sweet, polite, and never forgets to bring me gifts on holidays." "I've wanted her as my daughter-in-law for a long time. Having her join our family is a blessing. As for you? You're nothing but a curse!" "Don't say that!" Harper cried, rushing over to me. She reached out cautiously, wanting to touch the corner of my mouth but fearing she would hurt me, before dropping her hand. "Chloe... does it hurt?" I didn't say a word. I just suddenly remembered years ago, when I cried and told her that Ethan's family didn't like me. She had been so angry on my behalf, her eyes turning red as she slammed her fist onto the couch. "That's because they have no taste! They don't deserve our Chloe!" "I swear, if Ethan ever treats you wrong, I'll ruin him myself!" My thoughts snapped back to the present. I looked at her face and curled my lip in a painful smile. "Harper, are you satisfied now?" She shook her head violently, tears pouring down. "No, Chloe... that's not what I..." I didn't wait for her to finish. I turned and walked out. Ethan called after me from behind, "Chloe!" I didn't look back. "Chloe, listen to me." Ethan chased after me, grabbing my arm to force me to stop. "My mom has always been like this. You've known her for years. She just has a sharp tongue; she didn't mean it that way." "Can we just get through the wedding first?" "There are so many guests here today. Don't make things difficult for everyone." I shook his hand off, my eyes icy cold. "Ethan, in eight years, have you ever stood up for me once?" He fell silent. "If you had stood up for me even once, I would have felt those eight years were worth it." "But you didn't. Not even once..." By the end, my voice was barely a whisper. I turned around and walked out of the hotel lobby, never looking back. 4 I took a cab home. My phone kept vibrating the entire way, but I didn't look at it. I turned it off, leaning my head against the cold window and closing my eyes. When I got home, the house was filled with signs of our upcoming wedding. Red ribbons hung in the living room, and wedding decorations covered the walls. The potted plants on the balcony were ones Ethan had bought from the market, knowing I was in a bad mood a few weeks ago. He had said that a little green in the house would make me feel better. I went into the bedroom, knelt down, and started packing my bags. When I opened the bottom drawer, I saw our photo album buried underneath. I opened the first page. It was a picture of us on the day we moved into this apartment. I was wearing a white dress, standing in the middle of the living room, while Ethan had his arm around my shoulder, smiling proudly. Like a hero returning from a victorious battle. He had said, "Chloe, I've finally given you a home." I didn't turn to the next page. I closed the album and put it back. Halfway through packing, the door swung open. Ethan rushed into the bedroom. Seeing what I was doing, he slammed his hand down on my wrist. "Where do you think you're going?" "Isn't it obvious?" I let out a cold laugh, my eyes filled with mockery. "Your mother hates me. I'm moving out to make room for you and Harper." His face darkened instantly. "Chloe, is this really necessary? How long are you going to keep throwing this tantrum?" "Do you know how many guests are waiting at the venue right now? And you're telling me you're leaving?" "Are you determined to ruin everything today?!" I stared at him, silent. He took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly. But the words that came out of his mouth were like a physical blade, stabbing straight into my heart. "Chloe, when your dad cheated on your mom, your mom still stayed and raised you." "Even your mother could handle it. Why can't you?" I froze completely. "Ethan, say that again." He looked away, his voice laced with irritation. "Am I wrong? Your mother tolerated your father. Why can't you tolerate me?" "Shut up." My voice was trembling. "My mother stayed because she was kind-hearted, and she did it for me. Do you have any idea how miserable her life was?" "I will not follow in her footsteps." "Because I promised her I would make myself happy." Before Ethan could reply, footsteps sounded outside the door. Harper had arrived. She was panting heavily. The moment she walked in, she threw herself in front of me, grabbing my arm. "Chloe, please don't go. It's all my fault. I'll leave!" "I'll never show my face in front of you two again. I'll give everything back to you..." "Harper, what's the point of saying this now?" I tried to pull my arm away, but her grip only tightened. "You slept together, you have a baby. Do you honestly expect me to pretend nothing happened and keep playing best friends with you?" She shook her head frantically, her nails digging deep into my skin. "No, Chloe, that's not it..." "Listen to me, I really know I was wrong. Please don't go..." "Enough! Let go of me!" I shoved her away with all my might. She lost her balance, falling backward onto the floor with a painful gasp. "Ah!" "Chloe! What is wrong with you?!" Ethan slammed his hand against my chest, shoving me back. His force was brutal. I stumbled back a few steps, my lower back crashing hard against the sharp edge of the vanity table. A sharp, burning pain flared up my spine. But he didn't even look at me. He immediately knelt down to pull Harper into his arms, his face written with pure panic. "Harper! Are you okay? Where does it hurt?" Harper clung to his chest, crying. "My back hurts... and my stomach feels weird..." "Don't worry, I'm taking you to the hospital." Ethan scooped her up in his arms and walked toward the door. As he passed me, he stopped for a split second. "Chloe, no matter what, she is still your best friend. You went too far!" "Tomorrow's wedding is postponed. When you finally come to your senses, we'll talk about getting married." With that, the door slammed shut. The bedroom fell dead silent, save for the sound of my own ragged breathing. I held onto the vanity, slowly forcing myself to stand straight. My lower back was throbbing in pain. Looking up at the giant wedding portrait on the wall, I laughed. But as I laughed, tears finally spilled over, burning my cheeks. I wiped my face, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out of the apartment without a single backward glance. When I got into the cab, the driver asked where I wanted to go. I looked out the window one last time and said coldly, "To the airport."