In our senior year of high school, I dragged her along every night, breaking down the material and force-feeding it to her.

I brainwashed her, promising her a brighter future.

Eventually, we both got into universities in the city.

In our sophomore year, I found out that my boyfriend was cheating on me.

Chelsea heard the news and immediately stormed into the hotel, kicking his ass and shredding the homewrecker's clothes.

The year we graduated, we shared a one-bedroom apartment, feeling lost and uncertain about the future.

Every night, we covered ourselves with the same blanket, happily plotting how we'd take care of each other once we were rich.

"If I get rich, I'll never forget you."

"First, we'll share half a bed, then we'll each have our own room."

We'd been best friends since we were little. I had always seen her as my family.

Maybe family doesn't always love you unconditionally, but I believed that she would.

So, when I faced her betrayal, I didn't even have the strength to confront her.

The person who once stood up for me and beat up my cheating ex had become my fiancé's mistress.

My absolute trust had been repaid with a cruel betrayal.

As I left The Ridge.

The moon hung high above, and I felt cold all over.

I thought about Shawn and me.

At twenty-five, I had become the head designer at one of the best wedding design companies in North Haven.

While working on the set for Kyle's manor wedding, I had a sudden drop in blood sugar from staying up all night, and I fell into the fountain.

Shawn, who happened to be passing by, saved me.

The image of him holding me in his arms, water dripping from his face, looking at me with those intense eyes, made my heart skip a beat.

I found out about his family and his playboy reputation, so I tried to restrain myself.

But Shawn gave up all of his bad habits and pursued me for a year.

His pursuit was respectful, sincere, and thoughtful.

One New Year's Eve, I went back to my hometown to visit my parents' graves, and my phone died.

When I was out of contact for three hours, Shawn worried that I had passed out in the middle of nowhere, so he drove hundreds of miles to find me.

He stood on the side of the road in thin clothes, desperately wiping away his tears and calling my name.

At that moment, I thought:

Mom and Dad, I want to spend the rest of my life with this man.

Even after dating for three years, I never felt like Shawn's love was fading.

He would kneel down in the middle of the mall, in front of everyone, and help me try on shoes.

He would find traditional Chinese medicine to treat my period cramps and personally watch over the stove while it brewed.

Before taking me to meet his parents, he would prepare them so I wouldn't experience any discomfort or doubt.

He would also take me to his world of wealth and power, introducing me to everyone with pride.

"This is my fiancée, Lindsay. She's the head designer at ArtGrn. You can call her Ms. Lindsay."

"She's amazing. She's won tons of design awards. She even designed Princess Josephine's wedding. Her schedule is booked until next year."

"Actually, she is fully booked for the next 2 years, because we're getting married next year! And when we do, you're all invited!"

His love was so passionate, so perfect.

Which made this flaw so much more hideous and deadly.

I went to a hotel and cried my eyes out.

I kept telling myself that it was just a betrayal. So what?

The wedding hadn't happened yet, we weren't married yet, there was still time.

Run away. Go far away from this place.