Chapter 1

My best friend, Cassidy Lockhart, behaves like an entitled princess. She wants to visit a princess theme park, but insists that princesses don't wait in line.

Without a second thought, my boyfriend, Silas Culburn, spends our entire 6,000-dollar savings on VIP passes and the parade experience, treating her like royalty.

That 6,000 dollars is the money Silas and I have saved up over six months of part-time jobs. It's supposed to be our wedding fund.

The caption on Cassidy's latest social media post reads, "I've always known that every princess has their own knight in shining armor."

In the video, Silas gently places a tiara on her head. The two of them walk hand in hand, their eyes fixed only on each other.

I take a screenshot and send it to Silas.

He calls me back almost immediately. "Cady's your best friend, and her family just went bankrupt. I couldn't say no to one little wish."

My heart sinks. "So you went ahead and fulfilled her wish using our wedding fund?"

"We can always earn more money, but we're only ever going to a princess theme park this one time," Silas replies before hanging up.

I think back to the time Silas first meets Cassidy. He tells me, "She reeks of money, and she's so entitled."

A week later, he comments jokingly, "You look like an ugly duckling standing next to a swan when you're with Cady."

I wipe away my tears, open my planner, and cross out the line that says "Save for our wedding fund."

Now that the money is gone, there's no point in saving up for the wedding anymore.

Chapter 1

My best friend, Cassidy Lockhart, was with my boyfriend, Silas Culburn, when he came home. I could hear their loud banter before they even made it past the threshold.

Silas was holding a tiara, and the moment he walked in, he placed it on my head. "Whitney, I bought this tiara especially for you! Do you like it?"

I took the tiara off and set it on the table. Cassidy had already worn it and posted photos of it on her social media. If Silas had spared even a moment to check his social media, he wouldn't have tried to pass it off as a gift. Or maybe he had seen it and just didn't care.

Cassidy came over and wrapped her arms around my neck affectionately. "Whitney, the event at the princess theme park was incredible. It's a shame you weren't there to see it."

I pulled away from her. "Why didn't you invite me, then?"

Cassidy's lips parted and closed a couple of times, but no words came out. She shot Silas a helpless look.

His tone instantly turned impatient. "We were just being considerate! You're always so worried about spending money. We knew you'd never agree to go to a theme park."

A single ticket cost almost 100 dollars. He was right that I wouldn't have wanted to spend that kind of money on it.

Both Silas and I were college students who'd made it out of a small town, so I was usually thrifty. His family wasn't badly off, but he'd been willing to work part-time jobs with me and save up for our future together.

But what bothered me was that they hadn't even bothered to ask me.

I pointed at the tiara and asked, "Silas, how much did this tiara cost?"

Silas stiffened, then forced out an answer. "It was free with a VIP pass."

"So I'm only good enough for things that cost nothing, is that it?"

I looked at the 200-dollar silk scarf Cassidy had tied around her neck, and a sharp stab of pain went through my chest.

Just last week, I'd broken my glasses. My part-time paycheck hadn't come in yet, and a new pair cost 100 dollars, so I'd asked Silas if I could use the money in our joint account to buy them.

He had told me that that was our wedding fund, and that we'd agreed neither of us would touch it. Since his tutoring job paid daily, he assured me that he'd buy me a new pair as soon as he got paid.

But in the end, he never brought it up again, and he never bought me the replacement glasses.

With a -5.00 prescription, I spent an entire week wearing glasses with cracks in the lenses.

It wasn't that he had no money, and it wasn't like we strictly couldn't use the wedding fund. He just chose to spend it on fulfilling Cassidy's princess fantasy instead.

Silas blinked, clearly not expecting me to get so worked up. Then his expression soured. "You're always preaching about being frugal. Why turn down something free? I brought it all the way back for you, and you're throwing a fit?"

I pulled up Cassidy's social media post on my phone and zoomed in for him to see. "Are you sure it was especially for me?"

Silas went pale, then rubbed his nose guiltily. "Cady only wore it for a little while. It's practically new. Don't make such a big deal out of it."

I looked at him with disappointment. "You spent 6,000 dollars, of which 3,000 dollars was mine. Transfer the money back to me within 24 hours. I'm moving out."

Silas stared at me in disbelief. "You're asking me for money now? Whitney Handel, Cassidy is your best friend, and you were the one who told me to take good care of her! Her family just went bankrupt not too long ago. How can you be so cruel?"

So I was the cruel one now? I was so angry that a humorless laugh escaped me.

Ever since Cassidy's family went bankrupt, I'd been paying her rent. All her meals and coffee were also ordered on my dime, and she always insisted on the most expensive options.

It had been two months, and I had bills to pay too. But when I tried talking to her, she simply refused to listen. She said that every princess had their knight in shining armor to save them. I just never expected her knight to be Silas.

"Silas, if you want to be Cassidy's knight and spoil her like a princess, by all means, go ahead. But you don't get to do it using my money!"

Chapter 2

Silas raised his voice. "Fine, I'll pay you back tomorrow, alright?"

Cassidy had the kind of eyes that made people protective of her, and at present, they had a twinkle in them. She stepped over and took my hand, lowering her voice. "Whitney, it's just a couple thousand dollars. What's there to be mad about? Just apologize to Silas, and let's put this behind us."

I looked at her and suddenly felt like I didn't know her anymore. In the past, whenever Silas and I argued, she'd always have my back and chew out Silas for me.

In our four years of college, Silas was the one person Cassidy hated the most. She thought he wasn't good enough for me. Every time they met, it felt like a war was going on, and neither of them would back down.

They'd argue over everything under the sun, from what meals we should have and what movies we should watch to where we should go shopping. It used to give me a headache, and I'd just zone out on my phone to escape.

Until one time, I saw them suddenly burst out laughing together mid-argument. There was no hostility in their eyes, only affection.

I had thought I was imagining things. But now, I realized I'd been the fool all along. They'd been crossing lines right under my nose, hiding behind the cover of bickering.

I shook Cassidy off and said coldly, "I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?"

I hadn't used much force, but Cassidy staggered and fell to the floor.

Silas immediately shoved me aside and rushed to help her up. "Cady's injured her leg, and yet you shoved her that hard?" he shouted at me. "You're too much, Whitney!"

The back of my head slammed hard against the wall behind me, and I let out a groan from the pain.

Silas gently lifted Cassidy's skirt, revealing her swollen, red ankle. It looked like she'd twisted it.

Cassidy pulled her leg back, her face scrunched up in pain. "I'm fine," she said gingerly. "Whitney didn't mean to. Don't be mad at her."

But her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked utterly pitiful.

Silas looked up at me. "Whitney, go and buy some ointment. I'll help Cady rub it in, or she won't be able to walk tomorrow."

I rubbed the back of my head and didn't respond.

Then, Silas grew impatient and barked, "Hurry, Whitney!"

I turned and went into our room, took out the half-empty tube of ointment, and handed it to him.

Silas' expression stiffened. He clearly hadn't expected me to have any at home. But Cassidy suddenly let out a pained whimper, snapping him back to attention.

He helped her onto the couch, opened the tube, and gently rubbed the ointment onto her swollen ankle with tender care.

I stood off to the side, watching them coldly.

Two weeks ago, I had also twisted my ankle. Back then, Silas had been in a rush to get in line to get Cassidy a pair of newly released designer sneakers. He hadn't even looked back at me, and I had to limp all the way back home myself.

When I called him to ask if he could pick up some ointment for me on his way back, he responded in an annoyed tone, "Just go to any pharmacy and have the pharmacist help you. I'm almost at the front of the line. Gotta go!"

Worried I wouldn't be able to make it to work the next day, I'd hobbled out to find a pharmacy despite the pain. That was how I ended up with the half-used tube of ointment.

"Ouch! It hurts, Silas! Can't you be a bit gentler?"

"Just sit still and bear with it."

Cassidy turned to me with a complaint. "Whitney, won't you do something about Silas? He's being so rough!"

Silas shot back immediately, "You should count yourself lucky! I've never rubbed any other woman's feet before!"

Cassidy pouted. "Who cares."

But she was clearly smiling.

Swallowing the bitterness in me, I turned and walked back into the room.

I opened my laptop, pulled up the job offer email from a company in Briarwood that had arrived at noon, and hit reply. I accepted the position and agreed to start in three days.

Chapter 3

When Silas pushed the door open, I quickly shut my laptop.

He frowned. "Why are you so flustered?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing."

Silas walked over and planted a light kiss on my forehead. "I'm going to take Cady home first. If there's anything we need to talk about, we'll talk when I get back."

Before I could even get a word in, he was already striding out of the bedroom.

By the time I chased out after him, he was already helping Cassidy out the front door.

So I went back to the room and started packing my things.

After five years together, I found that I couldn't even fill a single suitcase with my belongings. Most of the things in the house belonged to Silas, and they were mostly things I had bought for him. When it came to myself, I had been excessively thrifty.

I took the debit card for our joint account where we kept our wedding fund out of my wallet and set it on the nightstand. The account had been opened under Silas' name, so it was time to return it to its rightful owner.

I waited at home all evening, but Silas never returned. However, I figured some things needed to be said in person, so I texted him. "When are you coming back? I need to talk to you."

It took over ten minutes for him to reply. "Cady's foot is hurting badly and she can't walk, so I'll be staying the night to take care of her. Don't worry, I'll be sleeping on the couch."

A sudden chill settled over my heart, and I no longer felt like replying.

…

The next day, I went to my usual shift at the cafe. It was my last day on the job. Once my shift ended, I wrapped up my handover.

That was when my phone rang with a call from Silas' father, Patrick Culburn. Silas' parents had come to Elmsworth, but they couldn't reach him, so Patrick had called me instead.

"Whitney, Flora's sick. We're at Elmsworth General Hospital. Tell that rascal to get over here right away."

After ending the call, I tried calling Silas' phone, but it went unanswered. I tried calling Cassidy as well and got the same result. In the end, I took a cab straight to Cassidy's place.

I used the spare key to let myself in, only to find the living room empty. The only sounds came from the bathroom.

"Silas, can you be gentler? You're going to scratch my scalp raw!"

Silas' carefree laughter echoed through the house. "Got it. I'll try to be gentler."

"Are you doing this on purpose? Do you use this much force when you wash Whitney's hair too?"

"Whitney is nowhere as spoiled as you are. She can wash her own hair just fine."

Standing at the doorway, I felt my heart aching fiercely. Even the tips of my fingers trembled as I reached out to push the bathroom door open. "Silas, your parents are trying to reach you."

My sudden appearance made Silas freeze.

Cassidy, who was sitting on a stool, avoided my gaze.

"Just a minute. Let me rinse the shampoo out of Cady's hair first," Silas said, picking up the showerhead and rinsing out Cady's hair.

I walked out and sat on the couch after mumbling a quick, "Okay."

The bathroom fell silent, and I heard no more laughter or teasing coming from inside.

Five minutes later, Silas and Cassidy came out. He grabbed a hairdryer and began drying her hair first.

I just sat there quietly, waiting. It brought back memories of how things used to be between Silas and me.

Every time after I was done washing my hair, Silas would drop whatever he was doing, whether it was gaming or work, and blow-dry my hair for me without hesitation.

Chapter 4

I had even recorded a video of Silas drying my hair for me and posted it on my social media to show off how much he cared about me.

Cassidy had left a comment on that post. "Come on, he's just putting on an act. You could spend 20-odd bucks at a salon, and it'd even come with a head massage!"

I'd laughed and replied, "He's my personal hairstylist. No one else compares."

But now, his attention was no longer reserved for me alone.

"My parents are in Elmsworth?" Silas' voice pulled me back to the present.

"Flora's sick," I said. "She's at Elmsworth General Hospital. Patrick called you, but he couldn't reach you."

Silas' expression instantly turned tense. He checked his phone and saw several missed calls. "I must have missed it because I was helping Cady wash her hair. Come on, let's go to the hospital now."

He reached out to take my hand, but I stepped aside and avoided him. His hand froze in midair before he awkwardly pulled it back.

"You're always getting upset over nothing," he grumbled, displeased. "Only I can put up with that horrible temper of yours."

Cassidy immediately snapped at him. "Don't talk about Whitney like that!"

Silas looked at her with doting affection. "You're actually defending her even when she's jealous of you?"

Cassidy pouted. "You don't get to bad-mouth her."

"Fine. Whatever you say, princess."

The two of them seemed to have built a private world of their own, shutting me out completely. A deep weariness suddenly settled over me.

Cassidy asked, "Can I come along? I'd like to meet your parents too."

"You're the princess. Who's to stop you?"

Silas smiled and helped Cassidy walk to the car, the two of them trailing behind me.

Out of habit, I reached for the front passenger door. But Silas pushed me aside, lifted Cassidy into the front seat, and buckled her seatbelt for her.

Turning back, he shot me an apologetic look. "Cady isn't in the best of shape. Let her have the front seat today."

I opened my mouth to say something. I suffered from severe motion sickness, so I always took the front seat, whether I was riding in a car or a cab. Silas knew that perfectly well, yet he still chose to make me sit in the back.

In the end, I said nothing, opened the rear door, and got in. Since I'd already decided to let go of him, what did the front seat even matter?

…

At the hospital, we found out that Flora Moorbrock, Silas' mother, had a gastric ulcer and needed to stay for a couple of days.

Cassidy stepped forward and introduced herself to Silas' parents. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Culburn. I'm Cassidy, Whitney's best friend."

Flora seemed to take a liking to Cassidy's well-mannered demeanor. She pulled Cassidy over to sit by the bed and chatted with her the whole time.

Flora had never been fond of me. She always felt Silas could find a girlfriend with a better background.

Seeing how well they got along, Silas joked, "Mom, Cady's not your daughter-in-law! Why are you chatting with her so much?"

Without giving it much thought, Flora blurted, "I'd love for her to be my daughter-in-law!"

Silas froze and instinctively glanced at me, but in the end, he said nothing.

They looked like a happy family, laughing and chatting away warmly, leaving me feeling like the odd one out. So I walked out of the hospital room and took a cab home.

I had already bought my plane ticket that morning. I needed to go to Briarwood two days before starting my job to find a place to settle in.

While waiting at my gate, I saw Silas' social media post. He had his arm around Cassidy's shoulders as they stood by the hospital bed, taking a photo with his parents.

A couple of our mutual friends had commented on it.

"What's this? Meeting the parents already?"

"Where's Whitney? Did you guys break up?"

I liked the post.

Silas immediately sent me a message. "Whitney, don't get the wrong idea. It's Cady's first time meeting my parents, so she just wanted a photo as a keepsake. By the way, when did you leave? Why didn't you tell me?"

I'd been gone for two hours, and he was only now noticing my absence.

I replied, "I'm not getting the wrong idea, Silas. We're done. Transfer the 3,000 dollars within 24 hours, or I'm filing a police report."

I had wanted to say it in person, but I never got the chance.

I unpinned Silas from the top of my chats, then I scrolled down my contacts to find his and Cassidy's numbers before blocking them both.

The airport announcement soon came over the speakers. "Passengers bound for Briarwood, please proceed to boarding immediately."