Ever since I'd been added, Anthony's group chat, which had always been dead silent, suddenly came alive.
【Isabel: Just a casual little wedding today~】
A dozen photos flooded the screen in an instant.
The backdrop was the inside of the bridal car. Isabel had pulled Anthony close for a whole string of intimate couple shots.
Finger hearts, cheek pressed to cheek……
My eyes lingered on the last photo for a long time.
In it, Anthony had laid his head in Isabel's palm, smiling with a tenderness, an indulgence, I'd never seen.
That exact pose—when we were shooting our engagement photos, I'd shown him a reference picture of it. He'd called it sappy and childish.
The replies came pouring in.
【The two of you really are the perfect match. The couple I've been rooting for since we were kids finally happened.】
That was Anthony's childhood friend.
He said he was grateful to me for healing the heartbreak Isabel had left Anthony with when she went abroad, that the two of us were simply made for each other.
【If I'd known your wedding was today I never would've skipped the banquet. I could never stand watching that plain-Jane swoop in while Isabel was overseas. Is there still time if I buy a plane ticket and rush over now?】
That was Anthony's cousin.
Anthony had once asked me to drop off some documents he'd left at home.
It was pouring rain that day. My tires skidded and I hit a lamppost.
When I limped over to hand them to him, he'd nearly cried, saying those documents were tied to a multimillion-dollar project, that I was his lifesaver.
And then there were Anthony's cousin, his college roommate, his upperclassman……
Every single person in this chat—Anthony had introduced me to all of them. In person they were polished and kind.
Behind my back, they tore me down and insulted me at will.
A plain girl, a desperate clingy simp worming her way in while the coast was clear……
Anthony typed one flat line.
【Don't bring her up. Just tell Isabel how pretty she is.】
Teeth clenched, hands shaking, I hammered out a few lines.
【Two-faced, all of you?】
【Do you people not disgust yourselves?】
The second my message popped up, the chat went silent for two seconds.
The last message read:
【Oh crap. Wrong group, guys.】
Anthony's incoming call flashed up fast and frantic, cutting off my typing.
I tapped accept.
No apology, no explanation. Just two words, nearly cold.
"Apologize."
The absurdity of it spread through me before I could stop it.
"Me? Apologize?"
I could have laughed from sheer rage.
"Apologize for what? For you all cursing me behind my back? Or for building a second group after you dragged me into this one?"
The line went quiet for a few seconds.
I heard Anthony give a helpless sigh.
"Trudy, you're not a hundred-dollar bill. You can't expect everyone to like you."
"Everyone in that chat grew up with me and Isabel. You showed up out of nowhere. It's normal for some of them not to accept you. Isabel adding you to the group was already a lot of respect."
I tipped my head back and forced the tears down.
"So?"
Anthony paused a beat, his voice dropping lower.
"Just apologize in the group. Say you don't mind it."
"Isabel……she's crying so hard right now. She feels terrible, blames herself, thinks it's all because she added you."
There was a gaping hole in my chest, cold wind howling straight through it.
So all it took was Isabel crying, and I was supposed to bow my head to the people who'd insulted me.
He seemed to say something else, but I couldn't make out the words after that.
The tears blurred everything. My voice broke as it came out.
"Anthony, let's break up."
"I'm not getting married. I'm not signing any license either."
Anthony didn't answer.
Someone muffled the receiver. Faintly, from his end, came the rustle of plastic and paper, and Isabel's crying.
And Anthony's patient, gentle coaxing.
"There, there. Trudy says she doesn't blame you. She's just too sensitive, that's all."
