Brooke.

She had been my rock for years—the kind of friend you trust with your whole soul. We hadn’t known each other since childhood, but it had felt that way. Our connection was effortless, almost fated. We had met at a friend’s party after college and instantly clicked. She was there for me through breakups, career struggles, and every moment of self-doubt.

So when she didn’t celebrate my engagement, something felt… off.

Then, in the middle of the night, my phone rang.

I fumbled in the dark, squinting at the screen. Bestie flashed across it. Relief. But as soon as I answered, her whisper sent chills down my spine.

“Don’t trust him.”

Then the line went dead.

I stared at the phone, my pulse racing. What did she mean? Why now? I called her back—once, twice, a dozen times. Nothing.

By morning, frustration had set in. I needed answers. Brooke had never been the type to hide her feelings, but this? This was something different.

I replayed our last conversation in my mind, back when she had met Jason for the first time. We had gone out for drinks, just the three of us. He had been charming, asking her questions, making jokes. But something in her smile had been… strained.

When he left for the restroom, I had leaned in, eager to hear what she thought.

“I don’t think he’s right for you.”

The words had cut deep. I had expected excitement, not hesitation.

“How do you know who’s right for me?” I had asked.

“It’s just my opinion,” she had shrugged.

I had pushed back, defensive, angry even. “Are you jealous?”

Her lips had curled into something bitter. “Jealous? You think I want your life?”

That night had marked the beginning of a silent war. Every time I brought up Jason, she shut down. Conversations turned into arguments. It became exhausting, unbearable even.

Jason had been my escape from it all. He had held me close, whispering reassurances. “She’s jealous. She doesn’t want you to be happy.”

I had believed him.

Ignoring Brooke had been easy at first. The unanswered texts, the missed calls—they built an invisible wall between us. And when Jason proposed, I told myself I didn’t need her blessing.

But then came the call. And now, I needed to know why.

The next morning, I drove straight to her house. My heart pounded as I knocked.

The door opened, but it wasn’t Brooke who answered.

Her mother, Stephanie, greeted me with a warm smile. “Claire, sweetheart. It’s been a while.”