My Childhood Best Friends Abandoned Me, So I Married Their Boss

After choosing my wedding dress, I received identical Snapchat messages from my two childhood best friends.

They wanted me to drive through a torrential downpour to deliver pads to Olivia.

They even meticulously specified the exact brand, as if terrified my "carelessness" would ruin her day.

In the past, whenever I had cramps, Julian and Tristan would scramble to bring me hot cocoa and heating pads, pampering me like a princess.

They once swore that no matter which of them I ended up marrying in the future, they would always protect me. But now, I was nothing but yesterday’s news. That was fine.

Next month, I was marrying the billionaire heir my parents set me up with. Who they chose to cherish had absolutely nothing to do with me anymore.

Two weeks ago, Olivia had a massive blowout with Beatrice and ran away from home. Pitying her because she had nowhere to go, I let her crash at my place.

Out of respect for me, Julian and Tristan showered her with extra care. But slowly, Olivia began to change. She started mimicking everything about the childhood version of me.

I was too buried in my hospital shifts to care, but my two childhood friends became increasingly obsessed with her. They practically competed to drive her to and from work.

They even casually suggested I should yield the front passenger seat to her. I tolerated all of that. After all, a car seat didn't have my name carved on it.

But Tristan knew exactly how severe my food allergies were. Yet, he cooked an entire dinner tailored solely to Olivia’s tastes.

I accidentally ate a dish containing my allergens and spent a whole week battling nausea and vertigo. Afterward, I waited patiently for his apology.

In the past, even if it was the tiniest thing, he would immediately worry about my feelings.

But this time, the only thing I got was a photo of the two of them taking Olivia to an amusement park. And this wasn't an isolated incident.

I guess the girl who just arrived really could easily replace the girl who had been there for twenty years. "Audrey, you know, Olivia really has that same bubbly energy you had when we were kids." Julian’s booming laugh suddenly cut through my thoughts.

Julian and Tristan walked through the door, carrying arms full of shopping bags, with Olivia trailing behind them.

The two guys collapsed onto the sofa, their faces glowing with excitement.

Then, like a soldier flaunting her spoils of war, Olivia dumped the contents of the bags onto the coffee table. I glanced over.

The clothes were from the exact brands and styles I used to wear. But the sizes were definitely not mine. "Audrey, do you think this one suits me?

Or is it a bit too childish?" Olivia held up a pastel pink babydoll dress against herself, her voice dripping with mock hesitation and a trace of smugness.

Before I could answer, Julian chimed in carelessly. "It’s perfect for a young girl like you. Honestly, Audrey is getting a bit too old for pastel pink.

Wearing it now would just look like she's trying too hard." In the past, Julian used to tease me about getting older just to coax me into marrying him.

Every time, I’d chase him around the yard, pretending to beat him up. He’d never get mad. He’d just squint his handsome eyes and smile like a sly fox.

But now that Olivia was here, the contrast made me look like an old maid who missed her window. Even Tristan, who rarely smiled, nodded in silent agreement.

Olivia acted like a cat that had just stolen cream, casting a sly glance to gauge my reaction.

Seeing my silence, Julian instinctively reached out to drape his arm over my shoulder, just like he always did. Suddenly, his physical intimacy made me uncomfortable.

I quickly stood up and stepped back, dodging his touch. He froze for a second, his handsome brows knitting together. "What’s wrong?" I didn't know how to answer.

Luckily, my phone started vibrating. Treating it like a lifeline, I waved the screen at them and turned toward the stairs. Being ignored clearly bruised Olivia's ego.

Julian immediately pulled her down onto the sofa to comfort her. "Don't mind her. Ever since Audrey became a chief surgeon, she's had that resting bitch face.

Don't take it to heart." "What do you want for dinner tonight? I'll cook for you." Behind me, Julian and Tristan were laughing and chatting around Olivia.

But with every step I took up the stairs, my feet felt heavier.

On the phone, my mom's anxious voice came through. "Audrey, sweetie, what are you thinking?" "Are you going to choose Julian or Tristan, or are you going to listen to your father and me?

Zackary Sterling, the heir to the Sterling Group, is interested in meeting you." Hearing that, I glanced down from the banister at the cozy trio in my living room.

My heart felt like it was encased in ice. "Set up the date, Mom. Let me know when and where."

The date was set for Sunday. I had five days left to say goodbye to my past. The next morning, I went to the hospital for my shift as usual.

But when I got home, I found my bedroom completely ransacked. The birthday gifts Julian and Tristan had given me over the years were scattered carelessly across the hardwood floor.

Dirty, muddy footprints stained the entire room. And the three culprits were huddled in the corner, acting like they were the victims. "What is going on here?

Who gave you permission to enter my room?!" My voice, laced with fury, rose sharply.

Olivia whimpered, shrinking behind Julian and Tristan. "Audrey, don't get mad," Julian said quickly. "Olivia had a horrible nightmare last night.

She was convinced there was an intruder in your room trying to hurt you." "She was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

We couldn't calm her down no matter what..." Hearing this, I stared at them, completely dumbfounded. "So you just let her run wild and destroy my room like this?" The two of them lowered their heads in guilt, offering no further explanation.

My heart ached as I bent down to pick up a stuffed teddy bear from the floor. Tears welled up instantly. When I was a kid, my parents were always traveling abroad for business.

The task of looking after me fell on Beatrice. Beatrice was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Her own marriage was a disaster, so she secretly despised my mother.

Naturally, she took her resentment out on me. She made me take freezing cold showers in the dead of winter. She fed me nothing but cold, stale leftovers.

When a teacher made inappropriate advances toward me at school, Beatrice slapped me across the face in front of the entire administrative office. She called me dirty.

She said I was a little whore who asked for it. That trauma triggered a yearlong cycle of severe nightmares. I eventually ended up hospitalized with a nervous breakdown.

Ever since, I couldn't handle sudden scares. If I got too startled, I would go into temporary shock.

When Julian and Tristan found out, they pooled their allowance together to buy me this teddy bear. It was the first birthday gift they ever gave me.

It wasn’t expensive, but it was my most prized possession.

I wiped my tears, turned, and glared at Olivia, my voice cold as ice. "Olivia, I only took you in because I pitied you for having a toxic mother." "And this is how you repay me?" My words turned Olivia's face white.

She began to hiccup uncontrollably. "I’m sorry... It’s all my fault..." "Pack your bags and get the hell out of my house.

Now." As soon as the words left my mouth, Julian and Tristan looked at me in utter disbelief. "Audrey, are you serious?

Olivia only did this because she was worried about you!" "Yeah, Audrey... you have no idea how hard she was crying this morning..." I let out a bitter, mocking laugh.

I slammed the teddy bear directly into Julian's face. A few crocodile tears from her, and these two idiots were wrapped around her finger. Maybe I should quit being a surgeon.

I’d probably make a fortune selling them snake oil. Julian's eyes darkened as the bear hit him. Tristan's voice trembled with accusation. "What is wrong with you?

You’re throwing this away too?" So, they did remember. They hadn’t forgotten how much that teddy bear meant to me. They just decided Olivia's feelings were more important.

My eyes burned with hot tears, but a second later, all the fight drained out of me. Forget it. I was an adult now. I was past the age of needing a stuffed animal to fall asleep.

Ever since I kicked Olivia out, Julian and Tristan seemed determined to make my life miserable.

Julian paid for Olivia’s luxury hotel room out of his own pocket, while Tristan came over every day to cook dinner, deliberately making only enough for the two of them and Olivia.

I was too swamped with hospital work to deal with their petty games, planning to handle it all on my day off. But Olivia couldn't wait that long.

One evening, before the guys left, she cornered me on the staircase. "Audrey, are you still mad at me?" "Actually, Julian and Tristan care about you so much.

Today..." Before she could finish her little victim speech, I cut her off impatiently. "Olivia, cut the crap.

Do you really think I don't know what you're trying to do?" Her eyes widened in panic. I smiled coldly. "I’m going on an arranged date with Zackary Sterling this Sunday.

If you want those two idiots so badly, they’re all yours." "An arranged date? With who?" Julian’s voice cut in.

He walked up the stairs, wearing his usual casual slides, his face a mask of disbelief.

I turned to go to my room, but he grabbed my wrist in a bruising grip. "Audrey, what did you just say?

Say it again." I met his furious gaze, my eyes dead and empty. "Why should I?" Beside us, Olivia suddenly put on a show of panic.

She stepped up, grabbyhanding at my wrist to pry Julian off. "Julian, let's talk calmly.

You're hurting Audrey!" She pretended to protect me, but her fresh acrylic nails dug viciously into the soft flesh of my wrist. Anger flared inside me.

I yanked my arm back with all my strength.

Suddenly, Olivia let out a sharp shriek and tumbled backward down the stairs. "Olivia!" Julian screamed in panic, instantly letting go of my wrist.

Just before she hit the bottom, Tristan, who had heard the noise, rushed out and caught her in his arms. "Olivia!

Are you okay?" Olivia looked terrified, but once she realized she was unhurt, she burst into hysterical tears. "Audrey, I’m so sorry!

I really am!" "I promise I won't try to steal Julian and Tristan from you anymore!" "Please, just let me go!" I slumped onto the stairs, my chest heaving as I struggled to breathe.

My back was drenched in cold sweat. I never imagined Olivia would risk her own safety just to play the victim and frame me! Julian looked up at me, his eyes filled with disgust.

He pointed an accusing finger at me. "Audrey, how did you become so malicious? You’re supposed to be a doctor!" And while Tristan didn't speak, his eyes silentshamed me.

Had I changed? I hadn’t done a single thing except show mercy to an ungrateful viper! The ones who changed were them...

My body shook violently, and I felt like a fish suffocating on dry land. Meanwhile, they were holding her, comforting her.

Not a single one of them cared if I lived or died. "Get out... All of you, get out!" I dragged myself up.

Julian glared at me one last time before scooping Olivia up in his arms and walking out. Tristan didn't forget to grab the sweet and sour chicken he had made for her.

The front door slammed shut with a deafening bang. Fighting off the wave of nausea and dizziness, I crawled back to my room, inch by inch.

Sunday was my day off. I started packing early in the morning. First, I threw out all of Olivia's remaining belongings, wiping away every trace of her presence.

Then, I gathered every single gift Julian and Tristan had ever given me and tossed them into the trash chute.

It wasn't until 1:00 PM that I remembered my date with Zackary Sterling. I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted. My eyes drifted to the ceiling, where a mural still remained.

It was a painting of a starry sky with three little bears sitting on a cloud. Tristan had painted it. We were in high school back then.

After tutoring me, he got a sudden burst of inspiration, climbed a ladder, and painted it. "Audrey, the white bear in the middle is you.

The black one on the left is me." "What about the yellow one on the right?

Don't tell me that's Julian?" He had laughed, his eyes sparkling like stars. "From now on, the two of us will be your knights." "We promise to protect our princess whenever she calls." The warmth of his voice still echoed in my mind.

I stared at the ceiling, wondering if I should just sell this townhouse. If I got married, I would definitely move into the Sterling estate anyway.

Selling it would save me the trouble of repainting the walls. As for those childhood memories... I’d just treat them as a long, faded dream.

Letting go of things that no longer belonged to me was its own form of liberation.