"Jing… you're so naïve. You're defending the girl who has told you the biggest lie of your entire life. You call her your best friend—but has she ever told you who she really is?"
Jing's hand froze mid-air. She looked at Mei Wei suspiciously.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Aanya knows everything about me, and I know everything about her."
Mei Wei leaned closer, her voice turning more venomous.
Mei Wei:
"Really? Did she tell you that she is the legal wife of this office's CEO, Mr. Zain Yan? And this isn't a love marriage, Jing—it's nothing but a one-year contract she signed for money or out of compulsion."
Jing's face turned pale. Her mind began replaying everything—Aanya constantly being around Zain, calling him a 'beast,' and Zain's strange behavior toward her.
Mei Wei:
"You think she's like you? No. She's living in palaces as Mrs. Yan while lying to your face, treating you like an ordinary employee. If you want proof, I have a copy of that contract. Do you want to know how big a betrayal your friend committed?"
Tears and anger filled Jing's eyes. It wasn't the marriage that hurt her—it was the deep wound of being treated like a stranger by the friend she considered a sister.
The office had emptied out. Dim evening light filtered through the windows, making the café corner look even more eerie. Mei Wei slammed a file onto the table in front of Jing. Inside was the contract bearing Aanya's trembling signature—forced when Zain had held her hand.
Mei Wei (with a poisonous smile):
"Look at these signatures, Jing. See how happily your 'innocent' Aanya sold herself to Zain. That 'Beijing meeting' you believed in? It was actually their secret wedding. She lied to you so she could enjoy everything alone."
Mei Wei wasn't done. She pulled out her phone and showed a photograph—the moment when Zain had forcefully tried to kiss Aanya. From the camera angle, it looked like they were lost in love.
Mei Wei:
"She spends every night in Zain's bed. And what—do you think Qian loves you?"
(laughing)
"Poor Jing! Zain ordered Qian to keep you distracted so you wouldn't get close to Aanya's secret. You're just a pawn, Jing."
Tears streamed down Huan Jing's face. Her fingers trembled. Every moment she had trusted Aanya replayed in her mind. It felt like her entire world was built on a lie.
Huan Jing (in a choked voice):
"No… Aanya can't do this. She wouldn't lie to me…"
Mei Wei:
"Don't believe me? Then see it with your own eyes. Here—this is the address of Zain's private villa. Go and see whether your friend is imprisoned there… or living like a queen."
Mei Wei slid a piece of paper across the table and walked away, her heels clicking sharply, a cruel triumph glowing on her face.
That night, Jing reached Zain's villa. The towering gates and luxurious walls mocked her. Sneaking in through the back entrance, she moved toward the hall—and saw it.
Aanya was sitting there with Zain. Zain leaned close to her, applying medicine to the injury on his jaw. From a distance, it looked as though they were about to grow intimate again.
Jing's inner thought:
"Aanya… you didn't just break my trust—you killed my soul. Mei Wei was right. You've become a stranger."
Mei Wei's poison had spread through Jing's veins. Standing outside Zain's luxurious villa, Jing couldn't stop crying. From the window, she saw Aanya and Zain close together. To her, it looked like Aanya had chosen luxury by betraying her.
Covering her ears, Jing ran away like a madwoman. Rain mixed with her tears as her sobs echoed through the night.
Jing's inner thought:
"Aanya… we dreamed together, and you turned me into a pawn? I thought you were my friend—but you became the queen of that 'beast'!"
Inside the villa, Zain and Aanya had no idea about the storm outside. Zain forcefully made Aanya sit on the sofa and tried to apply ointment to the injury on his jaw—the one caused by her punch.
Aanya (pulling away):
"Let me go! I'll do it myself. And anyway, you deserved that punch!"
Zain (grabbing her chin and pulling her closer):
"Sit still! If this mark remains, people at the office will say Mrs. Yan beats her husband. What about my reputation?"
Aanya:
"Oh, so you care about your reputation? And what about me? You dragged me around like an animal when I didn't have my glasses!"
Zain gently dabbed cotton on the wound. Aanya hissed in pain and clutched his shirt tightly. His face was so close that he could see her eyelashes flutter.
Zain (smiling):
"You make this much noise even in pain? Next time, check how delicate your hands are before punching—or you'll hurt yourself more than me."
Aanya pouted, but deep down, she liked his concern.
Elsewhere, Huan Jing ran to Qian's house. She was completely drenched and shivering. When Qian opened the door and saw her like that, happiness and concern filled his eyes.
Qian (smiling):
"Jing? At this hour? And why are you soaked? Come inside—you'll catch a cold."
Misunderstanding the situation, Qian opened his arms to hug her.
Qian:
"Don't be scared. I'm here…"
As he came closer, Mei Wei's words echoed in Jing's mind:
"Zain ordered Qian to keep you distracted."
Jing's hand flew through the air.
Slap!
Qian's head snapped to the side. He froze.
Huan Jing (screaming with hatred):
"Don't touch me! You and your boss—you're the same! You used me, didn't you? I trusted you, Qian, and you were just playing with me like a pawn!"
The slap echoed like an explosion in Qian's small apartment. Red fingerprints bloomed on his cheek. He held his face and looked at her slowly—pain in his eyes, not anger.
Qian (trembling):
"Jing… what are you saying? When did I ever use you?"
Huan Jing (sobbing):
"Don't lie! I know everything. Mei Wei showed me the contract. Aanya and Zain's marriage—and Zain's order to you! You came close to me only because your boss assigned you the task, right?"
Qian took a deep, heavy breath and tried to hold her shaking hands, but she pulled away. Truth shone in his eyes.
Qian:
"Yes, Jing! In the beginning, Zain sir asked me to look after you so Aanya would feel comfortable. He said it was part of a business deal. But… that was long ago."
Huan Jing:
"So you admit it? You were acting?"
Qian:
"No! Listen to me. Zain sir changed. When he fell in love with Aanya, he himself told me the mission was over. He said—
'Qian, stop pretending. If you truly love Jing, go to her. Otherwise, leave her alone.'
Jing, I didn't leave you because my love was never an act!"
Jing felt dizzy. On one side were Mei Wei's 'proofs'; on the other, the pain in Qian's eyes. Rainwater dripped from her clothes onto the floor.
Huan Jing:
"You're all lying. Aanya hid such a big truth from me… she didn't even invite me to her wedding. She lured me with a 'Beijing meeting' while celebrating her wedding night! You're all the same."
Qian:
"She lied to protect you. Zain sir was dangerous in the beginning. Aanya didn't want you getting hurt. She was afraid of losing you!"
Jing closed her eyes. She trusted no one now. She pushed Qian away and turned toward the door.
Huan Jing:
"Enough, Qian. Don't ever show me your face again. You and your Mrs. Yan friend—be happy in your luxurious world. People like me don't belong in your games."
She disappeared into the dark, rainy night without looking back. Qian collapsed to his knees, heart pounding, and immediately dialed Zain.
Huan Jing entered her small apartment and slammed the door so hard it echoed through the empty rooms. Soaked, muddy shoes and all, she didn't care. She collapsed onto the floor in the darkness.
She wiped her eyes with her palms, but the tears wouldn't stop. Mei Wei's words and the scene at Zain's villa played in her mind like a movie.
Jing's inner thought:
"Aanya… I treated you like my sister. I shared everything I had. And you? You turned me into a side character in your story."
With trembling hands, Jing picked up her phone. The bright screen hurt her swollen eyes. She opened her contacts and clicked on
"Aanya – Bestie 💖."
Her finger hovered over the Block button. Thousands of late-night messages flashed through her memory. Then she remembered the contract.
Click.
With one simple tap, Aanya vanished from her digital world.
Next, Jing opened her gallery. Thousands of photos—their first office selfie, cheap restaurant meals, Aanya's birthday. She tapped Select All.
Each photo held a memory. Aanya's laughter. Her thick glasses. Her insults toward Zain. Now it all felt like a rehearsed act.
Jing (through heavy sobs):
"Everything was a lie. You were never my friend."
She pressed Delete. In an instant, the screen went blank. Those colorful pages of memory turned into black-and-white nothingness.
She threw the phone onto the corner of the bed and hugged her knees to her chest. No more calls. No more messages. Aanya was now a stranger—the stranger who had shattered her trust most cruelly.
The night grew silent. Jing's sobs faded, but the emptiness in her eyes was more terrifying than any storm.