Before the words had even faded, he reached for the waistband of her pants.
"Hey! Stop it!"
Serina laughed as she dodged him—her movements were light, playful, but not firm.
Suddenly, Beckett slipped, and Serina instinctively reached out to catch him.
The two of them toppled together, collapsing in a tangled heap on the soft grass.
In the chaos, Serina's skirt was pushed up to her waist.
Beckett held her tightly by the waist, his other hand possessively covering her exposed thigh.
Their eyes locked, and heat rose between them.
Neither had the slightest intention of letting go.
The crowd's deafening cheers of "Be together!" cut into me like knives, stabbing again and again until my heart was nothing but shredded flesh.
At that moment, I was no different from those pathetic husbands in movies—watching from the shadows as their wives nestled into another man's arms.
Beside me, Claire's face had gone pale with fury. She was about to storm forward, but I quickly reached out and stopped her.
My hand shook as I dialed Serina's number. Through blurred vision, I saw her pull out her phone. Annoyance flickered across her face at the sudden ringing.
Once. Twice. Three times.
She stared at the caller ID flashing "Husband" but never picked up.
With a mocking snort, Beckett pulled her into his arms, his tone dripping with contempt.
"Your nagging ‘old man' again?"
He casually pressed the decline button, tapped Serina on the nose, and smirked.
"Don't ditch your bestie just because of a man. Otherwise, we won't be friends anymore."
"Don't say that!" Serina laughed, clinging to him even tighter. "My husband is not half as important as my bestie!"
With a swift motion, she powered off her phone and tossed it aside, then rolled with him again across the grass, giggling.
Yes. Her husband was nothing compared to her so-called best friend.
What more did I need to understand?
The wind cut through me, leaving me trembling. I pointed at the laughing pair not far away.
"Claire, does this spot have cameras?"
Claire caught my meaning immediately. "I'll have someone save the footage right now."
My chest felt hollow, bleeding out from a wound no one could see.
'Serina, if you've already made your choice... Then the outcome is inevitable. You will lose everything.'
Not far away, the group had started barbecuing and drinking again. The more they drank, the looser their tongues became.