Countless times, Leah had hoped William would take her side, but he always chose to defend Sam, indulge her, and favor her.

When they entered the house, William sat down. Leah remained standing."I need to talk to you."

He exhaled. "About Sam again?"

"Yes. About Sam."

He rubbed his forehead. "She's my best friend. That's it."

"She's in every corner of our relationship," Leah replied, her voice controlled but shaking underneath.

"Every event. Every plan. Every conversation. And you defend her before you even listen to me."

He stood up, irritation rising."You're acting jealous."

Leah stared at him."No. I'm asking for boundaries."

"She hasn't done anything."

"She told me you were her first peck."

He froze.Then sighed. "Leah... we were seventeen. It meant nothing."

Nothing. To him. To Sam, it was ammunition. Leah swallowed the sting.

Her heart sank, cold and heavy, knowing she would always come second to Sam in his heart.

————————

Evening light seeped through the curtains and spilled onto my desk. I quickly checked my phone. 5 p.m. I locked the phone and started to gather my things. I work in an event management company. It's a small startup-a struggling one. But as time passes, we are progressing.

My phone lit up on my desk. I checked the notification. It was a message from William. William is my boyfriend. I opened the message.

William: In another meeting. Going to be late. Sorry.

I smiled and typed a quick reply:

It's okay. Drive safely.

I collected my things and stepped out of the office. My cab was already waiting. When I reached home, I rushed into the bathroom to take a shower. Then I started to prepare dinner. When I was done, I took my laptop and started doing my leftover work. I was engrossed in my work. The clock already showed 8 p.m. That's when William's car pulled into the porch.I closed my laptop and walked up to him.

"Hey, beautiful..." With a smile that made him impossibly handsome, he pulled me into a hug and pecked me on the forehead. I laughed and wrapped my arms around him.

"Hey, handsome. Go and freshen up. I'll set the table."

"Will be right back." With that, he ran upstairs.

I set the table and started to wait for him. Sometime later, he came back and took the seat opposite mine. We started eating our dinner with small talks. We discussed our upcoming projects and talked about our day.

We met two years ago at a party. My cousin dragged me with him to his friend's party. I met William there. We just talked for a few minutes that day, but something charming about our meeting made it impossible for me to stop thinking about him for days. After a few weeks, I joined a hiking trip, and we met there for the second time. It was a three-day hike, and we talked so much. And the charmer he is, he easily made my heart fall for him. We started to meet up a lot after that. Finally, on my birthday, he confessed his love to me. I was over the moon, and from that day, I was his girlfriend. We moved into this house three months ago. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he proposes to me.

With a small smile, I looked at him. He was washing the dishes, and I was drying them with a towel. That's when he spoke.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you. Sam called. Finally, she's coming back."

"Oh... when?" I asked, unsure.

"She didn't tell me. She said it's a surprise. She just told me to expect her at any time. I'm so happy. It's been three years. I can't wait to see her..."

I gave him a nod with a tight smile.

Yeah... Samantha is coming.

His best friend.

...

Samantha and William were childhood friends. Their parents had been friends long before, so they became inseparable from their diaper days-that's what William always says.

William and Sam's mothers were best friends from school. Sam's mom was a businesswoman, while William's mom became a homemaker. Sam's parents divorced when she was five. William and his family always had a soft corner for her because she didn't get a father's love growing up, and her mother-a busy woman-couldn't spend much time with her.

Three years ago, her mother's business abroad started to collapse. Samantha went there to help her mother, working hard to stabilize the company. And now, she was finally coming back.

I had talked to her a few times when William and she FaceTimed, and... I don't know, even though I'd been hearing nonstop how good she was from William, I still felt something off. She talked to me like she didn't like me-just a few polite words, and then she would turn to William as if I didn't exist. Maybe I was overthinking. But her coming back didn't sit right with me.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when my boss snapped her fingers in front of me.

"Earth to Leah. What's your brain cooking so much?"

I laughed and put my pen down.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something."

Natalie, my boss, is a 28-year-old ambitious woman who was also my senior in college. We're good friends-she's like my best friend.

"Lost in thought? The boyfriend of yours finally proposed?"

"Ah... no... not yet. Can we have a drink?"

She looked at me carefully. "You're asking to get a drink. Then something's bothering you. Okay, come on. Let's go."

We went to our favorite bar that quietly stood at a corner of the buzzing city. We took a seat in a corner booth and ordered our drinks. When they came, we took a sip and instantly calmed down.

"Now, spill it. Is everything okay?" Nat asked, sipping her drink.

I let out a shaky sigh. "Remember Sam? Samantha? William's best friend. She's finally coming back." I set my glass on the table, playing with the rim. "She's his best friend. They grew up together. She's someone important to William and his family. I'm nervous to meet her. I don't know why. Maybe I'm overthinking. But I've always felt like she doesn't like me."

Again, I let out a sigh.

"Girl, you're sighing a lot. I get it. This is the first time you're meeting her in person. Actually, I understand. A girl as a best friend? Quite risky. But maybe she's also nervous to meet you."

"Yeah... maybe..."

Soon, our talk shifted to business. Nat is really strong and hardworking. One hour later, we stepped out of the bar. Nat offered me a ride, and we got in her car.

Halfway through the ride, Nat broke the silence.

"Your birthday is next week. Are you off that day? Are you guys planning something?"

I smiled at her. "No, we haven't talked about anything. I think he's planning a surprise for me. Maybe he's going to propose. I don't know. I'm excited."

"Oooh... I see... You're smiling like your cheeks hurt," Nat teased. We both laughed.

When we pulled into our driveway, William's car was already parked on the porch. I waved at Nat and said goodbye. I stepped into the house and heard William talking to someone.

I went into the living area and saw him FaceTiming Sam. He looked over his shoulder and waved at me.

"Babe, you're back... say hello to Sam."

I stood behind him and gave a little wave to Sam. I could practically see her smile dim when she waved back.

"I've been asking over and over when you're coming back. You haven't given me a hint," William said with that usual glint in his eye, looking at Sam.

"That's what you call a surprise, Willy. I really wanted to make you speechless by showing up at your doorstep, but Mom spilled it to you. So let me surprise you a little by showing up unexpectedly," she said with a smirk, looking at me at the end of her sentence.

That's weird.

No, I'm overthinking.

She leaned closer to the camera and smiled sweetly at William.

"Don't worry, my big boy. I'll make it up to you for these three years. I'm going to hijack you from everything else."

William laughed out loud.

Okay.

that's it. I'm out.

"Ah... I'm going to freshen up. See you later, Sam," I said, giving a small wave to her.

William nodded at me. I climbed the steps and reached our room, and I could still hear his laugh echoing downstairs.

...

William's POV

I stepped out of the office and walked toward my car. Tomorrow was Leah's birthday. A small smile curved on my lips as I started the engine.

This birthday will stay with her forever.

I would take her out on a long drive. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere just ours.

And then I would propose.

It was time to take this relationship to the next level.

I had met Leah two years ago-at a party. She had been standing a little behind her cousin, slightly awkward, slightly unsure. We had spoken only for a short while that night.

But even in those few minutes, something about her stayed with me.

That was also the time Sam had gone abroad.

For the first time in my life, we were living in different worlds. The distance had been unfamiliar, unsettling. She was going through a difficult phase herself, trying to find her footing in a place that wasn't home yet. Our conversations had slowly grown fewer.

But now, when I thought of her, I felt only pride.

She had faced everything on her own-and she had survived.

She was coming back soon.

And I missed her more than I had allowed myself to admit.

I parked the car in front of the jewellery store and stepped out. John was already there, waiting for me. He led me straight to the ring section.

Leah had always loved simple things-nothing loud, nothing extravagant. After a brief search, I found it.

A delicate ring. Elegant. Quietly beautiful.

Just like her.

It would make her fingers look even more beautiful.

With a soft smile, I handed it over for packing.

That's when my phone rang.

Mom.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hey, Willie. How are you? Are you still at the office?"

"No, Mom. I'm out. I'm going to pick Leah."

There was a pause before she spoke again, her tone heavier this time.

"I called to tell you something. You have to come here tomorrow. Let's have lunch together."

I rubbed my forehead slowly. Saying no to my mother had never been easy.

"Uh... Mom... tomorrow is Leah's birthday. We already made some plans."

"So what?" she replied immediately. "You can go wherever you want after lunch. How long has it been since you came home? Grandma keeps asking for you. I told her tomorrow is Leah's birthday, so we should invite both of you. You have to come. Tell Leah too."

I let out a long breath as I walked out of the shop.

"Okay, Mom. I'll tell her. We'll come."

She ended the call with a satisfied "Good."

There was no point arguing. She never accepted a no.

I carefully placed the small shopping bag inside my backpack, started the car, and drove toward Leah's office. She would be waiting.

As expected, she was standing outside when I arrived. The moment she saw me, her face lit up with a beautiful smile.

"Hey, beautiful," I said, parking the car with a wink.

"Hey, handsome."

She slipped into the seat beside me, smiling. Soon, the car filled with her voice-she spoke nonstop about her day, every little detail.

Then suddenly, she stopped and looked at me.

"You're very quiet today. What happened? Bad day?"

I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Uh... Leah... tomorrow is your birthday, right? I had actually planned something. But Mom called."

Her smile faded just a little.

"Oh... what is it?"

"She really wants to see me. Grandma too. So... lunch at my place tomorrow. I promise we'll leave as soon as lunch is over."

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel as I spoke.

She smiled again-gentle, understanding-and nodded.

But something weighed on my chest.

I knew it.

Mom still hadn't fully accepted Leah. That was why they had met only a handful of times.

But I was sure of one thing.

Given time... she would love Leah too.