I read those messages while my childhood sweetheart, Aidan Black, passed out drunk on the bed.
I had just wiped him down and changed his clothes to make him comfortable. I had even considerately placed a glass of honey water on the nightstand.
For ten years, I had handled every detail of his life, never doubting our bond. We were each other’s closest family until I scrolled up and saw the full conversation.
His friend, Callum Bailey, started, [Aidan, are you really marrying Lorelei?]
He sent a screenshot of my engagement post, and the group chat exploded.
Aidan: [I’ve proposed. No backing out now]
His friends weren’t impressed, voicing their disapproval one after another.
[Bro, with your status, you could snag a younger and cleaner girl.]
[Lorelei is almost 30. Even if she’s pretty, aren’t you bored?]
[Selling drinks got her what, a few bucks per bottle? But she raked in three million dollars in three years. We’ve been to those places. We know what pays like that.]
[Aidan is not touching her. Probably scared of catching something.]
Aidan watched the chat without defending me. Finally, he commented, [No choice. She’s an orphan, and I pity her. If I
