Chapter 1

At my birthday party, Ethan couldn't stop praising his friend's model girlfriend.

Then he turned to me as I was eating cake, his words dripping with sarcasm:

"Stop eating! You're as fat as a pig!"

"When are you going to lose weight?"

"The wedding dress I ordered for you only fits someone who weighs 187 pounds!"

In that moment, I didn't want to marry him anymore.

At my birthday party, Ethan's friend Jack brought a gorgeous model girlfriend.

Her skin was like porcelain, with a waist you could wrap your hands around.

When they walked in, all eyes were on her.

Even the usually serious Ethan couldn't help but stare.

Jack boasted proudly: "This is Lily, my girlfriend. As you can see, she's obviously a model."

The crowd erupted in cheers and teasing.

"Jack, who knew you had it in you to date such a beautiful girl!"

"Be honest, did you trick her somehow?"

Jack laughed, his eyes challenging as he looked at Ethan sitting next to me.

"You guys are joking. How could I compare to Ethan? His girlfriend is a graduate student."

Ethan's face immediately darkened.

He and Jack were childhood friends, growing up in the same neighborhood.

Their elders had always compared them.

Ethan's family was in politics, he had good grades and a steady personality. Jack's family was in business; he was a troublemaker who relied on his family's money.

So in all the comparisons growing up, Ethan had always come out on top.

But this time...

Ethan gripped my hand and stood up, his smile stiff:

"There's no point in comparing. What's best is what suits you."

"By the way, which university does your girlfriend attend?"

Now it was Jack's turn to be embarrassed.

He opened and closed his mouth without saying anything.

Lily stepped in: "I started working after high school, I didn't go to college."

With those words, the atmosphere in the room froze.

Ethan's friends all came from good backgrounds. Even those with poor grades were sent abroad by their parents to study and came back with a shiny degree.

Luckily, at that moment the waiter came in pushing the cake, breaking the awkward silence.

Everyone started singing "Happy Birthday" in unison.

Oh right, I was the star of the day.

After I made my wish, Ethan eagerly started cutting and distributing cake to everyone.

He especially cut the biggest piece for Lily.

Lily waved her hand: "I need to maintain my figure, I can't eat sweets."

Ethan sighed: "You're already so thin, it's okay to eat a little sometimes."

But Lily still politely refused with a smile.

Strangely, Ethan seemed glued to that spot, taking a long time to return.

The cake in front of me gave off a sweet aroma.

Thinking about how I had been on a diet for a month, avoiding all my favorite foods, just waiting for my birthday as an excuse to indulge a little.

I couldn't resist using my finger to scoop up a bit of frosting.

Just as I put it in my mouth, Ethan turned around as if he had radar and glared at me.

"Weren't you on a diet? Why are you still eating! You're as fat as a pig!"

"When are you going to lose weight?"

"The wedding dress I ordered for you only fits someone who weighs 187 pounds!"