Tugged the Wrong Heartstrings

Main Story: Anya's POV

It was just one day before the wedding.

I didn't expect that young woman to show up in person.

The moment I saw her, a memory surfaced.

She was none other than Maggie Alden—the same woman Eli had supported years ago.

I'd heard she was ambitious. Despite coming from a small town, she'd made it into a top medical school in the city.

She'd relied on scholarships every step of the way.

When our eyes met, Maggie's expression was calm and measured. "While your heart belonged to someone else for a decade, mine was always with Eli."

A faint smile curved her lips. "Tell me, Anya… doesn't that make my love the more genuine one?"

She watched me closely as she spoke. "You saw the photos I posted, didn't you?"

I remained silent. Her smile only broadened.

"Looks like it was no secret to you. Yes, we kissed. We made love. What we have is undeniably real."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

Yes, I had spent ten years chasing Carter. After finally letting go, Eli and I spent two years as friends.

It wasn't until I fully realized my feelings that I began this three-year relationship.

With my head bowed, I let out a quiet laugh. "If you were so sure he'd pick you, you wouldn't have come searching for me."

Maggie's face hardened in an instant. "It's only a matter of time. You may have chosen Eli, but that doesn't guarantee you'll be the one who wins in the end.

"He sees his younger self in me. His pity and sympathy are unmistakable. All I need to do is keep appearing before him. As long as even the smallest spark of curiosity remains, I still have a chance to win this game.

"Because you hold the upper hand, you'll never truly see things from my perspective."

My fingers clawed at my palm. Even though my nails tore into my flesh, I felt nothing at all.

Thinking of Eli, it was as though my heart was being torn apart and crushed at the same time.

I got up slowly, my eyes never leaving Maggie's.

"Don't rush, Maggie," I said, uttering each word like the strike of a match.

"What you can't have always seems the most irresistible.

"Right now, you're just a temporary thrill in Eli's heart. But once he has you, the fantasy will dissolve.

"I'm the reminder of how it all unravels."

I drew in a slow breath, trying to quiet the storm churning in my chest.

It felt like a hundred blades pressing in at once.

Still, I knew I had to hold on.

The end was almost here.

…

During this period, I decided to take Eli back to all the "firsts" we had shared—the theater where we watched our first movie, the seaside from our first trip, and even the street where we had our first argument.

I tasked him with creating a "memory album" from these moments.

I told him it would stand as proof of the journey we had traveled side by side.

Every time he wrote a page, he fell quiet for a long moment.

It was clear he was lost in his memories, and I could see his heart beginning to soften.

Despite his grudges, his emotions weren't completely one-sided.

My love for him was real throughout all these years.

But in the end, I had chosen the wrong man.

When I came back to myself, a drink had been placed before me.

I looked up and saw Carter standing in the light, his eyes quietly locked on mine.

"I understand everything now."

He paused, as if summoning every bit of courage. "...Would you consider giving me another chance?"

I nearly laughed out loud.

Men were always like this.

When a woman loved them with all her heart, they called her overly sentimental. But as soon as she pulled away, they acted like they couldn't live without her.

"There's no future for us, Carter."

His brows knitted together. "Why not? We come from similar backgrounds, and we've known each other for years. What are you really holding on to?"

I laughed bitterly. "So, I'm supposed to choose between you two?

"Is my life really over without either of you?"

"That's not what I meant…"

He reached out to grab me, but I quickly stepped aside.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind.

"What are you two talking about?"

Eli stood against the sunlight, his face hidden in shadow.

His eyes were dark and unreadable.

In the next instant, he lunged forward, swinging a punch at Carter.

Carter froze for a heartbeat before retaliating.

"Damn it, Carter! If you even think about Anya, I swear I'll make sure you never set foot in a hospital again!" Eli bellowed.

With bloodshot eyes, he looked every bit a beast freed from its cage.

Carter sneered, unleashing a torrent of biting words.

"Eli, are you really going to act innocent?

"You went after Anya just to get under my skin, didn't you?

"I won't deny I had feelings, but I never crossed the line. You, however, took it way too far.

"Tell me, does Anya even know you've got a 'girl best friend' tucked away on the side?"

Eli froze. His face went pale in an instant.

He turned to me, realization dawning across his features.

"Honey… It's not what it looks like."