Someone Else's Love Story

The Engagement

Cole didn’t see Lai for the next few days. She kept her distance from everyone, too consumed by her guilt and self-loathing to face anyone. But the world didn’t stop for her. Time marched on, and so did Aya and Mikee’s relationship.

One evening, the group gathered for dinner at a restaurant. Cole had been dreading it, but she couldn’t avoid her friends forever. She forced herself to go, determined to plaster on a smile and get through the evening.

But nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

Partway through dinner, Mikee stood up, clearing her throat with a mischievous grin on her face. Aya looked up at her, confused but smiling.

“What’s going on?” Aya asked, laughing nervously.

Mikee reached into her pocket, pulling out a small velvet box. The group fell silent, all eyes on Mikee as she got down on one knee in front of Aya.

Cole’s heart stopped.

“Aya,” Mikee began, her voice steady and full of confidence, “I never thought I’d meet someone who makes me want to settle down, but then I met you. You’ve changed my life in so many ways, and I can’t imagine spending it with anyone else.”

Aya’s eyes widened, her hands covering her mouth in shock.

“So,” Mikee continued, opening the box to reveal a ring, “will you marry me?”

The room erupted in gasps and excited murmurs. Aya’s face lit up with joy as she nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “Yes, Mikee. Of course, I’ll marry you.”

Mikee slipped the ring onto Aya’s finger, and the group cheered, clapping and shouting their congratulations. But Cole? She felt like her entire world had just collapsed.

Her stomach twisted painfully as she watched Aya and Mikee kiss, sealing their engagement. It should’ve been her. She had been in love with Aya for so long, but she had been too afraid to say anything. Now it was too late.

Genevieve and Joanne, who had known about Cole’s feelings for Aya all along, exchanged worried glances. They both knew this was the last thing Cole needed to see.

Cole forced a smile, clapping along with everyone else, but inside, she was falling apart.

---

In the days following the engagement announcement, Cole tried to avoid her friends as much as possible. She couldn’t bear to be around Aya and Mikee — not when they were so happy, and not when she was breaking inside.

But it wasn’t just the engagement that was haunting her thoughts.

Lai had disappeared.

No one had heard from her in days. At first, the group thought she just needed some space — it wasn’t uncommon for Lai to go off the grid for a while. But as the days stretched into a week, everyone started to get worried.

Cole, especially, was panicking. The last time she had seen Lai was the night of their argument, and since then, nothing. No calls. No texts. It was like Lai had vanished into thin air.

The group tried to reach out to her, but every attempt was met with silence. Even Lai’s family didn’t know where she was, which only heightened the concern.

Cole couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of dread. She had pushed Lai away, hurt her more than she ever intended, and now Lai was gone. And for the first time since the engagement, Cole realized that her mind was more consumed by Lai’s absence than Aya’s happiness.

Something was wrong. And Cole couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was happening with Lai, it was her fault.