Craving My Best Friend’s Man

CHAPTER ONE “Ann, I think I’ve finally met someone.” I paused, slowly lifting my head to look at Angel. Something about the way she said it felt… different. It was not the usual excitement she had when talking about random things. It was not the playful tone she used when teasing me. This was softer. And serious. I studied her face carefully, noticing the small smile on her lips and the way her eyes seemed to shine with something I couldn’t quite explain. “Wait,” I said, narrowing my eyes slightly. “You’re serious?” She laughed lightly and dropped her bag beside her before sitting down. “Very serious.” I leaned back, crossing my arms as I stared at her like she had just said the most unbelievable thing in the world. “Angel? You? The same Angel that has rejected every single guy I’ve ever introduced to her?” “Okay, first of all,” she started, nudging me, “those guys were not my type.” I scoffed. “You didn’t even give them a chance.” “Because I didn’t need to,” she replied simply. I shook my head, still trying to process it. For five years, I had known Angel as someone who didn’t take relationships seriously. Not because she didn’t believe in love, but because nothing ever felt right to her. She had standards. Very high ones. And no matter how much I tried to convince her to give people a chance, she always walked away disappointed. So this? This was new. “So…” I said slowly, leaning forward. “What makes this one different?” Her expression changed instantly. The teasing disappeared. Her voice softened. “He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.” I went quiet. Because I had never seen her like that before. Not once. And in that moment… I knew this wasn’t just another passing interest. This was real. Angel and I had been best friends for five years. We met during our first year at university, and from the very beginning, something just clicked between us. What started as a simple conversation turned into something deeper, something steady. We became inseparable. Late-night reading that usually turned into gossip, random food runs when we were supposed to be saving money, laughing over things that didn’t even make sense… Angel wasn’t just my friend. She was my safe place. And if there was anyone who truly knew me at my best and at my worst, it was her. Especially after Steve. My chest tightened slightly at the thought. Unlike Angel, I hadn’t been careful with love. I had believed in it too quickly… too deeply. At first, I thought what Steve and I had was real. Even when people warned me, I ignored them. “He’s not serious, Ann.” “He talks to too many girls.” “You deserve better.” I heard everything. And still chose him. I told myself they didn’t understand him the way I did. But the truth? They saw what I refused to see. Steve was never just mine. There was always another girl. Always another excuse. “I swear it didn’t mean anything.” “They’re just friends.” “You’re the only one I care about.” And like a fool… I believed him. More times than I should have. I stayed. I forgave. I tried. I even went out of my way for him, looking for jobs, sending him money when he said he was struggling, standing by him when everyone else walked away. I thought if I loved him enough… he would change. But Steve didn’t want to change. He just wanted someone who would stay no matter what he did. And I was that person. Until the day everything finally broke. I remember it too clearly. I had been saving for months, cutting down my expenses, denying myself things I wanted, just to have something of my own. Something secure. Something that was mine. Then one day… It was gone. All of it. At first, I thought I had made a mistake. But deep down… I already knew. When I confronted him, he didn’t even deny it. “I was going to tell you,” he said casually. It wasn’t a big deal. “Tell me what?” I asked, my voice shaking. “That you took my money?” “I needed it,” he replied. “I’ll pay you back.” But I knew he wouldn’t. Because I could see it in his eyes. There was no guilt. No regret. Just the same empty excuses. Later, I found out what he used the money for. Girls. Parties. Things that meant nothing. And that was the moment it finally hit me. It wasn’t just cheating. It wasn’t just lies. He didn’t respect me at all. Not my love. Not my effort. Not even my struggles. That was the day I walked away. Not because I stopped loving him… But because I finally realized loving him was destroying me. It took me months to start feeling like myself again. Some days were easier. Other days… not so much. And through it all, Angel was there. She stayed with me on the nights I couldn’t sleep, listened when I needed to talk, and distracted me when I didn’t want to think. If anyone knew how broken I had been… It was her. “So when are you going to show me this miracle man?” I asked, forcing a small smile as I looked back at her. She laughed. “You’ll meet him soon.” “I hope so,” I teased. “Because right now, I don’t believe he’s real.” “Oh, he’s real,” she said, her voice filled with certainty. I smiled, shaking my head. And somehow… I believed her. I had no idea that moment would come sooner than I expected. Or the man who made my best friend so happy… Would be the same man who would slowly destroy everything between us.