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I fell for my boyfriend’s friend
Novelix
Completed
After my online relationship finally moved offline, I stumbled across a post. ""If you could go back in time with all your memories intact, what would you change?"" People in the comments wanted to change their marriages, their careers. Some wanted to save loved ones they'd already lost. But one comment was nothing like the rest. ""I'd go get her contact info myself."" ""That way I wouldn't have ended up chatting with the wrong girl for six months because my friend mixed them up."" ""We've already met in person now. Guess I have no choice but to keep going.""
Chapters (4)
第1章
After my online relationship finally moved offline, I stumbled across a post.
"If you could go back in time with all your memories intact, what would you change?"
People in the comments wanted to change their marriages, their careers.
Some wanted to save loved ones they'd already lost.
But one comment was nothing like the rest.
"I'd go get her contact info myself."
"That way I wouldn't have ended up chatting with the wrong girl for six months because my friend mixed them up."
"We've already met in person now. Guess I have no choice but to keep going."
I left a snarky reply and was about to scroll past.
Then I noticed the profile picture. The username. Even the bio on his page.
All identical to my newly official boyfriend, Vincent.
It finally clicked—why he'd never once asked to video call.
Why his smile had looked so strained when we finally met in person.
The love he'd given me was never meant for me at all.
It was always meant for someone else.
…
I looked up.
In the distance, Vincent sat at our table, snapping at whoever was on the other end of his phone.
He was chewing out the friend who'd given him my contact info by mistake.
"You're back?"
He hung up right before I sat down.
Slid the menu toward me.
"I ordered a few of your favorites. See if you want to add anything else."
Vincent had always been thoughtful.
Even before we'd met in person, he never missed a holiday gift or a birthday surprise.
He knew I'd forget dinner when work got busy, so he'd order me food from a different place every day for a week, delivered right to my office building.
My preferences, my cycle—he remembered them better than I did.
Friends and coworkers envied my luck. Landing a rich, attentive boyfriend online? Unheard of.
But now I realized none of it was ever mine. I'd stolen all of it.
He waved a hand in front of my face and laughed.
"What, mesmerized by how handsome your boyfriend is?"
"You'll have plenty of time to stare later. Eat first."
"If you skip a proper meal, you'll be telling me your stomach hurts again."
Under the table, my fists clenched tighter.
I worked up the courage to come clean.
"You know, when you realized you had the wrong person—you could've just told me. You didn't have to keep dating me."
Vincent's smile vanished.
"Where did you hear that?"
I couldn't look him in the eye. I didn't answer directly.
"The day your friend came to get my contact info, my coworker was there too."
"He must've mixed us up by accident."
I took out my phone and pushed my coworker's toward him.
"This is her actual account."
"If you want, I can introduce you."
"Let's just end this. This mistake."
Vincent pressed his lips together, his expression unreadable.
"You really don't have to do this. I never intended to—"
"For me, it's necessary."
I cut him off.
I refused to be anyone's stand-in in a relationship.
And I refused to let this come out someday and have people say I stole someone else's boyfriend.
"I'll keep it between us. You don't have to worry about her finding out we dated."
Vincent was quiet for a long time. Then he nodded.
"As compensation, I'll do one thing for you. Anything. No conditions."
"As long as it's within my power."
His expression was dead serious.
As if I might refuse—as if I'd hold this over him forever.
I didn't want anything from him.
But I was afraid he'd worry if I didn't agree, so I nodded.
He finally let out a breath.
"Let's eat, then. This meal's on me."
I picked up my bag and stood.
"No need. I have work this afternoon."
第2章
I made it back to the office on time that afternoon.
Connie, my closest work friend, was stunned.
"Didn't you take the day off to meet your online boyfriend? Why are you back?"
The truth was, I'd dressed up specially for Vincent. Even used a whole vacation day.
But it was all a case of mistaken identity.
No point wasting half a day off on that.
Seeing my silence, she reached over and patted my shoulder.
"That's the biggest downside of meeting people online. Reality never lives up to the fantasy."
I managed a strained laugh.
I didn't tell her it was worse than that.
A few days later, Connie leaned in and whispered near my ear.
"Did you hear? Diana's dating some rich guy."
"A luxury car's been picking her up after work—tons of people have seen it! She hasn't denied it either!"
My hands froze over the files I'd been organizing.
After meeting Vincent that day, I'd gone to find Diana myself.
She'd hesitated before accepting Vincent's friend request.
Said she absolutely didn't trust online dating—she'd want to meet in person and talk first.
From the looks of things, that talk had gone well.
I was still lost in thought when Connie nudged my arm.
I looked up to find Diana standing beside me.
And a gift bag sitting on my desk.
"Thanks for giving Vincent my contact info. We wouldn't have met otherwise."
"This is a little something from both of us. I hope you'll accept it."
She handed Connie an insulated bag as well.
"My boyfriend ordered me extra takeout. Here—you have it."
Connie's eyes lit up. She cradled Diana's face and kissed both her cheeks.
"Oh my God, Diana, I love you!"
But after she looked inside, she pulled the container out, confused.
"I thought this place never delivered? Do they deliver now?"
"Last time Evelyn's boyfriend ordered from the same restaurant for her."
"Really?"
Diana's expression shifted—something soured.
She turned to me, probing.
"Come to think of it, I never asked—how do you know Vincent?"
Her scrutinizing gaze made me deeply uncomfortable.
"I only know his friend."
"Once he found out you and I are coworkers, he specifically asked his friend to get your contact info from me."
"You're beautiful—it's hardly a surprise he fell for you at first sight, right?"
Everything I said was technically true.
I'd just left out a few details.
"Oh, stop—you're exaggerating."
Diana's face softened into a shy smile.
She didn't press further.
The moment she left, Connie scooted over to me.
"You're seriously the luckiest person alive."
"Your own online boyfriend was rich and attentive."
"And you managed to set Diana up with a loaded guy too?"
"When are you going to find me a boyfriend?"
All I could do was laugh awkwardly.
"It's Diana's own qualities that did it."
"If I were really that talented, my own meetup wouldn't have been a disaster."
"Honestly, you should spend this energy figuring out how to handle that high-maintenance client tomorrow morning."
Her face fell instantly, and she dove back into her research materials.
That evening after work, the sky cracked open with a downpour.
I was sheltering under the building's awning when Diana walked up and looped her arm through mine.
"It's way too heavy to wait it out—who knows when it'll stop. Let us give you a ride home."
I was about to refuse.
But Vincent spoke first, his tone leaving no room for argument.
第3章
"Get in."
"This rain's not stopping anytime soon."
Both of them insisting so warmly—refusing again would've looked deliberate.
But as I moved to get in, Vincent suddenly pulled open the passenger door.
"Don't you get carsick? Sit up front."
My hand hovered in midair, reaching for the rear door handle.
I could feel Diana's questioning stare boring into me.
As if she were one second away from seeing the secret hidden between us.
I don't get carsick.
It was just that work had been insane back then.
I'd been running on fumes for days and happened to have a business trip.
Skipping breakfast before a long drive to the airport—I'd thrown up so badly I nearly passed out.
Couldn't check my phone in time to reply to Vincent.
When he asked about it later, I'd mentioned offhand that I felt sick in the car and missed his messages.
I never expected him to remember that for so long.
Let alone assume I got carsick.
I smiled.
"You've got it wrong. I don't get carsick."
Vincent's face remained composed as he offered an easy correction.
"My mistake—I was talking to Diana."
More than the embarrassment, I was terrified Diana would catch on to what we'd been.
The entire car ride, she kept watching me in the rearview mirror.
She even brought up, multiple times during conversation, my famous online boyfriend—the one everyone at work knew had been so good to me.
"Online relationships are all the same, really. Just providing each other some emotional comfort."
I was mortified and awkward all at once.
Forced to field Diana's questions.
Internally, I wished I could teleport home.
Just as Diana was about to dig deeper into the love story between me and my online boyfriend—
The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of my building.
"I've got a dog who's been cooped up all day—needs a walk. I'll head up. You two take care."
Before either of them could react, I was already halfway across the lot with my bag over my shoulder.
That night, fresh out of the shower, my phone screen lit up with a message from Vincent.
"Stay away from Diana at work."
"She's too sharp. She'll figure it out."
Not long ago, this man had been my incredibly attentive boyfriend.
Now, when we were face to face, we could only pretend to be strangers.
My chest ached so badly I could barely breathe.
"I'll be careful."
"To avoid any misunderstandings, we should probably delete each other's contacts."
I didn't wait for his reply.
I deleted him in what felt like a fit of spite.
Maybe it was a bad night's sleep.
The next morning, my eyes were so puffy I could barely see straight.
Connie materialized out of nowhere with an ice pack.
"Don't tell me you spent last night crying under your blanket over that online boyfriend."
"No. Probably just drank too much water before bed—a little swollen."
I pressed the ice to my eyes and didn't notice Diana passing by.
On the way to meet the client, Connie couldn't stop fidgeting.
I found it a little funny.
"Why do you look more nervous than you did at your job interview?"
"You have no idea how brutal this guy is. Last time he ripped into Betty so badly she turned around and walked out, then hid in the bathroom crying."
After hearing that, even I started getting nervous.
But when we arrived, I realized I was looking at a familiar face.
第4章
Charles smiled and extended his hand.
"Evelyn. We meet again."
The last time we'd met, Charles had tagged along with his father to discuss a project.
Diana and I, fresh-faced interns at the time, had been brought along by our manager to assist.
The origin of every mistake.
That was the day Charles had come over and asked for my contact info himself.
Connie's eyes darted between me and Charles. She leaned in close and whispered, "You two know each other? Does that mean we can land this deal?"
I pressed my lips together.
"Not really. I met him once before—when Anna brought us out for a project meeting."
Charles knew he'd screwed up. He didn't push it.
After the meeting, while Connie was in the restroom, Charles came over to me to apologize.
"It's my fault—I wasn't clear enough. I told him 'the prettier one.'"
"So he just assumed it was you."
It was hard to stay angry at that.
"I don't blame you."
When it came down to it, I wasn't blameless either.
If I'd agreed to video call Vincent sooner, we wouldn't have dated for six months only to find out the truth when we finally met.
Charles was genuinely upset on my behalf.
"What Vincent did was way out of line!"
"As his buddy, let me make it up to you on his behalf."
"Does she need you to make it up to her?"
I turned around.
Vincent stood a short distance away, his expression dark as a storm cloud.
"Worry about your own problems."
A chill ran down my spine.
I suppressed the urge to shiver and declined.
"I appreciate the thought, but really—there's no need."
The words had barely left my mouth when Diana stepped out of a nearby private room.
Her gaze flicked to Charles.
Then she turned to me with a smile.
"So this is your online boyfriend? Pretty good-looking."
I corrected her immediately.
"He's a client."
Charles, however, grinned broadly.
"For now."
Vincent looked at him, expressionless.
"If it's no, it's no. What's this 'for now' bullshit?"
Diana shifted uncomfortably, tightening her grip on Vincent's arm.
"Oh—my mistake then. Let's go."
"We shouldn't bother them."
Vincent gave a low hum of acknowledgment and walked away with her hand in his.
Watching them leave, I couldn't help asking.
"Aren't you and Vincent supposed to be close friends?"
"You two don't seem like it."
Charles raised an eyebrow.
"Honestly, we're not as tight as you'd think."
Then the two of us just stood there in silence. Neither of us said another word.
Thankfully, Connie emerged from the restroom just in time to break the awkward spell.
When the car pulled up outside the office, a black sedan in the corner suddenly honked at me.
The day we'd met in person—Vincent had been driving that exact car.
I pretended not to see it and walked straight toward the building without turning my head.
But the horn only got louder.
"Oh—I just remembered I have something to take care of. You go on up without me."
I waited until Connie was safely out of sight.
Then I trudged toward the plain black car.
The window rolled down.
Vincent's less-than-friendly face appeared before me.
"Stay away from Charles. He's not someone you want to get involved with."
