The Postponed Engagement

At the friend's gathering three days before the engagement party, Eric lost at Truth or Dare. Right in front of me, he grabbed Wendy's neck and planted a firm, unmissable kiss on her. Wendy smiled as she gently pushed him away, her fingertips still brushing the corner of Eric Gabriel's mouth, then turned to explain to me. "He's drunk, Yale. Don't take it personally." Hearing that, Eric Gabriel only grew bolder. He jumped up abruptly, hanging on Wendy, his arm wrapped around her waist, deliberately lifting his chin at me. "We've grown up together since we were kids. So what's wrong with a kiss?" "Yale, I also know Wendy hates celery the most, so don't put any in when you cook." He didn't say anything more, but the challenge burning in his eyes stabbed at me like needles. I clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white, just about to stand up. Wendy immediately stepped in front of Eric Gabriel, pushing my arms with both hands, her tone urgent. "Don't be impulsive. He's just drunk and confused. I'll handle him." As she spoke, she reached out and patted Eric Gabriel's back, trying to help him onto the sofa. But Eric Gabriel refused; he shot me a glance, then suddenly buried his head in Wendy's collar, his nose brushing against her collarbone. In that moment, the string in my mind snapped completely. I rushed over, grabbed Eric's arm, and yanked it hard. He lost his balance, fell to the ground, tumbled over, still shouting Wendy's name, acting reckless. Gasping for breath, I was just about to step forward and hit him again to snap him out of it. But Wendy lunged forward, knelt down, pulled Eric into her arms, her hand stroking his back, her voice trembling with tears. "Eric, did you hurt yourself when you fell? Should we go to the hospital?" Everyone in the private room gathered around, chattering anxiously, trying to calm me down. "Yale, the engagement is tomorrow. It's only natural that Eric Gabriel feels uneasy. Don't take it too seriously." "Exactly, Eric Gabriel and Wendy Scott grew up together. As a man, you should be more understanding." I stood there, watching the scene in front of me, suddenly feeling how utterly ridiculous it all was. Wendy and I have been together for three years, and the engagement party is right around the corner. But now, everyone is defending Eric Gabriel, acting like I'm the one who did something wrong. I thought back on so many things from before. One time, I came home from work, pushed the door open, and saw Eric Gabriel sitting on the sofa, his hand resting on Wendy's slightly swollen belly, smiling as he said he was greeting the baby. I was trembling with anger, but Eric Gabriel dismissed it casually, saying, "I'm the baby's godfather; what's wrong with this?" Wendy Scott just waved it off helplessly, saying Eric is childish and told me not to read too much into it. And then there's today—Wendy's post on social media. The photo showed only her and Eric, their faces pressed closely together, with the caption 'Forever favored.' My heart clenched painfully, but when I saw her instinctively touching her belly, I swallowed all my emotions. I stepped forward, trying to help Wendy up. But just as I reached out, Wendy stepped back, firmly standing in front of Eric Gabriel, her eyes guarded. In that moment, the anger I had been holding back exploded, scorching up to my head. "Wendy, how much longer are you going to keep protecting him? He's like this, and you still can't see it?" Wendy lifted her head, her eyes full of disgust, her voice icy cold. "Yale Luke, have you finished causing a scene? With so many people watching, don't you feel ashamed?" This was the first time in three years she spoke to me like that. Because of Eric Gabriel. I looked around, and everyone was staring at me with weird eyes, as if I were some unreasonable troublemaker. I stood there stunned for a long moment, the sharp ache in my heart slowly seeping through me until it filled my entire body. That's when I finally realized why I couldn't blend in all night. Because from the very start, I was nothing but an outsider. Eric Gabriel was like a thorn lodged deep in my palm—visible, impossible to pull out, and always stabbing me hard when I wasn't even paying attention. I took a deep breath, my eyes burning red, and stared at Wendy Scott. "Wendy, it's either me or Eric Gabriel. You choose." Wendy's brows instantly furrowed, her voice loaded with impatience. "Yale Luke, can you be a little more mature? Instead of asking childish questions, why don't you help Eric and me up and take us to the hospital!" No sooner had she finished speaking than Eric, lying on the ground, reached out and grabbed Wendy's hand tightly, shooting me a meaningful look. I curled the corner of my mouth in a self-mocking smile, said nothing more, stepped over them, and walked straight out the door without looking back. At the doorway, I stopped and glanced back once. "The engagement party is indefinitely postponed."