My fiance, Chloe, gave me a pricey Armani underwear set.
I was surprised to find a disgusting curly hair stuck to one of the briefs.
Fighting back a wave of nausea, I grabbed a tissue and yanked it off.
Then I went straight to Chloe, holding it up.
What is this? Don’t tell me it’s a mistake by the store, selling worn underwear as new?
Chloe’s eyes darted nervously, clearly at a loss for words.
Just then, Leo, Chloe’s ‘male best friend’, stepped forward, jumping to her defense.
“Julian, it’s not Chloe’s fault, it’s all on me! I was there when Chloe was picking out your gift, and I figured since we’re roughly the same size, I’d just try them on for you.”
He said it with a smirk, like he’d just done me the biggest favor ever.
Chloe’s group of friends immediately jumped in, rallying around her.
“Exactly, Julian, Leo was just trying to be nice! Are you really making such a big deal over something so trivial?”
“Seriously? It’s just a pair of underwear. So what if there’s a hair on it? Are you a germaphobe or something?”
“Chloe’s so good to you, and you’re interrogating her in front of all of us? That’s so disrespectful, totally unmanly.”
They piled on, their accusations instantly turning on me.
It was like I was the unreasonable, immature one.
Chloe took the cue, grabbing my arm, her face twisting into a wronged expression, her voice catching with a sob.
“Julian, don’t be like this. How am I supposed to face my friends after this?”
“Leo really was just trying to help, please don’t misunderstand him.”
I looked at her tear-streaked face, then at the angry crowd of ‘justice warriors’ beside her.
Instead of anger, a wave of profound amusement washed over me.
I laughed.
It wasn’t a loud laugh, but the sudden silence that followed was deafening.
Everyone stared at me with startled looks, probably not expecting that reaction.
I ignored them, my gaze fixed on Leo.
The guy still standing there, playing the role of the noble martyr, ready to ‘take responsibility’ for his actions.
“If you were trying them on for *me*, then what are you wearing right now?”
My voice was soft, but it instantly shredded his flimsy disguise.
His face visibly stiffened, and his eyes started to dart away.
“I… I’m wearing my *own*, of course.”
He tried to bluster.
“Oh, really?”
I picked up the glass of red wine from the table, swirled it, and started walking towards him.
Just as I was a step away, my foot *slipped*, and I lurched forward.
“Oops!”
With a startled cry, the glass of red wine in my hand, perfectly, completely, drenched his pants.
The deep red liquid instantly soaked through his light-colored casual trousers.
“Ah!”
“Oh my god!”
“Quick, get some tissues!”
The private room erupted in chaos. Chloe and her friends frantically rushed to him, grabbing tissues and trying to wipe him down.
But the soaked fabric clung tightly to his thighs, clearly outlining what was underneath.
A familiar silhouette.
A faint, unmistakable brand logo.
It was the exact same model I held in my hand, the one I hadn’t even had the chance to “give” him yet.
The air solidified.
All attempts at wiping ceased. Every single gaze in the room was fixed on Leo’s crotch.
Leo’s face went from beet-red to ashen, fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He was completely panicked.
I walked slowly towards him, looking down at him.
“You wouldn’t mind taking them off so we can all have a look, would you?”
“Just to see if even the anti-counterfeit code on the packaging is identical?”
Leo’s legs gave out, his lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.
Just as I was about to push him to the brink, to utterly humiliate him on the spot
Chloe suddenly let out a piercing scream, lunging forward to shield Leo with outstretched arms.
“Enough! Julian! What exactly do you want?!”
Her eyes were bloodshot, her face contorted, like a cornered animal, her eyes blazing.
“Fine! Yes, I bought two pairs! One for you, and one for Leo! They’re a matching set! Is that a crime?!”
I looked at the frantic Chloe and slowly nodded.
“So, a *matching set*, how sweet.”
My tone shifted, my icy gaze sweeping past her, locking onto Leo’s face behind her.
“Then I’m guessing that ‘best friend tattoo’ you said you got with your ‘girlfriend’ last week”
I paused, asking each word deliberately:
“Isn’t it… in the exact same spot?”
Chloe and Leo’s expressions froze instantly.
Replaced by a chaotic mix of shock, fear, and panic.
Seeing their ugly faces, stripped bare of all pretense, the last shred of affection in my heart evaporated.
I casually tossed the box of used Armani underwear, along with its fancy gift box, into the nearby trash can.
Then I walked out without a backward glance, leaving that sickening scene behind.
I drove aimlessly around the city for a while, finally checking into a hotel near my office.
The thought of going home and facing Chloe’s pathetic act again made my stomach churn.
After a shower and a change of clothes, I threw myself onto the soft bed, trying to clear my mind.
But those disgusting images, those shameless faces, replayed like a movie reel in my head.
The next day, I called in sick and slept fitfully at the hotel all day.
In the evening, my phone buzzed with an app notification.
It was from my smart home security system.
[Alert: Visitor fingerprint ‘Leo’ unlocked the door at 02:14 AM today.]
My pupils constricted sharply.
That fingerprint had been registered six months ago.
Back then, Chloe had cried to me, saying Leo was struggling at work, under immense stress, showing signs of depression and self-harm, even threatening to end it all.
She was worried about him living alone and hoped he could stay with us for a while so she could comfort him.
At the time, I only saw her kindness and soft heart. Plus, Leo lived just one floor above us, so I didn’t think much of it and agreed.
Now, I realized it was just an express lane straight into my home that they’d cleverly paved long ago.
I immediately sprang out of bed, grabbed my car keys, and sped home.
Forty minutes later, I stood at my front door.
I took a deep breath and opened it with my own fingerprint.
The living room was empty, but two sets of forks and knives, along with leftover takeout containers, were conspicuously sitting on the coffee table.
The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and Chloe’s muffled laughter drifted out.
“You’re so bad, Julian would freak if he knew you were using his shower.”
Then came Leo’s smug voice.
“I’ve always wanted to try his high-end toiletries anyway. He’s not here, so why not?”
“And I have to say, his caviar shampoo actually works wonders. My hair feels so smooth now.”
All the blood rushed to my head in that instant.
I slammed the bedroom door open.
The scene before me was sickeningly cozy.
Leo was lounging on my bed, wrapped in my bathrobe, his hair still dripping wet.
And my fiance, Chloe, was holding a hairdryer, gently drying his hair, a look of doting affection on her face.
They both turned at the sound of the door.
Seeing me, Leo didn’t show a hint of panic. He didn’t even budge from the bed.
Instead, he raised an eyebrow at me, looking utterly entitled.
“Oh, Julian’s back? My bad, my water heater broke, and Chloe felt bad for me, so she let me come over for a shower.”
I stared at him, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.
“Is my place a public bathhouse?”
Chloe immediately stood up, stepping in front of Leo like a protective mother hen.
“Julian, stop being sarcastic! He lives alone, how inconvenient is it if his water heater breaks? Our place is so close, what’s wrong with him taking a shower here?”
I looked at her fiercely protective stance, so furious I could only laugh.
“Nothing wrong.”
“But you just said your water heater broke?”
Leo looked confused, but nodded anyway.
“Yeah, why?”
I pulled out my phone, and in front of both of them, directly called the apartment complex management, putting it on speaker.
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