Fading Before Tomorrow

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My best friend and my boyfriend were sworn enemies, yet they became lovers in a game.

Everyone thought they'd back out.

But my best friend, Lyra, snatched up the wager, her voice brimming with challenge:

Whats wrong, Jim Voldemort? Scared to play now?

Kings game: whoever breaks up first loses. I advise you to surrender gracefully and call me 'Dad' the next time we meet!

Jim Voldemort was so furious he gritted his teeth, adamantly refusing to be the first to break up.

They fought from campus to the corporate world.

To up the ante, they even adopted a child.

From then on, he played the devoted husband, she played the loving mother.

And I, Eleanor Vance, had a secret decade-long relationship with Jim Voldemort.

Lyras mother, unaware of the truth,

Still urged them to get married at this years New Years Eve dinner.

How can parents of a middle schooler not be legally recognized as a family unit?

Lyra skillfully pushed me forward as a shield:

If I get married, what about Eleanor?

Jim chimed in too:

Yes, we cant bear to leave Eleanor all alone.

They were as in sync as a real married couple.

I opened my phone and smiled.

Then you can rest easy.

My mother has picked eighteen fiancs for me; theyre lining up for me to choose.

This time, Jims face completely darkened.

In front of them, I directly interviewed those eighteen men.

This young wolf-cub is good; Ive been into younger men lately.

That icy guy was decent too; he looks like hed be caring.

And

Only my comments echoed through the private room.

Jim Voldemorts presence was terrifyingly low, his face hinting at a coming storm.

My best friend, Lyra Quinn, hugged him tightly, whispering a warning:

Jim, if you dare to mention anything about the game now, Ill consider you to have completely surrendered.

My mother has a weak heart; dont go crazy in front of her!

Lyra, afraid he might actually act rashly, hugged him so tightly it looked like she wanted to break his waist.

Jims chest heaved, and he unconsciously hooked Lyras little finger.

This was his little gesture when he was being soothed.

Lyras mother smiled, watching their intimate interaction.

I twitched the corner of my mouth, my throat bitter.

Its laughable, really.

These two: one was my secret boyfriend, the other my confidante.

They sat on one side, and I sat opposite.

Together, we formed a stable triangle.

Much like our relationship over these years.

On the way home, all three of us were silent.

I opened the back door, leaving the passenger seat for Lyra.

She paused, then instinctively said:

Alfie has tutoring today, we dont need to pick him up so early.

I smiled, Its fine, Im used to it.

Alfie was the child Jim and Lyra adopted.

He had just started middle school this year and didnt know his adoptive parents were actually a fake couple.

Whenever he was around, they would act as if they were madly in love.

The passenger seat, once exclusively mine, was gradually given to Lyra.

The glove compartment sometimes held her lipstick and perfume, sometimes Alfies toys and homework.

My belongings, however, were nowhere to be found.

When Lyra first started playing the role of a respectful partner with Jim, she would still hug the toilet, vomiting profusely.

Her eyes teary, shed look at me:

Eleanor, what did you ever see in that dog, Jim?

Just holding his hand once, Id want to scrub it eight hundred times with disinfectant.

Jim wouldn't be outdone.

Knowing Lyra hated him for "stealing" me, he'd deliberately pick me up and sit me on his lap during meals, refusing to let me down, just to spite her.

It would make Lyra stomp her feet in anger.

In those years, the love was real, and the hatred was real.

Its the same now.

I pushed Lyra into the passenger seat, saying blandly:

Dont worry about me. Im used to sitting in the back now.

No matter how much you dislike something, after doing it a thousand times, you get used to it.

Jim frowned, looking a little helpless.

Eleanor, theres no need to intentionally provoke me by putting on such a show with eighteen different men.

You know I detest her, and she detests me too.

Theres really nothing between us.

Lyra quickly nodded.

Thats right, Jim will definitely marry you in the end.

Besides, didnt you say you didnt want to rush into the grave of marriage?

Having acted for so many years, even their expressions of urgency were becoming increasingly similar.

They truly looked like a married couple.

I climbed into the back seat, looking at the passing scenery outside the window.

Lyra, I said that when I was twenty-three.

Im thirty-three now, long past the age of youthful bravado.

Jims breath hitched, the veins on his hands, gripping the steering wheel, bulging.

What about me?

His voice was strained, his eyes gradually reddening.

Does someone you loved at twenty-three stop loving you at thirty-three?

I couldnt answer.

So I pretended not to hear.

Just as I always pretended not to have witnessed their kiss in the snow a month ago.

It was Alfies birthday party, and many people were invited to celebrate.

In broad daylight, the two of them started arguing about his tutoring class.

Theyd had some wine, and they started brawling like children.

Alfie was terrified and cried uncontrollably.

I quickly picked him up and left. After finally calming the child, when I went to the garden to find them,

I saw a drunken Jim pinning Lyra down, forcefully kissing her lips despite her struggles.

Lyra trembled, then slapped him hard.

Jim Voldemort, look at me and see who I am!

Im not Eleanor!

She tried her best to restrain herself, but her voice still carried an uncontrollable sob.

Jim stumbled to the ground, his fingers buried deep in his hair.

I know How could I mistake the two of you?

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with pain, regret, loss and a hint of undeniable passion.

Tears streamed from Lyras eyes without warning.

She suddenly lunged forward, hugging Jim tightly.

Her voice was muffled and desperate: Today doesnt count.

We were both drunk, so whatever happened, it doesnt count as betrayal.

Jim fiercely hugged her back, kissing her passionately.

I hid in the corner, my hands and feet freezing.

Snowflakes landed on my eyelashes, melting into tears that streamed down.

At this moment, I also wanted to ask Jim.

Would someone you didnt love at twenty-three be loved at thirty-three?

The tangled fate between the three of us dates back a long time.

My personality was gentle and timid; I spoke softly.

Lyra, however, was domineering and strong, her word was law.

Jim liked me the most, so he detested Lyra, who was my opposite.

Yet, they were both exceptionally good-looking, academically excellent, and childhood friends.

No matter which school they were in, they were a popular, love-hate pairing.

However, Lyra strongly disliked being forcibly paired with him, complaining more than once about their blind classmates.

Jim, though he didn't speak, clearly drew boundaries with his actions.

I wasnt mediocre, but among them, I appeared overly unremarkable.

At first glance, it seemed like two prominent figures and their little follower.

Therefore, when Jim first confessed to me at seventeen, my immediate reaction was disbelief.

Did you lose a game of Truth or Dare?

Jims face twisted for a moment, then he walked away in a huff.

But from then on, he would stand by our classroom door every day with a flower, publicly declaring his love.

Lyra was furious, stomping her feet.

Every time she saw him, she couldnt resist hitting Jim in the face.

It wasn't until I accepted his confession that they finally calmed down.

Lyra, while being annoyed, helped us cover up.

Later, in college, Lyra changed boyfriends every week, and the annoyed person became Jim.

From ideologies to preferences, they had nothing in common.

Until the graduation banquet, when that seemingly joking Kings Game emerged.

The classmate who drew the Kings card truly had no ill intentions; initially, they just designated Jim and Lyra to be a couple for a week.

Like everyone else, I thought one of them would quickly give up and concede.

But no one anticipated that they would become competitive, just like when they were children.

They held their noses and went on dates, went shopping, performing their deep affection for everyone.

A week passed. A month passed. A year passed.

Ten years passed.

They were still competing.

Those in the know started a betting pool on when they would break up.

Those unaware praised Mr. Voldemort and Miss Quinns deep devotion.

And I, just like in my youth, was always overshadowed by their brilliance.

No one remembered that Jim and I had a history.

A silence filled the car.

Jim first dropped Lyra at her house.

Without her, Jim and I had even less to talk about.

After adopting Alfie, our conversations often revolved around the child.

Jim complained that Lyra, a first-time mother, had no idea how to care for a child.

Lyra grumbled that Jim was always away, leaving her to raise the child alone.

They were still at odds, as always, but to outsiders, it was just minor marital disagreements.

I held the title of godmother, but I was a true outsider.

Alfie only liked his mom and dad; he didnt like me.

He even thought I was the third wheel in their family.

Thinking about it carefully, the rift between us actually appeared very early.

From the moment Jim forgot my birthday because of a parent-teacher meeting.

From the moment Jim suggested we no longer celebrate our anniversary.

From the moment Jim said we needed to be more reserved in front of Alfie.

Those cracks were silent, he didnt notice them, and I couldnt articulate them.

The silence was driving him mad.

Back home, Jim impatiently pressed me against the wall.

A torrent of kisses rained down.

In the throes of passion, I suddenly caught a familiar scent.

It was Lyras usual perfume.

Very faint, but with a strong presence.

Just like her.

I suddenly felt a wave of nausea, struggled to push him away,

And rushed to the bathroom, clutching the toilet, vomiting.

Jims face went pale.

Eleanor, what did I do wrong?

You know that everything with Lyra in front of others is just an act.

Ive loved you since we were kids.

I couldn't answer; the severe dehydration made me dizzy.

In fact, ever since I caught them kissing, I became suspicious and paranoid.

For a while, I even followed Jim.

But as Lyra said, they were both drunk that day, and whatever happened was an accident.

So it didnt count as betrayal.

I never caught them being intimate again either.

But the thorn between us was already there.

Every time I saw them together, I couldn't help but recall that scene.

Every day that followed was like being slowly cut by a dull knife.

Jim, confused by my coldness, also felt very wronged.

But before he could find an answer, Alfies school enrollment issues consumed all his attention.

So, anything about me was put aside again.

Jim saw how sick I was and didnt press further.

We lay on the same bed, he holding me, his fingers unconsciously tapping my arm.

When I had nightmares as a child, he would comfort me just like this.

Gently, disturbing no one.

But how did we end up like this now?

Tears silently streamed down, unnoticed by Jim.

In the middle of the night, a sharp pain suddenly gripped my abdomen.

I nudged Jim awake, my face ashen.

I think I have acute gastroenteritis again.

Jim woke up in a fright, running five red lights on the way, rushing me straight to the hospital.

But just at the last intersection, Lyras call suddenly came in.

Jim, Alfie seems to be in shock from a fever, what should I do?

Jim slammed on the brakes.

I was resting in the back seat and was thrown to the floor.

I was in too much pain to speak, only hearing Lyras voice, anxious with a hint of a sob.

After a while, Jim carried me to the ground outside.

Eleanor, Ive called you a cab; itll be here soon if you wait here.

With that, he hurriedly drove off.

In his haste, he almost hit a railing.

I watched him leave.

In these past few years, it seemed I was always watching his back.

But before the driver arrived, I lost consciousness and fainted.