Thanks for Playing, I'm Quitting This Game

On the night before we're supposed to register our marriage, our friends suggested playing a mystery box game. Each of the men puts a gift into a box, and the boxes are randomly handed out to the women. They all say this is the fairest way to play this game. When I open mine, there's only a single card inside that reads, "Thank you for participating." The room falls silent for a moment. Then, someone can't help snickering. My fiance, Hunter Sinclair, ruffles my hair. "Your luck is still as bad as ever." My childhood friend, Gabriel Unwin, lowers his voice and says, "Smile. Don't make people think you can't take a joke." At the same round, Tiffany West opens her box and finds the grand prize inside. The box contains a pink diamond necklace personally chosen by Hunter and a voucher for the island getaway I've talked about for three years. There is also a handwritten card from Gabriel. It says, "We'll always be here to protect you." I smile along with everyone else and slip my card back into the empty box. A raffle is all about luck, after all. Later, as I head to the restroom, I overhear the host checking the prize list in the lounge. He says, "Mr. Sinclair, everything was handed out correctly, right? The grand prize went to Ms. West, and the consolation prize went to Ms. Lawson." Hunter hums in confirmation. Gabriel laughs and adds, "That's right. She'll find a way to make herself feel better." Standing outside the door, I suddenly remember my 18th birthday. I waited in the rain for the midnight fireworks celebrating my coming of age. But Hunter and Gabriel held the only umbrella over Tiffany instead. Looking back at me, they said, "Natalie, your house is closer. Just run a couple of steps, and you're safe from the rain." That night, I went home soaked to the bone. I even made excuses for them, telling myself that it was just my bad luck. But tonight, I finally understand. The umbrella was never meant for me in the first place. So this time, I tear up that card and decide not to go through with our marriage registration. I'm done playing the game of luck they've rigged from the very beginning. Chapter 1 When I returned to the private room, Tiffany West was surrounded by people taking pictures of her. The pink diamond necklace rested against her collarbone like a teardrop cradled in someone's palm. Someone started teasing, "Hunter, isn't this limited-edition piece a little too extravagant? Anyone who didn't know better would think Tiffany was the one you were proposing to tonight." Tiffany immediately grew flustered. "Don't say that. Natalie will be upset." The moment she spoke, every pair of eyes landed on me. When my fiance, Hunter Sinclair, saw that I was back, he raised his eyebrows slightly. "Why are you standing by the door? Anyone who didn't know better would think someone had bullied you." I looked at him and suddenly found it funny. I was the one who had been hurt, yet even my silence made it seem like I was making a scene. So, I didn't move. A slight frown formed between Hunter's eyebrows. Gabriel Unwin was the first to stand and walk over to me. His features were gentle, and he always looked as though he were smiling whenever he looked at someone. Before I turned 18, I had always believed Gabriel was the last person in this world who would ever make me feel humiliated. But now, he leaned down to look at me and spoke in a low voice. "Natalie, don't make things difficult for Hunter at a time like this." I looked at him and asked, "Did I say anything?" Gabriel paused. Tiffany clutched the necklace as tears streamed down her face even faster. "Natalie, why don't I give the necklace back to you? I shouldn't have accepted it in the first place." The moment her hand touched the necklace, Hunter spoke. "Keep it." Then, he turned to me and stressed, "Whoever drew it got it." I chuckled softly. The private room fell silent for a moment, and Hunter's gaze grew colder. Gabriel frowned and said, "Natalie, it was just a game. Did you really have to make an issue out of it?" Then, he stepped in front of Tiffany. His voice remained gentle, but to me, it felt like a knife pressing against my throat. "Tiff has always lacked a sense of security," he said. "She finally got to be happy for once. Can't you give in to her?" It was that line again. I couldn't help looking at Tiffany. She hid beside Hunter with tears shimmering at the corners of her eyes. But when she glanced at me, there was the ghost of a smug smile that was gone in the blink of an eye. In the next second, Hunter stood up and walked over to me. He carried the cool scent of cedar. I was the one who had picked out that cologne. I had said it suited him—cool and clean—but he had complained that it was too subtle. Later, after Tiffany said she liked it, he wore it for three years. He raised a hand, intending to ruffle my hair like he always did. I turned my head and avoided him. Someone in the private room gasped. At this point, Hunter's expression darkened. Still, he said, "We're trying on wedding dresses tomorrow. I'll be there." I looked up at him. "You remembered?" He looked at me as though I had said something ridiculous. "When have I ever forgotten something I promised you?" Just then, Tiffany gave a soft cough. Hunter immediately turned and asked, "What's wrong?" Tiffany shook her head. "It's nothing. My neck's just a little itchy. Maybe I'm just not used to wearing the necklace yet." Hunter picked up the jacket from the couch and draped it over her shoulders. Looking at my expression, Gabriel sighed. "Natalie, don't overthink it. Hunter's marrying you tomorrow. Tiff is just everyone's little sister." I looked at him. "Would a little sister accept a pink diamond personally chosen by her future brother-in-law?" The smile on Gabriel's face faded. "Do you have to put it that way?" Hunter turned back to me, his voice low and cold. "Natalie, that's enough." Suddenly, I didn't feel like saying another word. In this little game, I had been humiliated. Yet, I was still expected to smile and say, "My luck is really terrible." When the gathering ended, Hunter took Tiffany to the hospital. A small patch of skin on her neck had turned red. Gabriel stayed behind to take me home. When we reached the entrance, he took off his scarf and wrapped it around my neck. "The wind is strong," he said. "Don't catch a cold." I lowered my eyes to the scarf. He was always like this. Just when I was about to lose all hope, he would offer me exactly the right amount of tenderness. Then, the very next moment, he would push me right back to where I had started. Sure enough, after tying the scarf for me, he said, "Natalie, don't take what happened today to heart. You know what Hunter's like. He may be cold with his words, but you know his heart isn't. "He'll go with you to try on wedding dresses tomorrow, and the day after that, he'll marry you. You've already won. Stop fighting Tiff over these little things." I looked at him. "What did I win?" Gabriel froze. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Even he couldn't answer that question. Chapter 2 The next morning, I arrived at the bridal boutique alone. When the sales associate took the wedding gown out of its garment bag, her eyes lit up. "Ms. Lawson, this dress really suits you. Is Mr. Sinclair coming today?" I hesitated before answering, "He'll be here." That was the last time I spoke with complete confidence on Hunter's behalf. But at 10:00 am, he still hadn't arrived. Then, at 10:30 am, his assistant sent me a message. "Ms. Lawson, Mr. Sinclair has something urgent to deal with. He probably won't be able to make it today." I called Hunter. After several rings, he finally answered. But in the background, I could hear Tiffany's suppressed sobs. "Natalie, I'm at the hospital," Hunter said. I gripped my phone. "What happened to you?" "It's not me," he replied. "It's Tiff. She had an allergic reaction to the necklace she wore last night. Her neck's swollen." I lowered my head and looked at the wedding gown I was wearing. The corset was pulled so tight that it was hard to breathe. "Today's our wedding dress fitting." The other end of the line fell silent for a moment. Hunter sighed softly and said, "Natalie, don't compare yourself to her. The person I'm marrying tomorrow is you. The person standing beside me at the altar will also be you. Tiff's sick. I'm staying with her for a while. Don't you have any confidence in our relationship?" Instantly, I felt a lump form in my throat. Just then, a sales associate walked over carrying a box. "Ms. Lawson, Mr. Sinclair just had someone deliver this." Inside the box was a pair of ivory satin wedding shoes. The heels weren't high, and there were blister pads attached to the backs. A card lay beside them. It read, "Your heels blister easily. Don't wear heels that are too high." I held the card tightly, and a sharp ache welled up in my chest. So he still remembered. When I was 18, my heels had been rubbed raw and bloody the first time I wore high heels. His voice softened over the phone. "You got the shoes?" "Yeah," I murmured. It sounded like he was coaxing me as he said, "Be good. I'll come back and have dinner with you tonight." Before I could respond, Tiffany called out from the other end. "Hunter, is my neck going to scar?" Hunter immediately replied, "It won't. Let me take a look." The call ended. I lowered my head and looked at the shoes. They fit perfectly, but the person who had sent them wasn't there. At three that afternoon, Gabriel arrived. I had already finished trying on all the dresses by then. He pushed the door open, and when he saw me, his gaze paused for a moment. "You look beautiful," he complimented. He walked closer and lowered his eyes to my feet. At the sight of them, he frowned immediately. "You've rubbed them raw again?" he asked, crouching down to take a box of bandages out of his pocket. "Don't move." Gabriel applied them gently and skillfully. It was just like old times. When he finished, he looked up at me and asked, "Does it hurt?" I didn't answer. Gabriel stood and steadied me with a hand. "Come on. Get in the car first. It's cold outside." It was still raining. He tilted the umbrella toward me, and before long, half of his own shoulder was soaked. I followed him to the car. Just as I was about to get in, I noticed a white stuffed lamb sitting in the front passenger seat. I stopped. Gabriel froze for a moment, but quickly pressed a hand against the car door. His tone was so natural that it was as if he were talking about something trivial. "You can sit in the back." I looked at the stuffed lamb. "Can't it sit in the back?" His movements stalled. "Don't make a fuss. Tiff's been waiting all afternoon for this." "So I sit in the back, and it gets the front seat?" Gabriel sighed. "Natalie, you're different. You're stronger than she is." My eyes suddenly burned as tears welled up. I raised my hand to brush his hand away. "Gabriel, I don't want to be strong today." The gentleness on his face faded. "Don't make this difficult for me." I smiled. "Every single time, you tell me to be understanding. Why do you never ask that of her?" Gabriel was silent for two seconds. Then, he said, "Because she really will cry." I nodded. "But I won't." I hugged the garment bag containing my wedding dress and turned to walk into the rain. The rain poured down. After only a few steps, the backs of my heels were already rubbing painfully against my shoes. I didn't look back. Neither did Gabriel come after me. It didn't really matter anymore. 20 minutes later, Tiffany posted on her social media. In the photo, the stuffed lamb sat spotless beside her hospital bed. The caption read, "Someone brought it to me through the rain and said he wouldn't stop worrying until I stopped hurting." I stood by the roadside, carrying my wedding accessories in my hand, while the pain in my heels had gone completely numb. The sales associate ran after me and handed me a paper bag. "Ms. Lawson, you forgot your veil." I took it. At that moment, I suddenly didn't want to get married anymore. Chapter 3 The next day, I still went to the city hall. I wanted to see whether Hunter would actually come. At 9:15 am, I saw Hunter's car pull up across the street. When the car door opened, the tightness in my chest eased. I even instinctively fixed my hair. All he needed to do was say, "Natalie, I'm here." With that, I might have swallowed all of last night's hurt one more time. But then, his phone rang, and he answered it. I didn't know what Tiffany said on the other end, but his expression changed immediately. The next second, Hunter turned and got back into the car. The sound of the car door closing was soft, yet it was as loud as the sound of my heart breaking. Ten minutes later, Tiffany posted on her social media. "I told him I didn't want to be alone, and he really came back." In the photo, Hunter was holding the hand that was hooked to an IV. At 9:40 am, Gabriel arrived at the city hall. When he got out of the car, his face showed the exhaustion of someone who hadn't slept well. "Stop waiting. Hunter can't make it today," he said. I looked at him and said, "I saw him." Gabriel froze for a moment. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he merely said, "Tiff's allergic reaction flared up again last night. She can't handle any emotional stress." I asked, "So I can?" Gabriel frowned. "Natalie, don't keep asking questions like that." He walked closer, speaking as though he were trying to comfort me. "You'll have a wedding, and you'll have a rightful status. You'll be Mrs. Sinclair. But what does Tiff have? She only has a few friends like us." I put away my documents and turned to leave. Gabriel grabbed my arm and asked, "Where are you going?" "The wedding planning company," I replied. He visibly relaxed upon hearing that. "To confirm the schedule?" I nodded. His expression eased. "That's more like it. Don't throw everything into chaos. The one who'll end up looking bad is you." … At the wedding planning company, the planner looked a little uncomfortable. She pushed the materials for the welcome display toward me. On the screen was a photo of Hunter standing in the middle, with Tiffany and me on either side. It had been taken at Tiffany's birthday party last year. She wore a white dress and held onto Hunter's arm, looking more like the bride than anyone else. I stood off to the side, still holding the cake knife I'd used to cut her birthday cake. Even the welcome message had been changed to "Thank you for witnessing our ten years together." But why did "our ten years" include not only Hunter and me, but also Tiffany as well? I kept scrolling through the schedule and found that everything had been changed. The wedding vows even included a section thanking Tiffany. I asked the planner, "Who approved this?" The planner answered cautiously, "Mr. Sinclair." Seeing the look on my face, Gabriel immediately said, "It's only the welcome display, not the main stage. Tiff never really had a family growing up. She just wants to feel involved." I looked at him incredulously. "It's my wedding. What does she need to be involved in?" Gabriel's voice deepened as he warned, "Don't be so harsh, Natalie." Just then, Hunter called. The moment I answered, he asked, "Have you seen the schedule?" "I have." "Tiff cried all night, saying she felt like an outsider. I had them add a few more photos." I asked, "Do you really think that's appropriate?" Hunter's tone grew impatient. "What's inappropriate about it? She's the maid of honor, and she's a mutual friend of ours. Tomorrow, you're marrying me, not a screen." I continued scrolling. When I reached the jewelry confirmation page, my finger stopped. The note read, "Ms. West will model the pearl earrings for the pre-wedding promotional video." Those pearl earrings had been my mother's. Before she died, she told me she hoped I would wear them on my wedding day. "Why did you let Tiffany wear my mother's earrings?" I asked. Hunter fell silent for a moment before explaining, "She was only trying them on—" "Mom left those to me." "I know," he replied. I laughed in disbelief. "You knew, and you still let her wear them?" On the other end of the line, Tiffany began crying softly. "Hunter, forget it. I won't wear them. Natalie must think I'm not worthy…" Hunter's voice immediately softened. "Don't say that." But when he spoke to me again, his tone turned cold once more. "Natalie, Tiff is only trying them on to help you film the preview video. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this?" I said, "Give them back." Hunter didn't respond. Then, Gabriel suddenly spoke from beside me. "Natalie, if your mom were still here, she wouldn't hold something like this against a young woman." I shot him a piercing look. The conference room fell silent. My gaze seemed to intimidate Gabriel for a moment, but he continued anyway. "Did I say anything wrong? Your mom would've definitely wanted you to be more generous. You're making such a scene over a pair of earrings. She wouldn't be happy if she saw this." I slapped him across the face. Hunter's cold voice came through the phone. "Natalie, did you hit him?" Gabriel's face turned to the side, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. "Natalie, you've become someone I don't even recognize anymore!" I ignored him, picked up my bag, and walked out. From my phone speaker, I heard Hunter say, "If you walk out now, don't expect to see me home tonight." I stopped in my tracks and said, "Whatever." Chapter 4 At eleven that night, Hunter still hadn't come home. I sat in the living room of our new house and went through the wedding schedule from beginning to end. My name appeared only twice. It didn't look like a wedding for Hunter and me. At 1:00 am, I heard the lock click. Hunter walked in, carrying the smell of disinfectant with him. When he saw that I was still sitting there, he frowned. "You're still awake?" I asked, "Where are the earrings?" His hand paused as he loosened his tie. "Tiff still has to film a video tomorrow morning. Let her keep them for now." I stood up and demanded, "Go get them back now." His expression darkened, and the patience in his eyes slowly disappeared. "Natalie, the person I'm marrying tomorrow is you. What else do you want?" "I want my things back," I replied. Hunter suddenly let out a quiet, mocking laugh. His voice was soft, yet unbearably arrogant. "Tiffany only borrowed the earrings for a moment, and you can't even tolerate that? Natalie, don't be so greedy." I stared at him blankly. So in his eyes, I was greedy for asking for my mother's keepsake back. Just then, Gabriel called and said urgently, "Hunter, something bad happened. Tiff says the earrings are missing." My body stiffened. Half an hour later, we arrived backstage at the hotel. Tiffany sat in front of the makeup mirror, wrapped in Hunter's jacket. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. The makeup table was a complete mess. The only thing missing was the pair of pearl earrings my mother had left me. I asked the makeup artist, "What about the security footage?" The makeup artist lowered her head. "The cameras malfunctioned this afternoon." What a coincidence. I looked at Tiffany and said, "Give them back." Tears immediately rolled down her cheeks. "Natalie, I really didn't take them." Steadily, I proposed, "Then let's call the police." The moment my words fell, Tiffany's face turned pale. She threw herself toward the wall and screamed, "It's all my fault! I never should've touched your things! I might as well die!" Hunter grabbed her at once. Gabriel also rushed over to support her. The two of them stood on either side, shielding her between them. Hunter turned back to look at me, his eyes ice-cold. "Apologize." I thought I had misheard him. "What did you say?" "Apologize to her," he said, each word clear and deliberate. "She's already falling apart. How much further are you going to push her?" I looked at him in disbelief. "Hunter, she lost my mother's keepsake." "She already said she didn't do it on purpose." "Just because she said she didn't do it on purpose, you're taking her word for it?" "Do you have any evidence that she did it on purpose, then?" I couldn't answer him. Gabriel also tried to persuade me softly. "Natalie, just back down already. You've already won. Why make things difficult for Tiffany?" I looked at all of them and suddenly felt exhausted. Tiffany had so obviously won. Yet, everyone insisted that she was the pitiful one. So, I nodded. I didn't want to put up a fight anymore. "Fine." The backstage area fell silent for a moment. Hunter frowned, as though he hadn't expected me to agree so quickly. Gabriel froze as well. I turned toward Tiffany. She was still hiding behind Hunter with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," I said. Gabriel looked at me, and his lips moved slightly. "Natalie…" I didn't spare any of them another glance. I took off my engagement ring and gently placed it on the makeup table. "The wedding can go on as planned tomorrow. Don't let me ruin everyone's mood." With that, I turned and walked toward the exit. Hunter seemed about to say something. But Tiffany suddenly clutched her neck, her voice trembling as she whined, "Hunter… it hurts so much…" Hunter instinctively turned back, and Gabriel immediately looked at her as well. In that brief moment, I walked out of the backstage area. By the time they looked back again, the door had already closed. And I never looked back. That night, I returned to my new house and canceled every single wedding reservation, one by one. The wedding planner answered my call in the middle of the night, panic evident in her voice. She asked, "Does Mr. Sinclair know?" "He doesn't need to." Before dawn, I would leave this place with my suitcase. … On the morning of the wedding, Hunter personally went to the jewelry store at ten o'clock. He picked out the pear-shaped diamond ring at first glance. Looking down at the ring, he commented, "She's liked this shape ever since she was 18." Gabriel was holding a black umbrella with a long handle. My name was engraved on the handle. He chuckled and said, "I've got something too. She still remembered that rainy day when we were 18." Hunter glanced at him. "So you knew about that?" The smile on Gabriel's face faded slightly. "Yeah." After a pause, he said, "She apologized too quickly last night." Hunter let out a dismissive snort. "She was just tired. After making a fuss all night, she had to find herself a way out." Gabriel nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right." He smiled and added, "Natalie has a soft heart. You've got the ring, I've got the umbrella. Once she sees these, she definitely won't be able to stay mad." When the two of them arrived at the hotel, the manager was directing the workers to dismantle the welcome sign. Hunter stopped in his tracks. "Who told you to take it down?" The manager was surprised to see him. "Mr. Sinclair, wasn't the wedding called off?"