Replaced by a True Prince, Your Failure Means Nothing Chapter 09

Replaced by a True Prince, Your Failure Means Nothing Chapter 09

I didn’t run into Joren again until the summer of the next year.

I’d been swamped with schoolwork every vacation before that, so I’d stayed on campus the whole time. Joren had tried coming by, but my mom never let him anywhere near me.

Ever since she’d found out what he and Maren did, she’d completely written them off.

She’d told the whole neighborhood what they’d done. Their reputations were totally ruined around here.

Their parents had come over a few times to apologize, but my mom turned them away every single time.

One night, I stepped out to take out the trash and ran straight into him. Maren was right there beside him this time, her eyes red and puffy like she’d been crying.

“Wynne… I’m so sorry.”

I tossed the trash into the bin casually, no extra emotion in my voice.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“You guys wanted each other. So you got together. Simple as that.”

I glanced around. My shoes sank slightly into the soft sand beneath my feet.

It hit me then—this was where we first met.

I’d long moved on from everything that happened. But standing here, old memories still washed over me.

Our first meeting, our first hangout outside of school, the day I officially got together with Joren… So many of our memories were tied to this exact spot.

The good times we shared weren’t exactly easy to erase completely.

Joren stood up slowly.

“We messed up, Wynne. Changing your application was wrong. We owe you a real apology.”

“We’ve been friends for over a decade… can’t you forgive us for old times’ sake?”

They stared at me hopefully, clearly thinking I’d soften up at this familiar place, cave to the old memories.

But I just shook my head.

“Did any of that decade-long friendship matter when you changed my application behind my back?”

“You two remember this spot so well?”

“Then you should also remember the promise we made. Anyone who betrays us doesn’t get forgiveness.”

We were such angsty kids back then, all thirteen and full of teenage drama.

Maren had watched too many dramas and dragged us here to make a silly three-person oath. We swore we’d stick together forever. And we’d said it out loud—betrayal meant zero second chances.

Joren’s throat tightened. “I just… I just wanted the three of us to stay together. I never meant for it to turn out like this.”

He reached out, trying to pull me into a hug like he used to, like he could still fix everything. I stepped sideways and dodged him cleanly.

I didn’t bother digging for excuses or deeper reasons. I knew better now. Betrayal didn’t always need a motive. It wasn’t always jealousy, or envy, or resentment.

Sometimes, even people you trust just choose to hurt you because they feel like it.

A voice called out from behind me suddenly.

“Babe, let’s head home.”

I brushed the sand off my clothes, ready to wrap this up.

“Alright, I’m leaving.”

I tilted my head slightly and introduced them casually.

“By the way—this is my boyfriend.”