Replaced by a True Prince, Your Failure Means Nothing Chapter 03

Replaced by a True Prince, Your Failure Means Nothing Chapter 03

Joren’s face darkened instantly.

“You’re really taking this too far.”

“You were the one who said you wanted us to look out for each other, stick as a group. We’re all just friends—don’t twist everything up in your head.”

“Maren’s your best friend, come on.”

Friends.

I locked eyes on the glinting diamond rings wrapped around both their ring fingers.

“Do friends parade around campus like a couple? Do friends rock matching promise rings?”

Every word out of my mouth made Joren grow more flustered and ashamed.

“That’s enough. Why do you always gotta blow every little thing out of proportion?”

Tears welled up in Maren’s eyes out of nowhere.

“Wynne, please don’t let me be the thing tearing you two apart…”

She sobbed loudly, but I saw undisguised delight buried deep in her gaze.

“Don’t touch me!”

I ripped my arm free from her grip so hard the quartz wish necklace strung on her wrist snapped clean. The jade quartz pendant shattered into sharp shards, slicing right into my palm.

I’d snuck over to the church’s quiet prayer nook to pick up those matching charms ahead of senior finals. I knelt there all by myself, three matching necklaces crammed in my fist, silently praying they’d crush their exams and have a lifetime of joy.

Joren moved to steady Maren, but his gaze landed on fresh blood dripping down my raised palm. His shoulders tensed, and he reached out to pull me toward him.

Maren’s fingers clamped tight around his wrist before he could move an inch.

“I feel awful, everything’s too much,” she whimpered.

Every word Joren planned to say died in his throat.

Panic washed over him, and he lifted Maren into his arms without hesitation.

“We both need space to cool down,” he tossed out hastily, then turned and walked off without glancing back once.

Outside the window, a handful of kids shoved and roughhoused together, screaming and laughing.

Memories from when we were little crashed straight into my head.

We grew up side by side in Maplewood subdivision.

When I was seven, my parents were almost never home. The rowdy neighborhood kids loved bullying me, dumping buckets of cold water straight over my head for fun.

Joren and Maren were the ones who stepped in to chase them off. Maren clapped me on the shoulder like a tough older sister.

“Chill out! I’ve got your back from here on out.”

We’d been an inseparable trio ever since that day.

Back in high school, the three of us snuck out late one night to watch the meteor shower. I asked what wishes they’d make.

Maren smiled all secretive.

“I wish the three of us stay best friends forever, no exceptions.”

But Joren leaned down right beside my ear, his voice firm and unshakable.

“I wish I get to be with you, Wynne. For good.”

Maren blew up at him, yelling he’d broken our group’s unspoken rule.

My face burned bright red. Beneath the falling stars, I silently wished the exact same thing — that we’d all stay together for a lifetime.

But now?

Every sincere vow we’d shared back then stung like a hard slap across my face.

My phone buzzed against my thigh, a text popping up from Joren.

Joren: [Head home first, yeah? Once school kicks off, I’ll come pick you up and we’ll hang properly.]

I stood to grab my bag, only to spot them lingering around the corner, close enough that every word drifted straight to my ears.

Maren cried hard, her shoulders shaking violently.

“Everyone on the campus confession page already thinks we’re a thing. If you let her get into HSU too, I’ll look like the other woman!”

“I know you feel terrible about Wynne, I really do. But I’ve given you everything I have. Can’t you put me first just this once?”

“I don’t wanna fight over anything. All I want is to be with you.”

Joren stared down at her, his eyes soft with nothing but fondness. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her brows.

“Don’t worry. I’m not letting her enroll at HSU.”

Maren sniffled wetly. “But her SAT scores are way above the cutoff for admission.”

Joren nodded casually, but the words that rolled off his tongue froze me where I stood.

“I already filled out her college application for Haven Community College instead. The submission portal’s closing any minute now.”

“I’ll just say I misread the school options by accident. She’ll never hold it against us.”

“That way, she’ll never find out a single thing.”

My legs turned weak, and I nearly crumpled straight to the ground.