The E-Girl Dare

At Elaras birthday party, I lost a game of dares.

Her male assistant, Corbin, announced the penalty with a smirk.

Find some E-girl and be her boyfriend for a day. And yeah, that includes a make-out session, minimum.

The room erupted in laughter.

I ignored them and looked at Elara.

She took a nonchalant sip of her champagne.

"A dares a dare, Kellan. Youre not going to bail, are you?"

I smiled.

"Fine."

My voice cut through the noise.

"But one day doesnt feel like enough."

"If Im going to do this Im going all in. Lets make it a lifetime."

I pulled out my phone, and right there, in front of everyone, I posted on my public social media feed:

"90s fossil looking for an E-girl to rock my world. Online and waiting. Urgent."

The accompanying picture was of my Porsche keys resting on the table.

The raucous laughter in the private suite died instantly.

Elaras fingers tightened around the stem of her champagne flute, her knuckles turning white.

The vibrant, beautiful mask she wore cracked.

"Kellan, what do you think youre doing?"

Corbin immediately plastered on his signature fake smile and stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Hey, its just a game, man. A joke. No need to take it so seriously, right? Were all just having fun."

As he spoke, his eyes darted subconsciously toward Elara.

Suppressed whispers started buzzing around the room like flies.

"Wow, Kellans got a thin skin"

"Totally. Hes obviously jealous, trying to put on a show for Elara."

"So petty for a grown man. He needs to learn to read the room."

"Probably because Elara and Corbin have been so close lately. Hes feeling insecure"

"Hes just embarrassing himself. Elara hates it when people mix business with personal stuff."

I listened to their barely-hidden commentary, a cold smile playing on my lips.

They had no idea.

Today wasnt just Elaras birthday.

It was the fifth anniversary of the day we met.

Our wedding was scheduled for the first of next month.

Corbin and Elara were high school classmates.

Hed returned from overseas three months ago, and Elara had personally hired him, claiming the company

"needed new blood."

Ever since he became her assistant, my relationship with Elara had slowly soured.

Corbin was a master of manipulation.

On his first day, he brought coffee for the entire office, greeting everyone with infectious enthusiasm.

He always managed to appear

"at the right time,"

handing Elara a file she was just about to look for, offering an opinion she was just about to voice.

He was a charmer, a sweet-talker, and hed quickly won over all of Elaras colleagues and friends.

In contrast, my quieter, more reserved nature seemed jarring and out of place.

He always called me

"Kellan, my man,"

with a deferential tone, but the smile never reached his eyes.

He would casually bring up funny stories from his and Elaras school days, using nostalgia to make her relax when she was stressed with work.

Then, hed shoot me a look that was part apology, part challenge.

Elaras attitude had shifted, too.

At first, it was normal.

Then, I started seeing a comparative glint in her eyes when she looked at me.

She would laugh at one of Corbins insignificant jokes but brush off the dinner reservations Id meticulously planned.

She would listen patiently to his over-the-top flattery but cut me off with

"Im too tired from work"

when I tried to talk about our future.

Just like now.

In the face of my actions, Elara just stared at me, her eyes, once filled with love, now cold with impatience and disgust.

"Kellan,"

she finally said, her voice like ice.

"Delete the post. Dont embarrass yourself here."

Corbin chimed in immediately.

"Yeah, Kellan, come on, man. Just delete it. Its Elaras birthday, lets not ruin the mood."

He reached out to pat my shoulder, but I sidestepped his touch.

I kept my eyes on Elara.

"Embarrass myself?"

I let out a short, sharp laugh.

"Werent you the one who told me a dares a dare?"

Corbins face tightened for a second before he forced another smile.

"Dude, I was just kidding around, it was a random thought. Why are you getting so worked up?"

"A joke?"

I cut him off.

"Some jokes have a way of becoming real."

My gaze flickered to him.

"And some people, if they pretend for long enough, start to believe their own act."

The implication was clear.

Corbins smile froze on his face, a flicker of malice in his eyes.

The whispers around us grew louder, colored with the excitement of impending drama.

"Damn, the gloves are off"

"What crawled up Kellans ass today?"

"Guess hes been holding it in for a while. But starting a scene like this is just going to push Elara further away, isnt it?"

Elara took a deep breath, visibly trying to control her anger.

"Kellan. Im saying this one last time. Delete the post."

Her voice was low and dangerous.

"And then apologize to Corbin."

I just chuckled, picked up my phone, and in full view of everyone, added a comment to my original post:

"Note: Not a joke. Serious inquiries only. Im in this for the long haul."

Then, I turned the screen towards them.

I saw Elaras pupils contract, her face draining of color.

"I lost the game. I accept the penalty. As for the apology"

My gaze drifted to the diamond ring on her finger, the one Id saved a years salary to buy.

She had been so happy when shed put it on.

"I refuse."

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Others tried to intervene, to smooth things over, but the damage was done.

Elara, her chest rising and falling with suppressed fury, shot me a venomous look but finally dropped the subject of the post and the apology.

When it came time to cut the cake, the atmosphere was painfully awkward.

Elara picked up the cake knife, her eyes scanning the crowd, deliberately skipping over me, though I was standing right in front.

"Corbin, come help me."

"It would be my honor, Elara,"

he replied instantly, stepping up to her side.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, their hands clasped together over the knife.

They were so close their faces were almost touching.

The room filled with applause and catcalls.

I stood there, a cold observer watching a play I was no longer a part of.

After Elara made her wish and blew out the candles, Corbin produced a small, velvet box from his pocket.

Inside was a platinum bracelet, glittering with pav diamonds.

"Happy birthday, Elara,"

he said, his voice soft but clear enough for everyone to hear the intimate use of her first name.

"I had this custom-made in Paris last month. I hope you like it."

A brilliant smile bloomed on Elaras face.

"Corbin, youre too thoughtful!"

she gushed.

"Anything from you, Ill love!"