THE GREAT DIGITAL DIVIDE
The paradise of beach felt more like a battlefield. While the waves outside were calm, the internet was in the middle of a civil war. Fay sat on the edge of the plush sofa in the cottage, the blue light of her phone reflecting in her tear-bright eyes.
The "Sofia Post" had acted like a grenade. The public was no longer united in their love for #BeachBridge. Now, the internet was split down the middle.
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On one side, the #KeiFay loyalists were fighting hard.
@SurgeonHeart:"Don't let one old video distract you! Kei and Fay have history since high school. The beach hug was real emotion. Sofia is just trying to clout-chase!"
But on the other side, a new, powerful wave had emerged: #KeiSofia.
@VanceEmpire: "Wait… look at the way Kei looks at Sofia in that porridge video. That's pure trust. From Best Friends to… Lovers? Sofia was there when Kei was at her lowest. That's the real endgame."
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@DeepLoreKei: "Fay was part of the 'old life.' Sofia is the one who helped build the 'New Kei.' I'm sorry, but Best-Friends-to-Lovers always wins. Team Sofia!".
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Fay scrolled through a viral "edit" that compared the beach hug with Fay to the picnic photo with Sofia. The caption read: "One is a duty, the other is a home."
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"_"
Fay's hand trembled. The jealousy wasn't just a small spark anymore, it was a forest fire. She felt like an outsider in Kei's life. To the world, she was the "official" romance, but Sofia was the "secret soulmate."
"Half of them think you belong with her,"
Fay said, her voice shaking as she threw her phone onto the coffee table. The screen landed face-up, showing a side-by-side photo of her and Sofia.
Kei, who had been trying to work on her laptop to ignore the tension, finally closed it with a sigh.
"Fay, stop reading the comments. They don't know us. They don't know the truth."
"The truth?"
Fay stood up, pacing the small room.
"The truth is that she has memories with you that I'll never have! She saw you sick, she saw you fail, she saw you grow. She has fifteen years of 'porridge' and 'picnics' while I have fifteen years of silence!"
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"She is my best friend, Fay Why is that so hard for you to understand?" Kei stood up too, her own temper rising.
"She was the only person who didn't look at me like I was a failure when I lost everything. Yes, we are close. Yes, she's important. But that doesn't change why I'm here with you."
"Doesn't it?"
Fay challenged, stepping into Kei's personal space. Her eyes were burning.
"Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're only here because of the hospital deal and my father's plan. But your heart? Your heart looks like it's still sleeping on Sofia's lap."
The air between them was electric, charged with the same "enemy-but-lover" energy that had defined their trip. Fay was so jealous she could taste it and Kei was so guarded she was practically a fortress.
"You're being irrational,"
Kei whispered, though her eyes softened as she saw a stray tear fall down Fay's cheek.
"I'm being a woman who was ghosted for a decade only to find out her replacement is a billionaire 'best friend' who cooks biohazard porridge!"
Fay yelled, her voice cracking.
She turned to leave, but Kei grabbed her wrist. The touch was firm, reminding Fay of the addictive kiss from the night before. For a moment, they just stared at each other two people caught between a painful past, a fake public romance and a third person who was currently winning the hearts of half the internet.