Chapter 2: Lily struggles to suppress Her feelings

Lily sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. She couldn't concentrate on her work, her mind constantly wandering to thoughts of James. She knew it was wrong to have feelings for her best friend's fiancé, but she couldn't help the way she felt.

She let out a frustrated sigh and ran her hands through her hair. "Why do I have to fall for him?" she muttered to herself.

Her colleague, Tom, looked over at her. "Are you okay, Lily? You seem a bit distracted."

Lily quickly composed herself and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

Tom nodded, but Lily could tell he wasn't convinced. She turned her attention back to her computer screen, trying to push James out of her mind.

Lily tried to keep her distance from James, avoiding spending time alone with him whenever possible. She didn't want to risk revealing her feelings and ruining her friendship with Sarah.

But it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid him, especially with Sarah constantly including him in their plans.

One evening, the three of them went out to dinner. Lily felt uncomfortable the whole time, her heart racing every time James looked in her direction. She knew she had to do something to get a grip on her feelings before she did something she regretted.

Lily decided to confide in her other best friend, Rachel. She needed someone to talk to about her feelings and Rachel was always a good listener.

They met up at a café and Lily spilled everything, tears streaming down her face as she recounted her struggle.

Rachel listened attentively and put a comforting hand on Lily's arm. "I can see why you're struggling, Lily. But you have to remember that James is off-limits. You don't want to hurt Sarah, and you don't want to hurt yourself either."

Lily nodded, feeling a bit better after talking to Rachel. But deep down, she knew her feelings wouldn't just disappear.

Lily tried to keep herself busy, throwing herself into her work and social life. But every time she saw James, her heart skipped a beat and she felt a pang of longing in her chest.

One day, James caught her staring at him and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something on my face?" he joked.

Lily quickly looked away, flustered. "No, nothing. Just lost in thought."

James studied her for a moment before shrugging. "Okay, well let me know if you need to talk about anything."

Lily smiled weakly and nodded, feeling grateful for James' kindness but also guilty for her feelings towards him.