Taylor's POV

Taylor leaned back in her chair, staring at the notes scribbled in her notebook. Every step of her plan had gone off without a hitch so far. Yuwen was questioning Y/N's reliability, and Y/N seemed on edge, their usual confidence shaken. But it wasn't enough.

She needed one final move—something big that would completely drive them apart. Something Yuwen couldn't ignore.

Taylor tapped her pen against her lip, a sly smile forming. She'd overheard Y/N talking to another teammate about meeting up with a friend later this week—a friend who didn't play softball. If she could twist that into something suspicious, it might be just the thing to push Yuwen over the edge.

Two Days Later

Taylor lingered near the dugout, her phone in hand. She'd timed it perfectly—Y/N had left to meet their friend, and Yuwen was finishing up some solo pitching practice.

"Hey, Yuwen!" she called, jogging over.

He looked up from the mound, wiping sweat off his brow. "What's up, Taylor?"

Taylor hesitated, putting on her best "reluctant but concerned" expression. "I wasn't sure if I should say anything, but... I thought you'd want to know. I saw Y/N heading into that coffee shop on 5th earlier. They were with some guy—I don't know who he was, but they looked pretty close."

Yuwen frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Some guy? What are you talking about?"

"I mean, it's probably nothing," Taylor said quickly, feigning nervousness. "But... I don't know, they seemed kind of—" She paused, letting the word hang in the air. "—cozy."

Yuwen's jaw tightened, and Taylor fought to hide her glee. This was it. The doubt she'd been nurturing was finally going to bloom into full-blown distrust.

But then, to her surprise, Yuwen shook his head and let out a small laugh.

"That's their childhood friend," he said, his voice steady and sure. "They've known each other for years. Y/N told me about it earlier this week."

Taylor blinked, her confident smirk slipping. "Oh... I didn't realize."

"Yeah," Yuwen continued, his tone sharp. "And honestly, Taylor, it's kind of weird that you're keeping tabs on Y/N like that. What's your deal?"

"I'm just looking out for you," Taylor said quickly, her stomach twisting. "I thought you'd want to know—"

"I don't need you to look out for me," Yuwen interrupted, his voice firm. "I trust Y/N. They're one of the most reliable people I know, and they've always been upfront with me. If you've got a problem with them, that's on you—not me."

Taylor opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Yuwen grabbed his gear bag and slung it over his shoulder, giving her one last pointed look before walking off toward the parking lot.

Taylor's POV

Taylor stood frozen in the dugout, her heart racing as Yuwen's words replayed in her mind. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Yuwen was supposed to see Y/N's flaws, to realize they weren't good enough for him. Instead, he'd doubled down, defending them with more conviction than ever.

How had this happened?

She slumped onto the bench, her head in her hands. For weeks, she'd poured all her energy into driving them apart, but all she'd managed to do was push Yuwen closer to Y/N.

And now, he was onto her.

Y/N's POV

Later that evening, you were sitting on the bleachers, scrolling through your phone when Yuwen walked up, his expression a mix of frustration and determination.

"Hey," he said, dropping his bag at your feet.

"Hey," you replied, looking up at him. "What's up?"

Yuwen hesitated for a moment, then sat down beside you. "Taylor's been... saying stuff about you lately. Trying to make me doubt you."

Your stomach twisted. "What kind of stuff?"

"Just stupid things," he said quickly. "She tried to make it seem like you were unreliable, like you were hiding things from me. She even brought up your friend, trying to make it seem like you were sneaking around or something."

You frowned, a mix of anger and confusion swirling in your chest. "Why would she do that?"

Yuwen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I think she's jealous. But honestly, it doesn't matter. I told her to back off."

You blinked, surprised by the intensity in his voice. "You did?"

"Yeah," he said, meeting your gaze. "Because I trust you, Y/N. And I'm not gonna let anyone mess with what we have."

Your heart swelled, and for a moment, you forgot about Taylor entirely. All you could focus on was the sincerity in Yuwen's eyes and the warmth in his voice.

"Thanks, Yuwen," you said softly. "That means a lot."

He smiled, leaning back against the bleachers. "Anytime."

Taylor's POV

From a distance, Taylor watched the two of you talking, her chest tightening as she saw Yuwen's smile and the way you leaned toward him, your faces lit up by the glow of the setting sun.

She'd failed. All her efforts to tear you apart had only made Yuwen more certain of his feelings for you.

As she walked away from the field, her mind raced with regret and frustration. She'd spent so much time trying to ruin your relationship, but all she'd done was ruin her own chances with Yuwen.

And deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd lost more than that.