Chapter 7
I wasn’t sure how much he’ d overheard, so I casually replied, “Oh, just a school exchange.”
Visibly relieved, he took a small breath and smiled a little. “Come home with me. I have something to tell you.
I nodded and followed him.
***
That evening, Vincent announced he had cleared his schedule for two days.
“We can go on a little trip,” he said. “Didn’t you say you wanted to watch the sunrise? Let’s relax together, just the two of us.
“That sounds great,” I replied.
Then, as if to seal the promise, he pulled me into his arms. But his scent betrayed him–the faint trace of Zoe‘ s perfume lingered on his shirt.
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Out
“Claire,” he murmured, his voic earnest. “I love you. If there‘ s ever anything bothering you, tell me, okay? I will make it better. I promise to spend more time with you, protect you and ensure you are happy. Please, believe me.
I smiled gently, playing the part of the understanding fiancée he wanted.
“I believe in you.
***
But the next morning, Vincent broke his promise.
A text message arrived while I was waiting, as expected.
Vincent: [Something came up at work. This is my fault, Claire. I swear I’ll make it up to you next time!]
I didn’t feel disappointed–I had already learned to expect nothing. Ever since Zoe had re–entered his life, Vincent‘ s
promises were as empty as air.
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hapter 7
That’s why I had only booked orket
for myself before I went to bed
previous night.
The mountains were peaceful, the air crisp. and quiet. Lying in a rocking chair and listening to the hum of insects, I felt an unfamiliar sense of calm wash over me.
As night fell, I scrolled through my phone and stumbled upon Zoe‘ s latest post on her social media..
[Wow, wow, wow! Mom and Dad’s 25th wedding anniversary–and lucky me, I am following in their footsteps!]
I stared at the post for a long time, then put my phone down and closed my eyes. The night had never felt so serene.
Underneath the deep blue sea, Zoe clung to Vincent tightly. He held her waist, deeply afraid that she would be as if she lacked
oxygen, Surrounded by schools of fish, they both laughed with joy.
So, the truth came out: the “urgent
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company business” had actually been a
trip to accompany someone else‘ s
parents.
With only three days left on the
countdown, I watched the sunrise and
headed home. I continued packing up the remaining things in the house.
There were the handmade crafts I’d made when I had nothing else to do, the clay dolls I made with Vincent, the photo wall in the living room and the special blind box cabinet in the bedroom. I either sold or
threw away what I didn’t need. By the afternoon, the house was significantly emptier.
Then I remembered I had left some things. in the wedding house. I decided to go there and clear them out.
When I arrived, however, I found that the door‘ s password had been changed. I tried several times, but it wouldn’t open, so I had to call a locksmith to break in.
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When I stepped inside, I froze.
The house was nothing like I had e -it was far from empty and vacan
ted
Instead, it was packed with a ton of women’s things. The photo wall in the living room was filled with pictures of Zoe and Vincent. My plants–my beloved succulents and formaldehyde–absorbing plants–had all been thrown away. A yoga mat was on the balcony and her underwear was hanging out to dry.
The coffee table was cluttered with snacks and leftover potato chips were scattered across the carpet I had chosen. Even the clothes in the master bedroom closet had been carelessly thrown into another room. The closet was now filled with her clothes, hanging next to Vincent‘ s.
I would have assumed this was their wedding home if I didn’t know better.
Suddenly, I remembered the day Vincent had dropped her off and wondered why they had stopped at this place. I recalled
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how ambiguous Zoe had looked at me as she got out of the car–her eyes full insinuation. Now, everything clicked.
Did Vincent even know what a wedding house was? Had he ever considered it? He hadn’t even lived here yet and allowed
someone else to move in.
My eyebrows twitched and I wanted to scream at him.
It was not about still caring for him. Honestly, I was unsure if I could still call it
love. It was more that I found this situation
utterly disgusting.
But then I realized–it wasn‘ t even worth
- it.
His favouritism toward Zoe wasn’t
something that had just begun; it had been there all along. Why should I go out of my way to cause drama?
The house was bought with my parents‘ inheritance and was in my name. Now, I was leaving, so it didn’t even matter
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Chapter 7
anymore.
I dialled the real estate agent‘ s number and asked them to sell it for me quickly at a price 20% lower than the market value. Selling houses via short videos was popular now. Since the place was well–maintained, decorated as a wedding house and located in a good university district, it would be easy to sell.
The agent came over quickly, shot the video and immediately began advertising. Before leaving, they added me on
WhatsApp and reassured me, “With the location and this price, it’ll sell in one day. Have your documents ready and we can sign the contract anytime.”
“Do you want the things inside?” the agent asked before leaving.
I looked at my carefully decorated house, which had completely changed and said,
“Please clean it out. I’ll cover the cost.”
I sat in the living room, dealing with the
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last of my data, when the doorbell rang.
Vincent‘ s assistant told me that Vincent had drunk too much at a social gathering. I couldn’t help but laugh. He had even dragged his assistant along to help sell the lie.
Maybe he had even overdone it on the alcohol to make the story more convincing. I had the assistant put Vincent on the couch and didn’t even bother to give him a blanket before turning and walking into the bedroom.
When I woke up the next morning, Vincent had just finished showering. He saw me and his voice was filled with unspoken resentment.
“Claire, you let me sleep on the couch all night?”
I blinked, playing innocent. “Wh
