My Fiance Married His Childhood Sweetheart Before Our Engagement Party Chapter 02

My Fiance Married His Childhood Sweetheart Before Our Engagement Party Chapter 02

I sat on the guest room bed with my phone in my hand.

Five minutes later, an unknown number called.

“Is this Evelyn? It’s Sophia.”

Her voice was syrupy sweet.

“Adrian asked me to tell you he isn’t coming home tonight, so don’t wait up. You should rest early.”

I said nothing.

She paused for a few seconds, then added, “Adrian said you’re the most understanding person he knows. You definitely wouldn’t get upset over something this small.”

“He said you never make a fuss.”

The next day at noon, Sophia stood outside the apartment door.

“Evelyn, open up. I’m here to pick up some things.”

She wore a cream knit dress.

Her long hair fell over her shoulders.

In her hand were two iced coffees.

I opened the door.

She changed into the pink slippers and walked in.

Her movements were practiced.

She didn’t even have to search for the recessed light switch in the living room.

That switch was hidden behind a decorative panel.

It had taken me a week to find it when I first moved in.

Sophia curled onto the couch and placed one drink on the coffee table.

“I got one for you too. Less sugar. Adrian said you don’t like sweet drinks.”

I didn’t take it.

“What are you here for?”

“A few changes of clothes. Adrian and I have been staying at a hotel lately, and it’s inconvenient.”

She smiled and walked into the bedroom.

Then she opened the closet.

On her way past the nightstand, she casually picked up the picture frame.

It was the only photo Adrian and I had ever taken together.

I had begged him for a long time that day before he agreed.

He looked expressionless the entire time.

Sophia stared at the photo for two seconds.

Then she turned the frame face down on the nightstand.

“We probably don’t need this anymore, right?”

I walked over and turned it back up.

She tilted her head and looked at me, testing me with a careful little smile.

“Evelyn, you still don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

“Adrian said your engagement was just for show. His grandmother kept pressuring him to settle down, so he needed someone to go through the motions.”

Go through the motions.

Three years ago, when I cut ties with my family for him, Adrian had said, “Eve, you have me.”

He told me to turn down the Silicon Valley management trainee offer and move to New York to help him build his startup.

A fifty-thousand-dollar salary, fresh out of college.

I crumpled the offer letter and threw it away.

He said we would build something together.

He said our future would belong to both of us.

I said yes.

He said money was tight and asked me to cover some of the company expenses for a while.

I said yes.

All those yeses had become going through the motions in his mouth.

Sophia pulled a stack of clothes from the closet.

Then she noticed the faded floral dress at the very bottom.

“You’re still keeping this old thing?”

“I bought it in college.”

“No wonder.”

She packed up her things and headed out.

When she passed the guest room, she stopped.

“Oh, right. You should probably pack your stuff soon.”

“Adrian said we’re officially moving back in next week.”

I looked at her.

She quickly waved both hands.

“I don’t mean he’s kicking you out. It’s just that our things might get mixed together. That would be awkward.”

“Adrian said you’re reasonable. You won’t overthink it.”

When she crouched to change shoes, I noticed the silver bracelet on her wrist.

That bracelet had been in my jewelry box.

It was the birthday gift my mother gave me when I turned eighteen.

“Where did you get that bracelet?”

Sophia looked down and blinked innocently.

“Adrian gave it to me. He said he found it at a vintage market. Pretty, isn’t it?”

He had taken the bracelet my mother gave me and gifted it to someone else.

And when he gave it away, he called it a vintage-market find.

I stood still.

Sophia opened the door, then looked back with a smile.

“One more thing. Adrian said he’s canceling your authorized-user card. The main card only allows one extra user, and he’s getting me a new one.”

“I’ve been paying that card off every month.”

“Oh, really?” she said. “Then thank you so much.”

She carried her iced coffee out, took two steps, then turned back.

“Adrian also said he remembers everything you’ve done for him. He’ll make it up to you someday.”

“But you’ll have to wait a little, okay? We still haven’t paid the hotel deposit for our honeymoon.”