My Best Friend Saved Me, Then Stole My Fiancé And My Wedding Chapter 02

My Best Friend Saved Me, Then Stole My Fiancé And My Wedding Chapter 02

I walked out of the reception and emailed my resignation.

HR wrote back within minutes.

[Are you sure? Do you want us to loop in Mr. Calloway?]

[No. Don’t tell him.]

They didn’t push back.

[Okay. It’s late today. Come by tomorrow morning to sign the paperwork.]

I agreed and went home to pack.

My phone buzzed.

The group chat. [Sloane’s Recovery Plan]. Four members. Clarissa tagged me.

[Maren, seriously? You left because you’re throwing a fit again?]

[Sloane’s been dreaming about having a wedding with Reid. We couldn’t break her heart, so we put together a fake one for her.]

[We only kept it from you because we didn’t want you to get hurt.]

Graham piled on, same as always.

[For real. She lost her memory saving YOUR life. Stop making everything about you.]

Reid’s message popped up next.

[Just trust me. I’ll give you a bigger wedding. A real one.]

I’d heard that line before.

When Sloane took my bachelorette trip, he promised he’d take me somewhere better.

When I gave up the apartment, he promised he’d buy me something nicer.

Every time, I waited. Every time, the promise evaporated.

Not this time.

I left the group chat.

Then I went back to packing.

Under the pillow, I found a journal.

Reid’s journal. The one he’d kept about us.

The day Sloane moved in, the three of them had gone on a purging spree.

Couple photos. Keepsakes with our names engraved on them. Anything that proved Reid and I had ever existed together.

All of it, gone.

I’d managed to save one thing. This journal.

On the worst nights, it was the only thing that kept me going.

I wouldn’t need it anymore.

I dropped it in the trash.

I turned around.

The roses on the balcony were gone. Sunflowers sat in their place. Sloane’s favorite.

The bare walls I’d left clean were plastered with framed prints.

Piece by piece, every trace of me had been swapped out for her. And I hadn’t even noticed.

It took me an hour to realize how little in this house was actually mine.

It didn’t even fill half a suitcase.

I almost laughed. I grabbed the suitcase handle.

The front door swung open.

All four of them stood in the doorway.

Sloane was getting a piggyback ride from Reid, completely barefoot.

Clarissa held her shoes. Graham carried the train of her dress.

They saw me and the smiles dropped.

Reid set Sloane down. The excuses came immediately.

“Sloane had too much to drink. She couldn’t walk, so I carried her. That’s all.”

Sloane lifted her head off his shoulder, pouting.

“Hey! I’m your wife, remember? Why are you explaining yourself to her?”

She playfully tugged at his ear and lost her balance. She tumbled right back into his arms.

Reid caught her, shaking his head.

“Okay, okay, you lightweight. You win. Happy now?”

Sloane snorted and jabbed a finger at me.

“Maren, you’ve been crashing at our place long enough. Reid and I are married now. You need to go.”

Unbelievable.

Reid and I bought this place three years ago.

I’d picked out every piece of furniture with my own hands.

She’d been here a few months. And she already called it hers.

Clarissa read my face and scrambled to fix it.

“Sloane, apartments are impossible to find right now. Maren’s great around the house. Just think of her as a roommate who does all the chores.”

Graham nodded.

“You two are busy anyway. She can handle the cooking and cleaning. Win-win, right, Maren?”

Reid’s eyes locked on mine. A warning.

Don’t blow this.

All four of them watched me. Waiting for the same tired smile, the same easy yes.

This time, I just laughed.

“No need. I’m leaving right now.”

I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

The three of them froze.

Reid stepped forward to grab my arm.

Behind him, Sloane gagged.

Reid spun around and rushed her to the bathroom.

Clarissa and Graham were right behind them.

Someone rubbed her back. Someone handed her tissues. Someone made coffee and toast for the hangover.

I stood in the hallway, alone. Invisible again.

I didn’t wait for them to remember me.

I picked up my suitcase and walked out the door. I didn’t look back.