He Let Another Woman Play My Wife, So I Walked Away as His Real Wife Chapter 09

He Let Another Woman Play My Wife, So I Walked Away as His Real Wife Chapter 09

After Gavin released his public statement, videos from the company anniversary event began circulating

online.

People noticed Claire standing onstage wearing the Whitmore family signet ring and being treated as “Mrs. Whitmore.” Before long, more people began digging up records of the games from the previous three years. The betting records, the secretly recorded videos, and the mockery in the group chat were exposed one after

another.

Public reaction quickly spiraled out of control.

Some people accused Claire of interfering in someone else’s marriage. Others demanded to know why Gavin needed his wife’s pain to prove that she loved him.

The friends who had taken part in the bets hurried to delete their posts. Some even contacted me privately, asking me to explain that they had only been joking because we were close and that they had never meant

any harm.

I didn’t respond.

Whether they meant any harm was never for the people who hurt others to decide.

Claire posted a long statement as well. She claimed she had only been playing along with the game, that Gavin and I had both tacitly allowed everything she did, and that she had never intended to replace me or

interfere in our marriage.

Not long afterward, someone leaked old voice messages she had sent to the group chat.

The first year, Claire had been the one who suggested wearing my custom gown.

The second year, she had asked if she could try sleeping in the master bedroom.

The third year, she had said, “If she can sit there while the Whitmores call me ‘Mrs. Whitmore‘ right to her face, she’ll probably put up with anything.”

And before moving into our apartment that year, she had laughed and asked, “If she doesn’t come back after seven days, does that mean I can actually become Mrs. Whitmore?”

All those little tests disguised as jokes were finally out in the open.

Claire went to Gavin in tears.

“I admit it. I really do love you. But if you hadn’t kept letting me do all of this, how could things ever have

gone this far?”

“You gave me the keys. You put the signet ring on my finger. And you stood there in front of everyone and let

them believe I was Mrs. Whitmore.”

Gavin was silent for a long time.

“Yes. Most of the blame is mine.”

Then he said, “But I never truly saw you as my wife. I only ever used you to provoke Erin.”

Claire froze, staring at him,

For four years, she had waited, believing she was slowly taking my place. In the end, she realized that, in Gavin’s eyes, she had never truly been chosen either.

They had only been using each other to prove how important they were in someone else’s relationship.

Gavin had the family signet ring taken back.

His mother called me personally. She said that during those family dinners, they had only been playing along with her son’s joke and hoped I wouldn’t hold it against them. She also told me the ring had already been sent away to be cleaned and polished, and that if I was willing to come back, the Whitmore family would still accept me as one of their own.

I calmly cut her off.

“I’m not Mrs. Whitmore anymore. You can give that ring to whoever you like. And don’t contact me again.

After hanging up, I blocked every Whitmore family number.

The friends who had taken part in the betting pooled the money they had wagered over the years and tried to

send it to me as an apology.

I didn’t take it.

I only had my lawyer reply:

[If you genuinely want to apologize, donate it to an organization that supports victims of emotional

manipulation and controlling relationships.]

As for me, I stayed out of the public argument entirely. I submitted evidence to the company only to establish proper credit and ownership of the work I had done on my past projects.

Six months later, the new project I was leading officially launched.

At the launch event, my full name appeared across the main screen for the first time.

[Project Lead: Erin Carter.]

When the applause began, I didn’t think about Gavin. I didn’t think about that seven–day game either.

I simply understood something at last.

Once I took control of my own life again, I no longer needed to prove to anyone that I was worth choosing.