He Stole Our Future to Fund Her Wedding, So I Ruined Him Chapter 03

The car pulled up outside a restaurant. I looked around in surprise.

“Where are we?”

Claire turned and smiled at me.

“I forgot to tell you, Nora. It’s our college reunion today.”

I nodded, got out, and followed them inside.

Evan and Claire walked side by side, their shoulders almost touching.

The moment we opened the door to the private dining room, I heard a chorus of murmurs.

“I knew Evan and Claire would make a gorgeous couple!”

“And some people still have the nerve to tag along.”

Neither Evan nor Claire said a word. They smiled and sat down.

Evan pulled out Claire’s chair and asked a server to bring her a warm glass of milk.

I sat nearby as contemptuous looks came at me from every direction.

Someone raised a wineglass toward Evan and Claire.

“So, class president and our star student, is there a wedding coming? Here’s to you two!”

Evan looked over but didn’t raise a glass.

Everyone thought the speaker must have gone too far.

Even I waited for Evan to set them straight.

Instead, he put the milk in Claire’s hand.

“You have cramps. Skip the wine and drink this.”

I sat there, my face drained of color.

His words were as good as confirming their relationship.

Claire blushed and drank the milk.

Halfway through the meal, Claire excused herself to go to the restroom. Under the table, she gave Evan a little pinch.

Evan stood up right after her.

The others started teasing them again.

“Can’t bear to be away from Claire for two minutes, Evan?”

“You two are adorable!”

After a moment’s hesitation, I got up to follow. The talk behind me changed immediately.

“Why’s she following the couple?”

“Seriously. Doesn’t she get it? Is she trying to be the other woman?”

I gripped the hem of my shirt, ignored them, and hurried out.

At the restroom entrance, I heard them arguing inside.

“Evan, we can’t keep doing this. They all think Nora’s the other woman, when you’re the ones who are…”

Claire sounded close to tears, full of regret and resentment.

Evan was quiet for two seconds.

“Claire, we’re getting engaged. Stop overthinking it.”

Claire’s voice rose.

“We’re only doing that to get my parents off my back about marriage. It isn’t real!”

Before she could finish, Evan took her chin and bent to kiss her.

Claire’s eyes widened, but she didn’t pull away.

I didn’t know how long it lasted. My hands and feet went cold. I forgot to breathe.

At last, Evan let her go.

Claire was crying, but her cheeks were flushed.

“Evan, you’re an asshole! How could we do this to Nora?”

His voice was soft, almost coaxing.

“I already betrayed her when I promised your parents we’d put $88,000 toward a house for us.”

“I’ll explain everything to her.”

“We’re the two most important people in her life. She’ll forgive us.”

Eighty-eight thousand dollars. An engagement. That kiss.

The blows landed one after another.

I didn’t remember leaving. By the time I got home, I’d cried myself dry.

It wasn’t just those three Thanksgivings. It wasn’t just the intimate moments on that camera.

I was the one they’d kept completely in the dark, the one they’d decided to leave behind.