He Tore Out My Walk-In Closet for Another Woman, So I Sold the Home and Canceled the Wedding Chapter 07

He Tore Out My Walk-In Closet for Another Woman, So I Sold the Home and Canceled the Wedding Chapter 07

It was still dark when Ethan arrived in San Diego.

He stood outside my parents’ apartment building, looking up at the familiar window.

With every passing minute, he grew more nervous.

He lingered there until the sun came up and traffic began filling the street, then finally went inside and rang the bell.

My mother opened the door.

The moment she saw Ethan, her expression turned cold.

“Mrs. Walker, I’m here to see Erin.”

“She doesn’t want to see you.”

“Then where is she?”

“That’s none of your business.”

My mother’s voice was calm.

“Erin told me what happened between the two of you. She doesn’t want to see you. Leave.”

Ethan spoke quickly.

“Mrs. Walker, please. I’m begging you. Let me see her, just for a minute. I need to talk to her.”

“What could you possibly have left to say?”

My mother cut him off.

“You left my daughter behind again and again to run to another woman. She had to cancel her dress order, call off the wedding, and sell the home you were supposed to share, all by herself. On her birthday, she flew back to San Diego alone and didn’t get home until after midnight. What could you possibly have left to say?”

All the color drained from Ethan’s face.

“Mrs. Walker, I’m sorry. I…”

“What good is sorry now?”

My mother’s eyes filled with tears.

“Do you know what Erin looked like when she came home? She dragged that suitcase in alone, and her eyes were so swollen she could barely open them. When I asked what was wrong, she kept saying she was fine. Ethan, she was with you for eight years. Do you even remember what she used to be like? She used to smile all the time. She could talk to anyone. But now? She’s lost so much weight, and she’s exhausted. Even when she smiles, it looks forced.”

Tears spilled from Ethan’s eyes.

“Mrs. Walker, I know I was wrong. Please give me one chance. Let me see her…”

“There are no more chances.”

My mother stepped back.

“Erin said she doesn’t want to see you again. Leave.”

The door closed.

Ethan raised his hand to knock again, but after a long moment, he slowly lowered it.

He didn’t leave San Diego.

Instead, he found a nearby hotel.

From the next morning on, he waited outside the apartment building every day.

Sometimes he brought flowers and left them by the door.

Sometimes he brought coffee and a bag of bagels.

Sometimes he brought nothing and simply stood there.

He kept looking up at our window.

The curtains stayed closed.

He couldn’t see anything.

But he still came every day.

On the fourth day, my mother went downstairs to take out the trash and sighed when she saw him

still standing there.

“Stop waiting. She won’t see you.”

“I’ll wait for her. I don’t care how long it takes.”

My mother studied him for a moment, then shook her head.

“Standing here won’t change her mind. Go home.”

Ethan didn’t leave.

He kept coming every day.

On the seventh day, I finally went outside.

I wore a gray hoodie, my hair pulled back, a bag of trash in one hand.

When I saw Ethan, I stopped for a second.

Then I ignored him and walked past.

I threw away the trash and turned back toward the building.

“Erin.”

I didn’t stop.

He hurried after me and grabbed my wrist.

“Listen to me…”

“Let go.”

My voice was cold.

He didn’t let go.

“I know I was wrong. Give me one chance.”

“I said let go.”

I yanked my wrist free and stepped back.

“Ethan, we’re done. Go back to Seattle.”

“No.”

His eyes were rimmed red.

“If you don’t forgive me, I won’t leave.”

I looked at him and gave a short, humorless laugh.

“You were always like this. Every time you did something wrong, you just waited for me to forgive you. You thought I always would, didn’t you? Every time you ditched me to go running to Sophia, you came back, mumbled some half-hearted apology, and waited for me to let it go. Did you really think I’d never leave you?”

Ethan’s lips trembled.

“No…”

“Then stop waiting.”

My voice was calm.

“I won’t forgive you. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

I turned and went upstairs without looking back.

Ethan stayed where he was, staring up at the window.

I had no idea what he was thinking.