He Tricked Me With Fake Papers, So I Sued for a Million Chapter 09

He Tricked Me With Fake Papers, So I Sued for a Million Chapter 09

When everything was finally over, I felt lighter than I ever had before.

Somehow, my parents learned what had happened and came to my apartment.

They sat on the couch in silence for a long time before either of them spoke.

“Lauren, your father and I heard that the marriage certificate Adrian gave you was fake. Does that mean all these years…”

Mom’s voice caught before she could finish.

I said nothing. I made each of them a cup of coffee.

For five years, I had never known what to say whenever I called them.

I was afraid they would worry. More than that, I feared they would tell me to endure it because that was what people of their generation believed a wife was supposed to do.

Dad pretended to take a sip of coffee, then turned his face away so I would not see his reddened eyes.

Mom took my hand.

“Lauren, I need to tell you the truth.”

“We pushed you to get married because I was afraid you’d get older and no one would want you. The town gossips never let me hear the end of it. I was foolish. I kept forcing my ideas onto you, and I never imagined how much suffering it would cause.”

—

I closed my hand around hers.

“Mom, I’m all right. It’s over now, so please don’t worry.”

Before they left, Dad reached into the inside pocket of his ill-fitting coat with trembling fingers and pulled out a thick bank envelope filled with cash.

“Take care of yourself out here, Lauren. Don’t be afraid to spend money when you need it. You’ve still got me.”

I stared at the cash, wondering how long they had denied themselves small comforts to save it.

I did not take it.

“Dad, Adrian will be paying me back. You and Mom should keep this.”

He extended his hand again and held the envelope stubbornly in the air.

“Take it. You’re living out here by yourself. You need money put away.”

Mom wiped her tears as she added, “Your father went into town to withdraw it. He said we couldn’t come see our daughter empty-handed.”

My throat tightened.

Dad had never been a man of many words. I had resented my parents for failing to stand up for me when they pushed me into that marriage.

But they had always loved me, even when their fear and narrow beliefs had caused me pain.

—

I finally accepted the envelope.

“Mom, Dad, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I can take care of myself.”

Without Adrian and the endless problems of the Mercer family weighing me down, my life could only get better.

After I saw my parents out, I turned around and found Tessa standing behind me.

With a triumphant grin, she held up her phone to show me the crawfish she had ordered.

“I got the spicy Cajun crawfish. See? I know what you like.”

I burst out laughing.

“Come on. Let’s go eat.”

Later, Tessa told me that Adrian’s home had fallen into complete chaos.

His mother’s condition had worsened, forcing Adrian to care for her around the clock. But she was so demanding that his initial impatience eventually turned into a habit of disappearing whenever he could.

As for Vanessa, she took off the moment she learned about Adrian’s situation.

When Adrian ran out of money and went to her, she had several men beat him up. She told him that every dollar he had spent on her had been given willingly and that she owed him nothing.

—

In the end, Adrian was left completely alone while still making installment payments on the money he owed me.

He later found out where I lived and came looking for me several times, but I refused to see him.

I still had my own road ahead of me.

I would never again stop for someone who no longer mattered and waste another moment of my life.