I Was The Temporary Guest In The Home I Helped Buy Chapter 01

I Was The Temporary Guest In The Home I Helped Buy Chapter 01

The day Graham Mercer closed on the house we were supposed to share after the wedding, he added my license plate to the building’s resident parking access system. Yet every time I pulled up to the underground garage, the gate stayed down.

The ninth time it left me stranded outside in the rain, I pulled over and called Graham. He sounded so practiced, as if he’d had the excuse ready all along.

“I’m sorry. Building management updated the access system yesterday, and your plate got wiped from the resident list.”

“Park outside for now. I’ll have the management office add it back tomorrow.”

The last time, he had claimed that a new employee at the management office did not know how to set up the access. The time before that, he had said the garage system had reached its limit and they needed to remove a few inactive plates first.

Only later did I learn that Sabrina Cole had made an offhand comment that day.

“Maybe we shouldn’t give too many cars access to the parking space. It could get messy later.”

Just like that, my car lost access.

After I hung up, a BMW swept past me and sent a sheet of dirty water splashing over my car. The spray struck the door and the hem of my freshly washed white dress.

Sabrina sat inside with Graham’s suit jacket draped over her shoulders. She did not even glance at me.

Then the building’s resident app pinged with a notification.

[Ms. Cole’s vehicle has been granted permanent access to Mr. Mercer’s assigned parking space.]

Rainwater seeped into my shoes until my toes went numb from the cold. I was done trying to enter a world that refused to let me in.

***

I moved my car to the farthest short-term parking area outside the complex. Icy winter slush soaked through my shoes, and every step felt like walking on blocks of ice.

I walked to the front gate under my umbrella. The security guard glanced at me without recognizing me.

“I’ll need you to sign in as a guest.”

I gave him Graham’s name. He typed for a few seconds, then frowned.

“Mr. Mercer doesn’t have any guests preauthorized for tonight.”

I froze.

“I’m his fiancée.”

Embarrassment flickered across the guard’s face as he pointed at the screen.

“The resident profile lists a Ms. Cole under family members.”

“Your profile is showing guest access only. I need the resident to approve you.”

She counted as family. I counted as a guest.

I stood outside the gate as rain hammered against the edge of my umbrella.

This was the house we were supposed to share after the wedding—the one I’d put $50,000 toward as a down payment. Yet in the gated community where it was located, Sabrina counted as family, while I had guest access only.

The guard called the unit upstairs, but no one answered.

I texted Graham. I sent one message, then another, but he did not reply.

Instead, a new message appeared in the group chat we shared with our friends. The group chat was called “Graham’s Last Days of Freedom.”

Sabrina posted a photo of the dinner table. It was covered with food, with a platter of shrimp in the center.

Her caption read, [Mrs. Mercer taught me how to make Graham’s favorite lemon-garlic shrimp. I actually got it right on my first try.]

The replies piled up beneath it.

[They’re already treating you like Graham’s future wife.]

[She fits in with the family better than Graham’s actual fiancée.]

[Graham’s a lucky man.]

Someone quickly unsent another message, but not before I saw it.

[Did Nora make it in yet? Don’t tell me the garage locked her out again. LOL.]

They had started the group during one of their card games, and I almost never said anything in it. I had stayed silent for so long that they had probably forgotten I was still there.

I locked my phone.

Then someone came through the gate. It was Graham’s friend, Owen Barrett.

He was carrying a case of beer and stopped when he saw me.

“Nora? What are you doing out here?”

I managed a thin smile.

“The system says I’m a guest.”

Owen’s expression stiffened. He lifted his key fob as if he were about to let me in, then seemed to remember something and lowered his voice.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go up right now. Sabrina’s here, and Mrs. Mercer is in a great mood with her around.”

“I don’t think you’ll feel very welcome if you go up there.”

I looked at him.

“Does she come here often?”

Owen opened his mouth, then finally told me the truth.

“She comes by pretty often.”

“Mrs. Mercer likes her. She thinks Sabrina’s thoughtful. We used to joke that she fit in with the Mercers like she was the one marrying Graham.”

He hurried to add, “That’s not what I meant.”

I nodded.

“It’s fine.”

My phone lit up again. Graham had finally responded.

Graham replied: [Mom asked Sabrina to help taste-test the wedding menu. I can’t get away right now.]

Graham: [Find somewhere dry and wait until I’m done.]

I looked up at the illuminated window on the twenty-third floor. Inside, people were eating, laughing, and enjoying the shrimp Sabrina had made.

I stood outside in the rain, unable even to get through the front gate.

I turned and walked away. The rain felt bitterly cold against my face.