My Boyfriend of Six Years Gave My Dowry to Another Girl Chapter 02

My Boyfriend of Six Years Gave My Dowry to Another Girl Chapter 02

“Where are you?”

I stepped out of the moldy basement apartment and drew in the biting night air.

“At the apartment.”

“I told Brennan last time that I’d find you two a better place, but you…”

I cut him off.

“Our wedding plans fell apart over money. He told me to call you.”

“Did you two lose another game and decide to mess with me?”

“I’m not kidding.”

Harlan fell silent. A full minute passed before he spoke again.

“Where do you want to meet? I’m at Auremont having a drink.”

“I’ll come to you.”

I ended the call and hailed a cab.

My phone kept lighting up as message after message poured in. When I opened the group chat, the screen was filled with congratulations.

[Congrats, Maren! Congrats, Brennan! So happy for you two!]

[Six years, and it’s finally happening. Congratulations!]

Brennan had posted a close-up on Instagram of two clasped hands, matching rings gleaming on their fingers.

The caption read:

[Wedding date: August 17.]

The group chat exploded within seconds. Everyone in the chat was one of Brennan’s friends.

Not one of them considered that he might be marrying someone else. As soon as they saw the date, they tagged me.

[Maren, where are you? This is huge. Aren’t you going to say anything? @Maren]

I stared at the messages, my thumb hovering over the text box.

[Maren?]

[Are you too shy to answer?]

[After six years, you owe us all a round when you finally tie the knot!]

I typed a few words, stared at them, then erased them one by one. I tried again and deleted that message too.

I had no idea how to explain to so many people that my six-year relationship with Brennan had ended in a single day.

Before I could decide what to say, Brennan replied.

[Thanks for all the congratulations. Lennox Fenwick and I are celebrating at Auremont tonight. Eight o’clock. Don’t miss it.]

The chat immediately came alive again.

[Auremont? Look at you, Brennan. You’re really going all out.]

[After six years, we’re drinking until they kick us out tonight!]

[Where’s Maren? Why isn’t she saying anything?]

More people tagged me. I was about to close the chat when a new message appeared.

[Wait. Who’s Lennox?]

The constant stream of messages stopped.

A few seconds later, a system notification appeared.

[Brennan Keene added Lennox Fenwick to the group.]

Lennox quickly sent a message.

[Hi, everyone! I’m Lennox, Brennan’s fiancée. It’s so nice to meet you all.]

No one replied.

One minute passed, then two. Nearly ten minutes later, someone finally sent a message.

[Welcome to the group, Lennox.]

The others seemed to recover after that and added their congratulations.

None of the messages said anything personal, just one stiff, formulaic congratulations after another.

I found the whole thing almost funny.

I left the group chat and looked up just as the cab stopped.

The driver glanced back at me.

“This is Auremont. The fare’s twenty-two dollars.”

I tapped my card on the payment terminal and got out.

Luxury cars lined the curb outside Auremont, and well-dressed guests moved through the entrance.

The moment I stepped onto the sidewalk, someone called my name.

“Maren?”

I looked up and saw several of Brennan’s friends.

They had just arrived and were waiting for him outside. One of them smiled when he saw me and spoke without thinking.

“Maren, which lounge did Brennan book? Auremont isn’t cheap. He’s really going all out. I guess finally marrying you put him in a generous mood.”

The friend beside him grabbed his arm and whispered urgently.

“Didn’t you read the chat?”

He froze, pulled out his phone, and quickly scrolled through the messages. The smile vanished from his face.

When he looked up at me again, he was speechless.

I walked past them and headed inside.

A few steps later, their lowered voices followed me.

“What’s she doing here?”

“You think she’s going to make a scene?”

“They were together for six years. He replaced her overnight. Who wouldn’t lose it?”

“I thought she was the bride too. Then Lennox appeared out of nowhere.”

“Keep it down. She might hear you.”

I heard every word, but I didn’t turn around.

They all thought I’d come for Brennan.

I couldn’t blame them. Even I had never imagined that one day I would sit down with Harlan and discuss marrying him.