My Fiancé Chose Her Over Me—So I Canceled Our Wedding Chapter 03

On the way back, Ethan suggested stopping by the house we were supposed to share after the wedding.

At the door, I was still looking up the code Ethan had just texted me.

Sophie was already pressing her finger to the smart lock with practiced ease.

The door opened.

I stopped short.

Then I realized the code was her birthday.

Ethan explained casually as he changed his shoes.

“She can never remember codes. It’s easier this way.”

I looked at the lock.

“What about my fingerprint?”

He didn’t look up.

“Forgot to add it. We’ll do it another day.”

Luke took his slippers from the shoe cabinet. Ryan was already in the kitchen, opening the fridge.

Sophie carried the cat straight inside.

This was supposed to be a home for two.

All four of them could come and go as they pleased.

The bride was the only one who needed somebody to let her in.

The living room looked nothing like it had on my last visit, either.

The walnut furniture I’d spent two weeks choosing was all gone, replaced with the soft cream-colored pieces Sophie liked.

Even the spot I set aside for plants on the balcony now held the hanging chair she wanted.

“Didn’t we agree to leave the decor the way it was?”

Before Ethan could answer, Luke laughed.

“That old stuff looked dated. Soph changed a few things. It looks much better now.”

Sophie looked a little embarrassed.

“I only made a couple of suggestions. Ethan insisted on changing it.”

A couple of suggestions.

They counted for more than the two weeks I’d spent drawing up plans for this home.

I didn’t ask anything else. I pushed open the door to what was supposed to be my study.

Inside were a vanity, a wardrobe, and a made-up bed.

“Ethan insisted I have my own room.”

Sophie smiled at me.

“That way, I can still crash here sometimes after you two get married.”

I stood in the doorway.

I thought of the one thing I’d asked for when we decorated the house.

“Then where’s my study?”

Ethan frowned.

“You don’t work from home every day. What do you need a study for?”

I looked at him.

“I told you I wanted somewhere by a window where I could write.”

“Claire.”

He was already getting impatient.

“Soph needs somewhere to sleep when she stays over.”

I looked at the wardrobe, packed with her clothes.

“This is supposed to be our home.”

Luke’s smile faded.

“You’re just getting married. You’re not seriously planning to stop us from coming over, are you?”

Ryan frowned, too.

“We used to hang out every day without a problem. Why is it suddenly yours and mine just because you’re getting married?”

Sophie went pale.

She opened the wardrobe and started gathering her clothes in her arms.

“You don’t want me staying here?”

“Please don’t fight because of me.”

“I just won’t come over anymore.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

All three men’s expressions changed almost at once.

Luke pressed a hand against the wardrobe, stopping her.

“Why should you leave?”

Ryan snatched the clothes from her arms.

“This room is yours. Who said you had to go?”

Ethan turned to me, his expression dark.

“Happy now, Claire?”

My chest tightened painfully.

“Did I ask her to leave? At any point?”

“You didn’t have to. We all know what you meant.”

Ethan hung Sophie’s clothes back up.

One piece.

Then another.

He was far more patient with her things than he’d been with mine.

“And let’s get something straight.”

He closed the wardrobe and looked at me.

“I bought this house.”

“I’ll let whoever I want stay here.”

The room went silent.

I looked at the rooms behind him.

Luke had a gaming room.

Ryan had a home theater.

Sophie had a bedroom, a wardrobe, and her fingerprint registered in the lock. Even her cat had its own bed.

And me?

No study.

No fingerprint.

Not a single corner left the way I wanted it.

In the move from the old house to this one, they hadn’t left a thing behind.

They still hadn’t made room for me.

I nodded.

“Okay.”

Ethan looked surprised.

Then his expression eased.

“I knew you were easy to please.”

Luke laughed, trying to smooth things over.

“That’s more like it. A wedding doesn’t mean the group’s breaking up. It’ll still be all of us.”

Sophie carefully took my hand.

“Claire, you’re really okay with it?”

I pulled my hand away.

“Yeah.”

I didn’t care anymore.

The wedding in three days was canceled anyway.

I wasn’t going to live in this house, either.

The four of them could divide it up however they liked.

On the way back, Ethan suggested stopping by the house we were supposed to share after the wedding.

At the door, I was still looking up the code Ethan had just texted me.

Sophie was already pressing her finger to the smart lock with practiced ease.

The door opened.

I stopped short.

Then I realized the code was her birthday.

Ethan explained casually as he changed his shoes.

“She can never remember codes. It’s easier this way.”

I looked at the lock.

“What about my fingerprint?”

He didn’t look up.

“Forgot to add it. We’ll do it another day.”

Luke took his slippers from the shoe cabinet. Ryan was already in the kitchen, opening the fridge.

Sophie carried the cat straight inside.

This was supposed to be a home for two.

All four of them could come and go as they pleased.

The bride was the only one who needed somebody to let her in.

The living room looked nothing like it had on my last visit, either.

The walnut furniture I’d spent two weeks choosing was all gone, replaced with the soft cream-colored pieces Sophie liked.

Even the spot I set aside for plants on the balcony now held the hanging chair she wanted.

“Didn’t we agree to leave the decor the way it was?”

Before Ethan could answer, Luke laughed.

“That old stuff looked dated. Soph changed a few things. It looks much better now.”

Sophie looked a little embarrassed.

“I only made a couple of suggestions. Ethan insisted on changing it.”

A couple of suggestions.

They counted for more than the two weeks I’d spent drawing up plans for this home.

I didn’t ask anything else. I pushed open the door to what was supposed to be my study.

Inside were a vanity, a wardrobe, and a made-up bed.

“Ethan insisted I have my own room.”

Sophie smiled at me.

“That way, I can still crash here sometimes after you two get married.”

I stood in the doorway.

I thought of the one thing I’d asked for when we decorated the house.

“Then where’s my study?”

Ethan frowned.

“You don’t work from home every day. What do you need a study for?”

I looked at him.

“I told you I wanted somewhere by a window where I could write.”

“Claire.”

He was already getting impatient.

“Soph needs somewhere to sleep when she stays over.”

I looked at the wardrobe, packed with her clothes.

“This is supposed to be our home.”

Luke’s smile faded.

“You’re just getting married. You’re not seriously planning to stop us from coming over, are you?”

Ryan frowned, too.

“We used to hang out every day without a problem. Why is it suddenly yours and mine just because you’re getting married?”

Sophie went pale.

She opened the wardrobe and started gathering her clothes in her arms.

“You don’t want me staying here?”

“Please don’t fight because of me.”

“I just won’t come over anymore.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

All three men’s expressions changed almost at once.

Luke pressed a hand against the wardrobe, stopping her.

“Why should you leave?”

Ryan snatched the clothes from her arms.

“This room is yours. Who said you had to go?”

Ethan turned to me, his expression dark.

“Happy now, Claire?”

My chest tightened painfully.

“Did I ask her to leave? At any point?”

“You didn’t have to. We all know what you meant.”

Ethan hung Sophie’s clothes back up.

One piece.

Then another.

He was far more patient with her things than he’d been with mine.

“And let’s get something straight.”

He closed the wardrobe and looked at me.

“I bought this house.”

“I’ll let whoever I want stay here.”

The room went silent.

I looked at the rooms behind him.

Luke had a gaming room.

Ryan had a home theater.

Sophie had a bedroom, a wardrobe, and her fingerprint registered in the lock. Even her cat had its own bed.

And me?

No study.

No fingerprint.

Not a single corner left the way I wanted it.

In the move from the old house to this one, they hadn’t left a thing behind.

They still hadn’t made room for me.

I nodded.

“Okay.”

Ethan looked surprised.

Then his expression eased.

“I knew you were easy to please.”

Luke laughed, trying to smooth things over.

“That’s more like it. A wedding doesn’t mean the group’s breaking up. It’ll still be all of us.”

Sophie carefully took my hand.

“Claire, you’re really okay with it?”

I pulled my hand away.

“Yeah.”

I didn’t care anymore.

The wedding in three days was canceled anyway.

I wasn’t going to live in this house, either.

The four of them could divide it up however they liked.