My Fiancé’s Love Was Just a Test?! Too Bad I Passed by Leaving Chapter 03

My Fiancé’s Love Was Just a Test?! Too Bad I Passed by Leaving Chapter 03

At the station, I found out the neighbors had already called the cops multiple times.

Officers had shown up twice before. Spencer’s crew hadn’t even turned the music down.

“Who’s responsible for this party?”

Everyone’s eyes slid to Vanessa. Nobody said a word.

Vanessa stepped forward and spread her arms wide, like she was blocking a bullet for the group.

“I can handle it. This was on me.”

“Officer, leave everyone else out of it. If someone’s getting charged, it should be me.”

She sounded brave enough, but her arms were trembling. Playing the martyr and barely pulling it off.

Spencer stepped in front of her before the officer could respond.

“Officer, Elise invited us. It’s her place.”

I stared at him. He didn’t even blink.

Graham jumped in right behind him.

“That’s right. Elise invited all of us.”

The rest of the group piled on, nodding along, backing the story.

I looked at both of them and kept my voice very, very steady.

“You know what happens when you ignore noise complaints and blow off the cops twice, right? Someone goes to jail.”

Neither of them said a word.

They knew. That was exactly the point.

They couldn’t let Vanessa face the consequences, so they were handing them to me.

I was done talking.

“Officer, I have proof I wasn’t here.”

They tried to talk over me, but I pulled up everything, including timestamps and badge-in records, showing I’d been at the office all night.

The second I walked out, I expedited my visa application.

I booked a flight to Harboridge. Five days out.

Back at the apartment, I called a realtor to list the place and started cleaning up the wreckage they’d left behind.

Graham’s little gifts were scattered everywhere.

I’d never accepted anything expensive from him, aside from the engagement ring.

I used to think these things meant something.

Now every single one felt like a slap.

I could picture it now. Graham handing me a gift, then pulling up the group chat the second I turned around. Giving them play-by-play updates.

Telling them how easy I was to fool. How well I performed the grateful girlfriend act.

I swept everything into the trash.

I was hauling the bag to the door when the cops showed up again.

“Ms. Hartwell, we’ve got a complaint filed under Section 88 of the Bellmont noise ordinance. You’re being accused of ongoing disturbance. If it sticks, you’re looking at up to five days in county.”

I had no idea what was happening. I went with them.

In the back of the cruiser, it started making sense. This wasn’t the first party they’d thrown at my place.

Graham had a key.

Every time things between us hit a new milestone, they’d throw a party in my apartment behind my back to celebrate the latest stage of their little game.

Spencer’s assistant had put together a fake paper trail.

According to the paperwork, I was the one who’d been hosting the parties and racking up complaints for months.

At the station entrance, Vanessa was walking out with the group huddled around her like she’d just survived something heroic.

Spencer spotted me and headed over.

“Elise, just hang tight for a few days. When you get out, we’ll go straight to the courthouse.”

“Vanessa can’t have this on her record. It would wreck her career.”

“But you? You’ll be a Vaughn. You won’t need a job. I’ll take care of everything.”

Vanessa let out a low whistle.

“Five days in lockup for the Vaughn name? That’s a steal, honestly.”

I walked past all of them without a word.

Inside, I made my one call to Malcolm Reid. I told him everything.

He was at the station within the hour and got the whole thing sorted out.