The Day Another Woman Became the Bride Chapter 07

The Day Another Woman Became the Bride Chapter 07

Claire was gone.

She’d decided not to marry him from the moment he let Paige take the bridal car.

At nine that night, I stood outside my family home in Providence with my suitcase.

My finger hovered over the keypad for a long time.

I couldn’t press a button. My mind raced.

What were my parents doing right now?

At this hour they’d usually be finished with dinner, curled up on the couch.

Mom would be watching some mindless romance show, while Dad scrolled through TikTok in his

reading glasses.

If I walked in now, how would they react?

Would they… forgive me?

I took a deep breath and pressed the first digit.

A hesitant voice called from behind me.

“Claire?”

I whipped around.

My parents stood at the elevator, staring at me in shock.

Warm tears slid down my cheeks.

My lips trembled as I called, “Mom, Dad.”

In the living room, after hearing everything, Mom was furious.

“Mason has gone too far! Come on. We’re going to confront him tomorrow.”

Dad pulled out his phone.

“Let me check the earliest Amtrak Northeast Regional tomorrow. If not, we’ll drive.”

I took a sip of the hot tea Dad had poured for me.

Seeing them ready to leave immediately, I quickly grabbed their arms.

“No, no, let me handle this.”

Mason’s family had money and connections in Boston. I didn’t want my parents walking into

trouble.

On the way home, I’d already contacted Madison Reed, a college upperclassman one year ahead of

She’d studied journalism and was now a popular relationship content creator with millions of

followers.

She’d recently asked for story submissions on her Instagram Story. I anonymously sent her

everything that had happened that day.

Now I was just waiting for Madison to post the video.

My parents didn’t understand content creators or my plan, but they respected my decision.

I opened my mouth, but my eyes stung.

Ever since I was little, my parents had always been like this.

Other children might be scolded for being picky eaters.

In our home, whether it was grocery shopping, buying clothes, choosing a college, or picking a major, my parents always respected my choices.

They always said their precious daughter only needed to grow up happy.

The only thing they’d ever strongly opposed was my relationship with Mason.

And that one time, I’d stubbornly refused to listen.

Now I was finally paying the price for my choice.

I held my mug, staring at the tea bag at the bottom, and whispered, “Mom, Dad… I’m sorry.”

Mom ruffled my hair.

“You never have to apologize to us. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”

“Fortunately, everything can still be fixed.”

Dad wasn’t great with words.

He simply opened his arms and pulled both of us into a hug.

Soon I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep surrounded by the warmth of home.

The next morning, I plugged in my phone.

The moment it powered on, it began vibrating wildly. The screen showed “99+” unread messages.

Almost all of them were from Mason, with a few random ads mixed in.

They began with frantic messages. “Claire, why aren’t you here yet? My parents and the guests are

waiting.”

Then they became threats. “Claire, you’re throwing a tantrum on our wedding day? You have half an hour to get here, or the wedding is off.”

Mason probably really thought I was just being dramatic. He didn’t message me for half an hour.

When that half hour passed and I still didn’t show, he panicked.

He started calling nonstop.

Dozens of calls, each less than a minute apart, exposed his growing panic.

He even messaged me through our shared music app in the middle of the night.

In the early hours, Mason sent one final voice message.

“I’m sorry, Claire. I know I was wrong. Wait for me. I’m coming to find you now.”

I tapped the screen lightly.

“No need. We’re breaking up. That’s it.”

I blocked every way he could contact me before he could reply.