Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The next morning, I packed up my stuff.
Filled a few suitcases and had them shipped back to my parents’ place.
Lincoln came home around noon.
He obviously knew about the group chat photo. Knew I left the chat.
After all, he was the group admin.
So he looked guilty.
“Look, it was late, okay? Chelsea was worried about me driving… We didn’t-nothing happened, I swear! I crashed on
the couch, that’s it…”
“The photo was a joke. She’s just a kid, she didn’t mean anything by it.”
He kept talking, eyes glued to my face the whole time.
“Besides… you shouldn’t have taken it out on her last night… it was MY fault…”
I didn’t look up from my phone.
Then he pulled a box of Swiss rolls out of his bag and set it on the table.
“Got these just for you. Something sweet always helps, right?”
I glanced at the box. Production date: yesterday.
Wow he’s dumping the leftovers on me?
So he bought a whole table of them for Chelsea, and
I grabbed the box and tossed it in the trash.
Lincoln’s face darkened.
“What are you doing? Stop being difficult!”
“I don’t like sweets.”
I went back to my phone..
My mom was sending me options-venues, wedding dresses, banquet menus.
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Chapter 3
God, she was moving way too fast.
I’d only just agreed to go home and meet the guy, and she was already planning the whole wedding.
“Chelsea said all girls love sweets-”
He stopped himself. Too late.
Then his eyes flicked to my phone.
Saw the wedding dress my mom just sent.
[I think this one suits you better. You’re tall, so a long train would look gorgeous on you. I even found the flower girls-twins! A boy and a girl, SO000 cute!!]
Lincoln’s face went white. Then dark.
“What wedding?”
“Who said you could pick out wedding dresses? Did you even ask me?”
“It’s your mom again, isn’t it? She’s completely lost it! Why does she keep stirring up trouble?”
His voice was dripping with contempt for my mom.
Completely forgotten how she used to visit me at college and bring him more food and clothes than she ever brought
After Lincoln’s parents divorced and started new families, he became the leftover kid. They sent money, sure. But no
love. No attention.
My mom filled that gap. She treated him like her own son.
Back then, he used to say, “Nina, just for your mom alone, I’m gonna marry you.”
“I’m not gonna be your family’s son-in-law-I’m gonna be your family’s son.”
Back then, we had no money. No house. No way to get married.
But every night in that cramped apartment, we’d talk about our future-wedding, kids, the whole dream.
That dream was what kept us going.
Then we got money. We got a house. His business took off.
And suddenly marriage became a dirty word.
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“Work comes first.”
“I’m too busy right now.”
“I heard marriage kills love.”
“We’re still young.”
“Let’s wait a little longer…”
Lincoln always had an excuse.
I felt hurt. But I stayed.
I’d already given him seven years. Walking away felt like throwing it all in the trash.
But now I see the truth.
If I leave now, those seven years were wasted.
If I stay, I’m just wasting more.
You can’t get the past back. Cutting your losses is the only smart move.
Lincoln was still ranting.
He got louder and angrier, like my mom had committed some unforgivable sin.
When I didn’t respond, he grabbed my phone and started yelling into the voice-to-text.
“Monica! Stop making things worse, will you?”
“We’re young, we have our own plans! You meddling is just causing us problems!”
“We are NOT getting married anytime soon! So just STOP already!”
Then he tossed my phone on the couch,
“Nina, your mom is completely out of control. I swear-”
SLAP!
I hit him. Hard.
He froze mid-rant.
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“You can disrespect me all you want. But you do NOT disrespect my mother.”
I spoke slowly. Clearly. Every word like ice.
“She’s NOT trying to marry me off to you. So don’t flatter yourself.”
“We’re done.”
Right then, Chelsea came bursting through the door.
Tears streaming down her face, voice shaking.
“Lincoln! You didn’t use a condom last night! And I didn’t take anything!”
“I’m still so young-I can’t get pregnant!”
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