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Chapter 3

Author: Spring Pool
The next morning, Austin surprisingly did not leave early for work.

Instead, he set breakfast on the table and pulled out a chair for me.

“Grace, come have breakfast.”

He flashed me that familiar smile, the one that always came right before he let me down. He always softened me up first before abandoning me.

“I have last-minute overtime tonight. I may not be able to make your birthday.

“Why don’t I make it up to you this weekend? I’ll get you whatever you want.”

Whatever I want.

That was his way of saying he had put zero thought into my birthday. He did not even bother to get me a bouquet.

Yet, when Laurel’s birthday was around the corner, he put in more effort than I did.

He scouted restaurants and even asked me to pry into what she wanted.

When I voiced my discontent, he never took it seriously.

“Hey, as your fiance, I can’t look like a total slacker in front of your best friend!

“If I’m good to her, she won’t be in your ear telling you to dump me whenever we argue.”

Back then, I convinced myself that Austin was simply trying to be kind to the people in my life.

Perhaps he thought that winning them over would make our relationship stronger. But I was done being blind.

I looked him in the eye and calmly said, “Okay.”

When he heard this, he smiled in satisfaction and kissed my forehead.

“I knew you’d be understanding.”

After Austin left, I began packing my things.

Halfway through, my mother gave me a video call.

“Gracie, happy birthday!

“Look! Every single year without fail, your dad gets up really early just to make you his famous brisket.

“I keep telling him that you’re a grown woman now, with your own life and your own home and that you’re not coming back here for your birthday anymore.

“He never listens. He just waves me off and says I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

Through the screen, I watched my father’s busy figure in the kitchen.

In the end, I could not hold back my tears and started sobbing.

My mother was startled, and she quickly asked, “Gracie, are you okay? Did someone hurt you?

“Where’s Austin? He used to always spend your birthdays with you. Where is he?”

I wiped my tears and said, “Mom, I’m not getting married anymore...

“I want to come home. I want to spend the holidays with you guys.”

My mother was stunned.

Without asking further, she comforted me by saying, “Gracie, your dad and I will always be with you no matter what happens.

“If you’re not happy there, come home. We’ll be waiting for you.”

The call ended, and the room went dead quiet. My gasping sobs were the only sound left.

I only gradually calmed down as night fell.

The house felt too stifling, so I went to the riverside for a walk by myself and bought a cake along the way.

I sat on a bench and had just placed the candles when I spotted two familiar figures.

Laurel and Austin had just finished watching a movie, and they were discussing where to go for dinner.

A running child suddenly bumped into Laurel, and she stumbled forward.

Austin instinctively caught her in time and held her in his arms.

Their eyes met, and they blushed. Neither wanted to break the moment, so they held on without a word.

It was not until she caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye that she froze.

“G-Gracie?”

Austin turned over in a daze and met my gaze.

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  • Someone Else Moved Into My House   Chapter 10

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  • Someone Else Moved Into My House   Chapter 9

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  • Someone Else Moved Into My House   Chapter 7

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  • Someone Else Moved Into My House   Chapter 6

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  • Someone Else Moved Into My House   Chapter 5

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