All Chapters of Rigged Coin, Rigged Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I stepped outside and began ripping down the wedding decorations that covered the entire house.My fiance, Elliot Stewart, frowned. "What's your deal? Lexie put a lot of work into hanging those."I stared at my best friend, Lexie Powell, who was curled up in his arms, and let out a cold laugh. "The wedding is off. Why keep the decor?"Elliot looked entirely baffled. "We're just postponing it, not calling it off. Are you really that worried I won't marry you?"The coin I was clutching dug painfully into my palm.He had postponed my birthday party and the Thanksgiving dinner. None of it meant anything to him.My parents, Tyler Hudson and Carla Chapman, stood awkwardly by the doorway. Their eyes were filled with desperation. "A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. You can't just ruin it like this."Elliot cut them off without batting an eye. "Well, now it's a twice-in-a-lifetime event."With those casual words, he turned my six months of wedding preparations into a total joke.

Chapter 2

Being the squeaky wheel had never worked in my favor.Six months ago, a drunk man stalked me home, leaving me shaken with nightmares for days.When I broke down crying to Elliot after a drink, he brushed it off, saying I was just oversensitive and paranoid.Yet when Lexie panicked over a deliveryman's knock and sobbed uncontrollably on the phone, Elliot rushed straight to her side in the middle of the night. He completely ignored me despite my high fever. He spent the entire night comforting her.Lexie gave him a light punch, pretending to be tough. "You dummy. Go comfort Scarlett. It's fine if I get hurt, but don't let this ruin six years of what you two have."Smiling, Elliot took her hand. "It's precisely because we've been together for six years that a day or two doesn't matter. Besides, this house is packed with her friends and family. She doesn't need me to comfort her."With that, he turned and left without a second thought.He walked down the stairs, holding Lexie effort

Chapter 3

As I walked out of the room, Lexie was sitting on the couch wrapped in Elliot's coat, holding a mug of hot chocolate he had made for her.On her hand was a diamond ring even larger than mine.Without needing to ask, I already knew the answer.As she was pitiable, Elliot's lock screen and social media feeds were filled with her photos.Out of sympathy for her, when I received 100 roses on Valentine's Day, she received 1,000.As she didn't have a place of her own, we bought a place that was right across from her office. It was also styled entirely to her liking.As she watched me leave, Lexie went pale and hurriedly stood up to grab my hand. "I shouldn't have played that stupid game. Please don't fight because of me. I'll leave right now."Elliot rushed over to support her, knocking me hard against the corner of the table.He gently rubbed her stomach without sparing a single glance in my direction."She's your best friend. Do you really have to drive her away at her most vulner

Chapter 4

A flash of panic darted across Elliot's face, but his voice remained cold. "You know Lexie doesn't have parents to rely on. Did you really have to bring that up just to hurt her? She might be optimistic and strong, but that doesn't mean she won't be upset."I froze in place.How could she possibly have no one to rely on when the man who should have stood by me was her pillar?I let out a bitter laugh. "Elliot, we're over."He looked at my swollen cheek, as if he wanted to say something. He was about to reach out and touch it, only to pull back the moment Lexie swayed slightly.Without another glance at me, he scooped Lexie up into his arms and headed toward the pharmacy.I was long used to it. Any minor issue Lexie had was always more important than me.Ten minutes later, a text from him popped up on my phone."I lost my cool just now. Let's talk properly later tonight. Be good and stop overthinking. Once we wrap up the wedding in a few days, I'll take you to the beach to unwin

Chapter 5

Elliot stared fixedly at the coin. After freezing for a long moment, he managed a forced smile. "You're in the mood to play games? Guess you're not mad anymore."He casually shoved the coin into his pocket and reached out to grab my wrist. "But Scarlett, this game isn't funny at all. Don't play it again."I shifted my wrist, dodging his hand.The smile froze on his face.Lexie bit her lip beside him, looking as though she had been deeply wronged. "Scarlett, I know you're upset and that you're using this game to mock me on purpose…"I admit it's my fault. I shouldn't have pulled a stunt like that on your wedding day. You can slap me or yell at me, but please don't take it out on Elliot."Her eyes welled up with tears. A few drops trembled on the tips of her lashes as she said, "If this car is upsetting you, I'll give it right back. Really, I don't want anything. Just please don't be mad at me."Elliot frowned, and his voice turned cold. "Scarlett Hudson, don't push it too far. I

Chapter 6

Elliot recalled seeing me waiting in line with boxes at the courier station yesterday. At that time, he had assumed I was just throwing a tantrum.Now, as he stared into the empty apartment, the realization sank in far too late. I wasn't acting out in anger after all.I had truly left."Where's Scarlett?" His voice came out raspy. There wasn't a trace of a smile left on his face.No one answered.The relatives exchanged uneasy glances as the room fell deathly silent.Lexie squeezed her way through the crowd from behind, fully made up.Elliot had specifically instructed the makeup artist to do Lexie's makeup first, and it had been done meticulously.She glanced around the empty house, and her voice softened. "Elliot, how about… I keep everyone entertained with some games first to break the tension?"Elliot whipped his head around instantly. "You think this is a suitable time to play games?"It was the very first time Elliot had ever yelled at her in front of so many people.H

Chapter 7

The text messages popped up one after another, but I deleted them all without opening a single one.I tossed my phone onto the couch.In the kitchen, Mom was braising my favorite ribs, while Dad stood on the balcony squeezing fresh juice for me.At the dinner table, Dad placed a piece of tender meat onto my plate, asking no questions.Mom pushed a bowl of soup toward me. It was completely clean, without a single trace of scallions or cilantro.They never needed to ask what I wanted to eat, because every dish they made was already something I loved.I rested at home for half a month.After polishing my resume, I sent out a few applications and quickly received callbacks.The new company was on the south side of town, just three bus stops away from home.Dad hated seeing me commute, even if it was just a ten-minute bus ride, so he insisted on buying me a car.On my first day of reporting to work, I wore a crisp white shirt, and on my desk sat a small potted plant Mom had tucked

Chapter 8

One day, Elliot cornered me at the company building's entrance and dropped straight to his knees right in front of the evening rush of leaving employees.His knees struck the concrete with a loud, hard thud. He looked up at me with terrifyingly bloodshot eyes. "Scarlett, I beg you! Hit me, yell at me. Do whatever you want! Just as long as you forgive me. I'll never look at another woman for the rest of my life, I swear!"I looked down at him but felt not even the slightest stir of emotion.People passing by slowed their steps, and a few pulled out their phones.I took a half-step back and said flatly, "Get up. This only makes me want to see you less."Elliot kept following me around for the next few days, sending dozens of messages every single day.When I ignored him, he switched numbers to keep texting, and his messages turned from desperate apologies into sentimental memories.He recalled the very first time we held hands back in college and wrote about the first bouquet of f

Chapter 9

One day, I worked late until the office was almost completely empty.As I was gathering my belongings, my phone vibrated with a text from another unknown number.The message read, "Scarlett, I know you won't forgive me anymore. But I dream of you every single day. I dream of when we first got together. You asked me why I liked you back then, and I said it was because your eyes crinkled when you smiled."That day, you told me that I'm wonderful because you love me. If you ever stopped loving me, it would be because I was no longer wonderful. Now I finally understand. I really am no longer the person you love."Take back all the time we spent together in the past. My only hope now is that you live a good life ahead."I stared at the screen for a long time.Those were words I had indeed said. During our freshman year, he had slipped a hand warmer into my arms on the bleachers and built a snowman for me.His hands were frozen bright red, yet he refused to let me touch them, worried

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