Alle Kapitel von Uninvited Groom: I Turned This Wedding Down: Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 10

The night we went to pick out an outfit for our engagement photoshoot, Celine showed up 40 minutes late.The clerk had already ironed the white dress twice.When Celine finally arrived, Mike Young was right behind her. He had been her close friend since childhood, and he was also the person she cared about the most on this trip."I ran into Mike on the way. He happened to be looking for some clothes too, so I brought him along," Celine explained.She took the glass of water the clerk handed her. "You don't mind, do you?"Before I could answer, Mike smiled. "If Henry minds, I'll leave right now. I wouldn't want anyone talking about how I don't know where the boundary is."He said he'd leave, but he was already sitting on the couch.Celine frowned. "Don't mind Henry. He's still upset about the poll."The clerk brought over two dresses, one cream-colored and the other light blue. "Your fiance picked the white one earlier. This gentleman picked out the other one. Which one would yo

I asked Celine what she planned to do if the wedding was postponed.In the midst of packing, she didn't even look up. "What?"I put the half sheet of paper in front of her. She glanced at it and tossed it into the trash."Zoe wrote that as part of some stupid game. You actually took it seriously?" she asked."That's your handwriting," I replied."She copied it.""Celine, whenever you lie, you touch your watchband with your right hand."Celine's hand was resting on her watch.The room went quiet.She lowered her hand and finally looked at me. "Henry, do you really have to dig into every little thing lately?""I just want answers," I said."The answer is I love you. I'm still going to marry you, but that doesn't mean I have to give up all my friends." Her voice was steady.It sounded like reassurance, but also a warning not to push my luck.…The night before the trip, both our families had dinner together at a restaurant.Celine called it a pre-wedding dinner and said we'

Celine bought the earliest return ticket that day.There weren't any seats left. The only tickets left were for the middle of the night, and they were standing-room only.Zoe stopped her. "You already came all this way. Henry is obviously waiting for you to go back. If you leave now, aren't you playing right into his hands?""He moved out," Celine said."Where else could he go? He probably went to Joanne's place."Celine didn't explain further.My parents had died young, and after Joanne got married, I had no home to go back to in that city.Celine used to know that.But over time, she got used to calling wherever she was my home. She forgot that the apartment had never actually belonged to me.For more than a dozen hours, she stood in the space between the train cars. Every time the train stopped at a station, she checked her phone.I never replied.When she got home, the living room looked exactly as it had when she left, with the unopened paperwork for our marriage still

Once the wedding hotel refund came through, I transferred Celine's share to her.She called me soon after. "Are you really going to split even the deposit between us?""We were each paying half to begin with.""What about the new house?""The realtor already listed it. I broke down the down payment and renovation costs. Once it's sold, we'll split the money based on what each of us paid," I replied.Celine's breathing grew heavy. "That was supposed to be our home after we got married.""Not anymore.""Henry, do you really have to put a price on all seven years?"It's not about money.""Then what is it?"I looked at the first draft of the itinerary on my desk. "It's about giving back everything that was never mine."She didn't say anything else.…A week later, the branch's railway feature went live and got a great response.Headquarters decided to turn the Norwell route into its own publication, and I was officially named its editor in charge.At the celebration dinner,

Six months later, the Norwell railway feature won an industry award.After the celebration, Lana and I walked back along the old platform.She handed me a train ticket. "You're going to Lewton for an interview tomorrow. The ticket is for 7:00 am. Don't be late.""Got it.""This time, I booked two tickets."I looked at her.She continued, "They're both for work. Don't read too much into it.""I didn't."Lana smiled. "Good."Our relationship stayed somewhere between coworkers and friends.No one pushed me to move on, and no one urged me to turn back.Yelena sent me several letters afterward.The first was an apology. In the second, she said she had found a part-time job and wouldn't ask me for money anymore.The third was a report card.I kept them all and replied only once, "Take care of yourself."Joanne never contacted me again.I heard that she had fallen out with Zoe and the others. When it came to settling the trip expenses, no one wanted to pay for the decorations