All Chapters of Three Years on Tiptoe, I'm Done Trying to Fit Into His World: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The faucet was still running.I stood on my tiptoes to reach the handle, but my sleeve brushed against the countertop, and cold water ran down my wrist and into my sleeve.It washed away the last bit of hope I had been holding onto.Zavier Grant stood in the doorway, his tone impatient."It's only a few inches. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?""Six inches."I turned off the faucet. When I lowered my heels, my calves were already trembling from the strain."The bathroom vanity was supposed to be 31 inches high, according to the plans. Now it's 37 inches. The closet, upper cabinets, and entryway hooks have all been raised, too."Zavier looked up."You actually measured all that?""This is where I'll be living."I spent more than a dozen late nights refining the original design.I visited seven showrooms just to get the 31-inch vanity height right. I put everything from the tiles and lighting strips to the cabinetry into spreadsheets and checked each item off one by

Chapter 2

After I got back to my apartment, I came down with a low-grade fever.It wasn't until the next morning that Zavier finally called.I answered the phone in a painfully hoarse voice, but he didn't seem to notice. Instead, there was a questioning edge to his voice."Everything went smoothly with the inspection of the new house yesterday, so why did you suddenly leave?""My clothes got soaked, and I came down with a fever."There was a brief silence on the other end.Zavier's tone softened."I've already had someone add your voice to the system. Leave the furniture as it is for now. Once we're married and have lived there for a while, we can change anything that doesn't work for you."This was the first time he had compromised.I stared at the search result on my phone about calling off the wedding. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to tap it.We had been together for three years, and the wedding invitations had already been sent out. I decided to give him one last chance to make things

Chapter 3

I was about to change out of my wedding dress when Xyla stepped on the train, pinning it to the floor with her heel.I stumbled forward, my elbow striking the sharp edge of the fitting-room mirror. A searing pain shot through my arm.Zavier reached out almost at the same time.But he grabbed Xyla's arm."Are you okay? Did that scare you?"Xyla leaned against his arm and patted her chest."Natalia lost her balance. She scared me half to death."Zavier turned toward me and frowned."Be more careful when you're changing. You don't have to be so jumpy."My elbow was already swelling and turning red.The sales associate brought over an ice pack. Zavier glanced at it and seemed about to take it, but Xyla suddenly sucked in a quiet breath.A sequin on the wedding dress had left a shallow scratch across the back of her hand.Zavier immediately lowered his head to examine it.I took the ice pack myself and pressed it against my elbow.In the end, the wedding dress was never reordered.Zavier to

Chapter 4

My phone lit up.Xyla had just posted something on social media.In the photo, she was sitting in the passenger seat with her legs stretched out comfortably. Her caption was only one sentence."When you're the favorite, even the seat remembers you."Zavier glanced at me through the rearview mirror."Let's have dinner tonight. Let me make it up to you.""Where?"He seemed relieved and quickly named a restaurant.It served the kind of Kiyoran food Xyla loved.I slipped my phone back into my bag."You two go ahead."The car pulled over to the curb, and I opened the door and stepped out. As I bent down to grab my bag, I noticed a piece of paper sticking halfway out from between the rear seats.I pulled it free and curled my fingers around it.I didn't look at it until I had closed the car door.It was a receipt for a couples' pottery class, with a photo attached.The date was the 17th of last month.That was the day Zavier said he had a construction-site inspection and would be tied up un

Chapter 5

The next morning, Zavier showed up at my apartment with breakfast.He remembered that I hated cilantro, and that I always wanted chicken soup when I had a cold. There was even some fever medicine in the paper bag, with the dosage and instructions clearly marked.When I opened the door, he instinctively reached out to feel my forehead.I took half a step back.His hand froze in midair."Is your fever gone?""Yes."I didn't take the breakfast. Instead, I picked up the key to our new home from the entryway cabinet and slipped it into the envelope I'd already prepared.Zavier watched what I was doing, and his expression gradually changed."Last night, I made it clear to Xyla that she wouldn't be involved in the renovations anymore. I deleted her saved seat profile from the passenger seat, too.""What about the inspection forms she signed on your behalf?""The contractor agreed to void the inspection forms and conduct a new inspection.""And the pottery studio?"His Adam's apple bobbed."Sh

Chapter 6

My parents had seen the news about the canceled wedding in the mutual friends' group chat.When my mother called, her voice trembled the entire time. She didn't ask what would happen to the wedding or whether our relatives would laugh at me. She only told me to come home.I sat on the floor, my back against the edge of the bed, and told her everything from beginning to end.There was a long silence on the other end.Then my father took the phone."Do you have to stand on a stool to reach everything in that house?""Yes.""Then don't go back."His voice was low and heavy."My daughter wasn't born to spend her life on tiptoe just to reach someone else's standards."My nose stung, and I lowered my head to stare at my knees."I might not get the renovation money back anytime soon. I'll also lose part of the wedding deposit.""You can earn the money back slowly. Just don't let yourself get trapped there."After I hung up, I went through the wedding checklist and crossed everything off one i

Chapter 7

"How high should the cabinets be?""31 inches.""The standard height is 33.5 inches. If we lower it, it might make the apartment harder to sell later."I looked at the empty kitchen."I need it to work for me first."For the first time since calling off the wedding, I was making decisions about my home based entirely on what worked for me.The apartment was small, only about 540 square feet.The closet rods were set at five feet five inches, and the entryway hooks were installed in two rows, one above the other.When the technician set up the smart-home system, he asked whether I wanted to add any other family members.I hesitated."For now, just me."My life didn't suddenly become easier just because I had called off the wedding.I still hadn't recovered the money I'd already spent on the renovations, and remodeling the new apartment required money, too. I went through my budget again, gave up the couch I had originally planned to buy, and slept on a folding bed for several nights.On

Chapter 8

Two months later, the renovation of my apartment was finally complete.On moving day, I cooked in my new kitchen for the first time.The faucet was at exactly the right height.I didn't have to stand on tiptoe, and the water no longer splashed against my collarbone. I could reach the bowls in the upper cabinets without stretching, and when I hung my keys on the hooks by the entryway, they landed right at eye level.The smart speaker chimed."Welcome home, Natalia."I stood at the doorway, unable to bring myself to step inside.The welcome message was nothing special, yet it was the first time a space that belonged to me had truly recognized me as its owner.Just then, the doorbell rang.Zavier appeared on the screen.He wasn't carrying any flowers or gifts, only a tablet and a document folder.I didn't open the door. Instead, I spoke to him through the intercom."What do you want?""I signed the repayment agreement for the renovation costs."He held the document up to the camera."Ther

Chapter 9

A month after Zavier brought me the repayment agreement, we officially began mediation.Zavier agreed to repay the forty-eight thousand dollars I had paid toward the renovations, cover the losses from canceling the wedding, and reimburse the related expenses.He was short on cash, so he asked to pay half upfront and settle the rest after the house was sold.My lawyer asked whether I was willing to accept those terms.I looked across the table.Zavier was wearing the dark shirt I had bought for him. The cuffs had started to fray slightly.He used to hate wearing old clothes, yet now he hadn't changed out of them."Does the house have to be sold?"It was the first time since our breakup that I had voluntarily asked about one of his personal decisions.Zavier looked up, and his eyes briefly lit up."The remaining balance on the custom work and the renovation costs are still outstanding. Selling it is the best option."He paused before adding, "If you want to keep the house, I can transfer

Chapter 10

Six months later, I bought myself a car.It wasn't particularly expensive, but it was the misty blue I loved.When I picked it up, the salesperson adjusted the driver's seat for me.I slid the seat forward and straightened the backrest. The seat belt rested across the middle of my shoulder without digging into my neck.The system asked whether I wanted to save the driver's seat settings.I entered my own name.The passenger-seat profile was empty.It wasn't because that seat was meant to stay empty forever. It was because I would be the one to decide who sat there next.The apartment building didn't have assigned parking, so I rented a long-term parking space from the property management office.When I registered my car, the staff member asked how many people I wanted to authorize for access."One."When the gate lifted, a message appeared on the garage display."Welcome home, Natalia."I parked between the lines. For the first time, I didn't sit in the car waiting for someone else to

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