Home / The Dream Home That Evicted Its Groom / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of The Dream Home That Evicted Its Groom: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The faucet was still running. I bent down to turn it off and nearly hit my forehead on the mirrored cabinet. Water ran down my arm, slipped into my sleeve, and soaked the front of my shirt.It also washed away the last bit of hope I had left.Claire Bennett stood in the doorway and said impatiently, "It's only a few inches lower. Do you have to give me that look?""It's five and a half inches."I turned off the water and straightened up. My lower back was already starting to ache."The bathroom counter was supposed to be 36 inches high according to the design plans, but now it's only 31 inches. The kitchen counters, desk, mirrored cabinet, and closet rods have all been lowered."Claire looked up."You actually measured all that?""I'm going to be living here."I spent more than a dozen late nights fine-tuning the initial design. I visited seven different showrooms just to settle on a 36-inch counter height. I even put together a spreadsheet to check every detail, from the ti

Chapter 2

Someone noticed the front of my shirt was soaked and snickered."Hey, Ethan! You're soaking wet just from bending down to wash your face? I'll get you a back brace tomorrow. Wouldn't want you to throw your back out after just a couple of days living here."Claire pulled me aside and lowered her voice."They don't mean any harm. Julian has made so many trips here to help us out. Don't embarrass him in front of everyone."Everything she said was about protecting her male best friend's feelings. She hadn't given mine a second thought."Claire, how do I switch the mode on these motorized curtains? Can you show me?""Coming." She turned and walked away.I picked up the keys from the entryway cabinet. As I hesitated, the automated female voice sounded again."Welcome home, Julian."I pushed the door open and left the house where I'd have to bend over just to go about my daily life.After I got back to my rental apartment, I developed a mild fever.Claire didn't call until the fo

Chapter 3

Claire put the ring back in its jewelry box and didn't look at me again."When did you become so hard to please?"I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my figure distorted by the tight suit. It wasn't even made for me, yet I was being forced to squeeze into something tailored to another man's measurements. That realization stripped away the last bit of comfort I'd been clinging to.I turned and headed back into the fitting room. Behind me, Claire was already having the sales associate record the measurements for alterations. She hadn't even bothered to ask whether I still wanted to wear the suit.Just as I was about to change out of it, Julian stepped on the hem of my pants. I took a step forward and suddenly lost my balance.My shoulder slammed into the sharp edge of the fitting room mirror. A wave of intense pain hit me, and Claire reached out almost at the same instant. But she grabbed Julian's arm instead."Are you okay?"He leaned against her side and patted his chest.

Chapter 4

My phone lit up.Julian had just posted a new update on social media. In the photo, he was sitting in the front passenger seat, sunlight streaming through the window onto the side of his face.The caption read, "When you're the one they favor, you don't even have to ask. Your seat is already waiting for you."Claire glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Let's have dinner together tonight. My treat to make it up to you.""Where?"She seemed relieved and quickly named a restaurant. It was Julian's favorite restaurant, a private dining spot.I put my phone back in my bag."You two go ahead."When the car stopped by the side of the road, I opened the door and got out.As I bent down to grab my bag, I noticed a slip of paper sticking halfway out from between the back seat cushions. I pulled it out and closed my hand around it. Only after I shut the car door did I get a good look at it.It was a receipt stub for a couples' pottery package, with a photo attached to the back. The da

Chapter 5

The next morning, Claire showed up at my rental apartment with breakfast. She remembered that I hated cilantro and always wanted warm chicken soup whenever I had a cold. There was also some fever medicine in the bag, with the dosage and times to take it clearly marked.As soon as I opened the door, she instinctively reached out to feel my forehead. I took half a step back, leaving her hand suspended in midair."Has your fever gone down?""Yes."I didn't take the breakfast she brought. Instead, I picked up the keys to our future home from the shoe cabinet and slipped them into an envelope I'd prepared earlier.Seeing that, Claire's face slowly fell."I talked things through with Julian last night. He won't be involved in the renovations anymore, and I've deleted his saved seat profile.""What about the inspection report he signed on our behalf?""The renovation company agreed to void it. We'll do another inspection ourselves.""And the pottery studio?"She swallowed before a

Chapter 6

My parents found out the wedding was canceled through the family group chat. When my mother called, her voice was trembling. She didn't ask what would happen to the wedding or what the relatives might think. Instead, she just told me to come home.I sat on the floor, leaning against the bed, and told her the whole story.There was a long silence on the other end of the line before my father took the phone."Would you have to bend over just to use everything in that house?""Yeah.""Then, don't go back there."His voice was subdued."You weren't born to spend your life bending over backward for someone else."My eyes stung. I lowered my head and stared at my knees."It might take a while to get the renovation money back. And I'll probably lose part of the wedding deposit," I said."We can earn the money back over time. Just don't let yourself get trapped in that situation."After hanging up, I went through my wedding checklist. I started crossing off the venue, photographer

Chapter 7

"How tall do you want the kitchen counters?""36 inches," I replied."Standard height is 34 inches. If we make them that tall, you might have trouble selling the apartment later."I looked around the empty kitchen."For now, I'd rather make it comfortable for myself."For the first time since calling off the wedding, I was deciding how my home should look based entirely on my own needs.The apartment was only about 600 square feet. I had the closet rods raised to six feet three inches and installed two rows of hooks at different heights near the entrance. I also had the bathroom mirror cabinet adjusted so its center was at eye level. The showerhead was mounted above my head, so I'd never have to hunch over in the shower again.While registering my voice with the smart home system, the technician asked if I wanted to add any family members.I hesitated for a moment before saying, "Just mine for now."Life didn't suddenly get easier just because I'd called off the wedding. I s

Chapter 8

Two months later, the renovations on my small apartment were finally finished.On moving day, I cooked in my new kitchen for the first time. The counters were just the right height. I no longer had to stand with my legs apart or bend over. I could hold the knife comfortably with my arms in a natural position.I could see my entire face in the bathroom mirror and reach the upper cabinets just by raising my hand. My long coats no longer dragged on the floor when I hung them in the closet, and the key hook by the front door was right at shoulder height.The smart speaker announced, "Welcome home, Ethan."I stood in the doorway for a long moment without stepping inside. It was such an ordinary greeting. But for the first time, I was being recognized correctly in a space that was entirely my own.Just then, the doorbell rang. Claire appeared on the video intercom screen. She wasn't carrying flowers or gifts, just a tablet and a document envelope.I didn't open the door. Instead, I spo

Chapter 9

A month after Claire brought me the repayment agreement, we attended a formal mediation session. She agreed to repay the 45,000 dollars I'd contributed toward the renovations and cover the losses from the canceled wedding and related expenses. Since she was short on money, she asked to pay half upfront and settle the remaining balance once the house was sold. My lawyer asked if I would accept those terms.I looked across the table. Claire was wearing a dark jacket I'd bought her, its cuffs slightly frayed. She'd never liked wearing old clothes, yet here she was, still wearing it."Do you really have to sell the house?" I asked.Since we'd separated, I'd never asked about her personal decisions until now.Claire looked up, and her eyes brightened for a moment."Between the remaining payments for the custom fixtures and the cost of remodeling, selling it makes the most sense."She paused before adding, "If you want to keep it, I can transfer the house into your name and continue

Chapter 10

Six months later, I bought a car for myself. It wasn't particularly expensive, but it was my favorite shade of dark green.When I went to pick it up, the salesperson helped me adjust the driver's seat. I slid the seat back, reclined the backrest slightly, and raised the headrest to a comfortable height. There was plenty of room between my knees and the center console. The seat belt rested across the middle of my shoulder instead of digging into the side of my neck.When the system asked if I wanted to save my seat settings, I entered my name. There was no saved profile for the passenger seat. Not because that seat had to stay empty forever, but because I should be the one to decide who sat there next.I didn't have a designated parking space at my apartment building, so I rented one long-term through the property management office. When I registered my license plate, the staff member asked how many people I wanted to grant access to."Just one," I replied.As the barrier gate lift

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