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Todos os capítulos de Locked Out of My Own Home, I Called Off the Wedding: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 9

9 Capítulos

1

When Julian called, I was going over the cancellation forms."Wren, what do you mean the wedding's off?"I gripped my phone. "Exactly what it sounds like.""The wedding is in 17 days. Do you know how much we'll lose in cancellation fees?""I know. I'll pay them."He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his tone had softened."Is this because Celia slept in our bedroom last night? She likes a soft bed. It was one night. Can't you be a little more understanding?"I took a deep breath, my nails digging into my palm."You care so much about her. What about me?"Last night I was hurting so much I couldn't stand up straight. I called you six times from outside the door. Julian, you didn't pick up once."He paused. "My phone was on silent. I didn't hear it.""Then you texted me to stop messing with the lock and find the building manager."He said, "I figured you'd used the lock wrong again."I opened my mouth, but tears fell onto the paperwork before I could speak.The ink on the cont

2

When Julian rushed into my studio, I was sorting through wedding design drafts.He pressed his hand down on the folder. "Why did a real estate agent call me? You're selling the house?""I told him to contact you. You all need to move out before any showings.""That's the house we're supposed to live in together after the wedding!"I looked up at him, my eyes still puffy. "You remember that?"His grip loosened. "I messed up. I'll add your fingerprint back. Just come home with me.""What about Celia?""She hasn't found a place to stay yet."I slowly pulled the folder back. "Then she can stay at a hotel.""She gets scared on her own."The room went quiet.I looked at him, and my eyes started to sting again."I was out there alone last night. You don't think I was scared?"At last, he looked away."Fine. I'll book her a hotel."Of course, that was when his phone rang.He answered, and his expression changed at once."You can't breathe? Did you take your medicine? Don't cry. I'm coming."I

3

Adam called the very next day."Wren, Julian says you're selling the house, and you're going after Celia for stealing your proposal?""Yes.""You've taken this far enough. You're causing a scene right before the wedding, and now both families are upset."I was eating soup. My spoon clinked against the bowl."Did you know your fingerprint is registered in that lock too?""Yeah. Celia added my fingerprint.""Did you ever ask why mine wasn't?"He paused. "How would I know? Talk it out with Julian. Stop taking it out on the wedding.""I bought that house, and I can't even get through the door.""What's the big deal about spending one night at the office? You've always been independent, and Celia's not well—""So I'm supposed to just keep giving in forever?"My brother's voice hardened. "I'm only looking out for you."I set down my spoon. "Then come see me at the studio."He hesitated. "I'm busy the next couple of days."I stared at my cold soup and forced a smile."Got it."That morning, I

4

Nora called on the day of our scheduled wedding rehearsal."Ms. Harper, Mr. Reed asked us to go ahead with the rehearsal. The backdrop and your wedding dress have both been delivered. Can you confirm?"I put down my pen."I never confirmed it. Please stop setting up. I'll come over and sort this out."Then Julian showed up at my studio and blocked the doorway."Both sets of parents are here. We're having dinner tonight."I shook my head. "I'm going to pick up my dress. I'm not discussing anything else."He frowned."Wren, do you really have to make a scene in front of our parents?"I looked up at him. "I already sent the cancellation notice. You're the one who insisted on bringing them here.""I just don't want you to regret this later."I ignored him, grabbed my bag, and walked past him.The backdrop was still up when I arrived, decorated with the white roses I'd chosen myself.When my mother saw me, she hurried to her feet."Wren, sweetheart, whatever's bothering you, sit down and te

5

I moved into the apartment above my studio.It wasn't big, just one bedroom and a living room, but everything in it was mine: my clothes, my files, my mugs.No coat of Celia's tossed on the couch. No pile of Julian's paperwork taking over the table.After I carried in the last box, I stood at the door and registered my fingerprint.The lock beeped. For the first time in days, my shoulders relaxed.Three days later, a young couple came to see the house I was selling.The woman ran her hand along the living room windowsill and smiled. "Did a lot of people live here before?""A few.""Why are you selling?"I put the keys away calmly. "I want to live somewhere else."They didn't ask anything more and signed the contract on the spot.The agent had barely left when Julian texted, "You're really selling the house?"A few minutes later, another message came in. "Wren, let's meet and talk."I turned off the screen.At ten that night, there was a knock on the studio door.Julian stood outside wi

6

Once the overseas position was confirmed, I started handing over my work.Julian kept showing up in my life, but he didn't come pounding on my door anymore.He left dinners at the front desk, sent someone over with an umbrella whenever it rained, and mailed back my belongings from the house, one box at a time.In the last box was an old picture frame.In the photo, he and I were standing outside our college auditorium.On the back was his handwriting. "Let's welcome spring together every year."I let my fingertip rest on the words, and my eyes grew warm.After a moment, I put the frame back and handed all the boxes to Tessa."Get rid of all of it for me."A month later, the title transfer on the house went through.On the day the final payment cleared, Julian showed up anyway.He stood in the empty living room, his eyes on the door to the master bedroom."Why did it have to be like this?"I gathered up the paperwork."I told you I didn't want her living here or touching my projects. I

7

The rep's face darkened. "Can you afford the penalty for breaking the contract?""I can."I opened the original contract and tapped a page. "But your unauthorized change to a key term caused delays, and you'll need to cover those losses as well."After thirty minutes of negotiations, they signed the revised agreement, keeping my name as lead planner.The night the project wrapped, my team cheered backstage.Tessa hugged me, her eyes red."Boss, we did it."As I watched the stage lights come on, the tension I'd carried for days finally eased."You guys made it happen. Bonuses for everyone when we get back."After an industry account posted about the project, the studio got several new inquiries. Word also spread that I was moving abroad.Some people said my love life had fallen apart and I'd been forced to run away.Others said I'd sold the house to pay off cancellation fees.Tessa was so angry she wanted to release a statement, but I stopped her."No need to explain. Just send the proj

8

After Julian lost his position, he sent me a long email.I wasn't going to open it, but Dana called."The attachments include a breakdown of the project earnings and a compensation agreement. I need you to review them."There were no excuses in the email.He'd gone through every project he'd handled over the past few years and admitted he'd given my files to Celia without my permission.He was also willing to compensate me for the income I'd lost from three projects I'd had to give up.I replied simply, "Follow the contract."A few minutes later, he replied, "Okay."Dana soon told me Julian had signed the agreement of his own accord.He'd also publicly admitted that the dispute over the proposal before the wedding was his fault. He hadn't asked me to drop the case.Dana asked, "Are you still going to pursue it?"I closed my laptop. "Let the legal process run its course.""You won't consider settling?""If compensation is owed, it gets paid. If someone's responsible, they answer for it.

9

After I returned overseas, I took on even more work.I was busier than ever, but life slowly settled down.That winter, my brother mailed me an old photo album.In his letter, he wrote that when we were kids, he'd always thought I was tough.I never cried when I fell, and when other kids picked on me, I got right back up.So he'd taken it for granted that I could handle anything.The last line said only, "I'm sorry."I turned to a photo of us as kids.In it, I was clinging to the hem of his shirt, smiling without a care in the world.I looked at it for a long time. My eyes filled with tears, but I mailed the album back.I added a note that read, "What happened in the past ends here."He called right away. "You won't even keep the photos?""It's not that I don't want them. I just think the album belongs with you.""Can we ever go back to the way things were?"I softened my voice. "We can start over and figure out how to be siblings again. But you have to stop making decisions for me."H

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