“I need to stop planning the wedding.”
He looked at the ring on my finger.
“Over this?”
I couldn’t answer without crying.
So I gathered the clothes he kept at my house and handed them to him.
The next morning, he sent me a hotel listing.
For one hopeful second, I thought he had found temporary housing for Vanessa.
Then another message appeared.
You could offer this to Ruth for two weeks and refund her money. She might prefer it.
I stared at my phone.
Even after everything, his solution was still to disrupt someone else so Vanessa could have what he had promised.
I replied:
No. Ruth’s lease stands.
He called immediately.
“You haven’t even asked her.”
“Because I’m not asking.”
“She hasn’t moved yet.”
“She has made plans.”
“So has Vanessa.”
That was the problem.
In Colin’s mind, Vanessa’s plans carried authority because he had created them.
