I hated giving up that money.
But Ruth deserved a professional arrangement untouched by my personal life.
I sent her documentation proving ownership, Beth’s contact information, and confirmation that Colin had no authority over the property.
A day later, Ruth called.
“I’ll keep the September first move-in.”
I almost cried from relief.
Two days later, Colin asked to meet at a sandwich shop.
He arrived looking hopeful.
“I found a solution,” he said. “I’ll pay Vanessa’s first two months somewhere else.”
“Okay.”
“So we can stop all this.”
“Colin, I already canceled the wedding.”
His expression collapsed.
“What do you mean canceled?”
“The venue. The photographer. Everything.”
“You didn’t even wait to hear my solution.”
“I listened to you for a week.”
“I’m fixing the problem.”
“You paying Vanessa’s rent somewhere else doesn’t fix our relationship.”
He leaned back.
“This is because I talked to Ruth?”
