Vanessa is usually incredibly stingy. I cover all our dates, and she even asks me to reimburse her for a bottle of mineral water.
On holidays, I give her gifts, and all I get in return is a half-hearted “mm-hmm.”
Today, she actually offered to treat me to Japanese food. The sun must’ve risen in the west.
But I didn’t call her out on it—I just went along, had sushi, and watched a movie with her.
She ended up spending nearly a thousand dollars, which clearly made her uncomfortable.
On the way home, she kept grumbling and reminding me that I owed her a meal next time.
She dropped me off at my place. I watched her car disappear down the street, then immediately hailed a taxi to the new house.
The new place had a password lock. I entered the code several times, but it kept saying “incorrect password.”
Thankfully, I had brought the physical key and used it to unlock the door.
What greeted me inside left me speechless.
The cozy little home I’d decorated to my exact taste had been completely transformed.
The Nordic-style painting in the living room was replaced with a giant Crayon Shin-chan print. The sleek brown leather sofa was now hidden under an ugly plush cover.
My black-and-gold tables, chairs, and cabinets had all been painted white. The entire furniture layout had been rearranged.
I opened the master bedroom door—and saw Derek sleeping soundly on the wedding bed Vanessa and I had picked out, using the silk bedding set my mother had lovingly selected.
I had mentally prepared myself for the possibility that Derek might have moved in.
But I hadn’t imagined he’d completely undo all my careful interior work—and then sleep like a king in my wedding bed.
Startled, he sat up and snapped, “Ethan Carter, why didn’t you knock? Who told you to barge into my house?”
I was so furious I couldn’t even form words.
“This is my house!” I finally said through gritted teeth.
“Vanessa said she’s lending it to me. That makes it my home now. You just trespassed into someone else’s house. Didn’t your mother teach you manners?”
“And did yours teach you to be shameless?” I fired back. “You move into someone else’s home, wreck the place, and then act like you own it?”
I dialed Vanessa. “Get to the new house. Now.”
She immediately caught on.
“It’s just for a while—why are you so mad that Derek’s living there?”
“You refused to let me pick him up, and he’s still injured. I don’t feel right letting him walk all that way.”
“Our wedding house is near his office anyway. We’re not using it, so why let it sit empty?”
Derek grinned smugly. “Even if you call Vanessa, it won’t change anything. She agreed to everything I’ve done here.”
“And you don’t have to get so worked up. I might be the real man of this house.”
I ended the call.
“Then why doesn’t she just marry you? You’ve been childhood sweethearts for years. Seems like it should’ve been your turn. So why am I the one she’s marrying?”
From what I’d seen, Vanessa didn’t choose Derek because she looked down on his background.
He never even finished high school—started working in a factory straight out of junior high, tightening screws.
Both his parents are unemployed, relying on relatives to get by.
I, on the other hand, was born and raised in Los Angeles, graduated from top-tier Las Vegas University, and my family owns a courtyard house.
Any woman would know who to pick.
Derek’s expression shifted. My words struck a nerve. His face turned grim.
“Vanessa just hasn’t faced her feelings yet. You’ll see. The two of you are never getting married!”
Just then, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the apartment.
And instantly, Derek screamed and dropped to the floor.
“Ethan, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have touched your new house! Don’t hit me—please, don’t kill me!”
