He Chose Her Over Me So I Chose Myself Chapter 18
“If you knew, then why did you still write those Find and Replace vows?”
I stared at him, my voice clear. “What did you think my love was? A backup plan? A substitute? Or just a pass that let you stay by Camille’s side without feeling guilty?”
“June, later on I—”
“There is no later.”
I cut him off.
“You only lost me later. But before you lost me, you never once thought about whether I was hurting.”
Grant opened his mouth, but no words came out.
I pulled open the studio door.
“You should go. I want to start something new.”
He jerked his head up.
This time, I didn’t avoid his gaze.
“I want to be someone’s first choice—the one they choose without having to think.”
Grant stood there a long time before finally turning away. For the first time, the back that had always seemed so straight looked defeated.
The alley fell quiet again.
Eli was sitting on the steps. He hadn’t been listening, but he’d left an open space beside him.
I sat down and told him everything—the favoritism that started after my adoption, all the choices I’d been forced to give up, and the wedding that happened without a bride.
When I was done, I twisted the hem of my shirt and asked softly, “Isn’t it awful? Like if I can’t win against someone else, all I can do is run.”