He Chose Her On Our Wedding Night So I Took Everything Chapter 26
Eric sat in the witness chair, silent for a long moment.
“Yes.”
“Was the license obtained?”
“No.”
“Was the procurement framework signed?”
“No. But Elodie promised she would help me.”
“Is personal help, given in the context of a romantic relationship, the same as an irrevocable commercial commitment made by a corporation?”
Eric looked at me.
“We were supposed to be husband and wife.”
The judge asked again, his voice firm.
“Yes or no?”
Eric’s voice dropped.
“No.”
Their side then argued that Carrington’s abrupt withdrawal of support had fatally damaged Hawthorne’s cash flow.
Our legal team submitted records showing that we had continued to perform and settle all payments under our existing contracts.
The contracts already in force were never affected. The only things that stopped were new orders, unapproved credit, and the unsigned framework.
Those were the exact instructions I had sent to our general counsel on my wedding night.
The temporary injunction was denied.
When we walked out of the courthouse, Eric didn’t lose his temper as he had before.
He stood at the bottom of the steps, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Elodie, I always thought that in the end, you would help me.”
“That’s because you always thought that in the end, I would come back.”
He opened his mouth.
“We were together for so long. Even the thing about saving you… I just wanted you to notice me back then.”
Wyatt’s footsteps paused beside me.
But I wasn’t surprised.
“So you’re finally admitting it.”
Eric hurried to explain.
“We were kids then! And I was good to you after that—was all of that fake, too?”
“You knew exactly why I forgave you, again and again. And you still let that lie stand for all those years.”
I looked at him.
“But now, whether it was real or fake doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Even if you really had saved my life, I still wouldn’t owe you a marriage, or a business deal, or the obligation to endure Madison.”
The blood slowly drained from Eric’s face.
“Then what is there left for me to do?”
“Take responsibility for the choices you made.”
I walked past him.
This time, he didn’t follow.