He Terminated My Lease So I Terminated Our Wedding Chapter 03
Three days after I put the wedding on hold, I drove to Maine alone.
It was supposed to have been our pre-wedding trip.
The venue, photographers, and caterers were all nearby. I’d already emailed to request cancellations, but the venue manager had replied that a few documents required both our signatures in person.
I hadn’t contacted Owen, but the moment I pulled in, I saw his car.
Cass was sitting on the steps of a waterside cottage, and Owen was standing at the edge of the dock. The second I got out of my car, they both started toward me.
“You finally decided to show up,” Owen said, reaching for my bag. “Let’s talk first.”
I stepped away from his hand.
Cass forced a smile.
“Lila, we all came this far. Stop being stubborn. The money’s back in the account, you can reapply for the loan, and the wedding is still three weeks away. There’s time to fix everything.”
“I’m not here to fix the wedding.”
I took out my phone and opened the voice recorder.
The red timer began to tick across the screen.
Owen’s face darkened instantly.
I spoke clearly into the phone, stating the date and location.
“I am confirming again that the wedding is canceled. From this point on, the joint account, the home purchase breach, and all vendor contracts will be handled by my lawyer. You will cooperate in returning any money that belongs to me, and you will not sign or cancel any other agreements on my behalf.”
“A lawyer?” Cass’s eyes widened. “Are you really going to treat us like enemies?”
“You were the ones who turned me into a bet.”
I turned to go find the venue manager.
Owen stepped in front of me in a single stride.
“Turn off the recording.”
“Move.”
“We came here to solve this, not to let you gather evidence to threaten your family.”
“I’m protecting myself.”
That sentence set him off.
Owen grabbed my wrist and lunged for the phone with his other hand. I jerked back, but his knuckles scraped hard across my palm as he wrenched it from my grip.
“Give it back!”
I reached for it, and he shoved me away.
“Is this all you know how to do now?” He held the phone high above his head. “Recording every word, screenshotting everything. Have you been waiting for a chance to destroy us this whole time?”
“You’re the one who destroyed everything.”
The words were barely out of my mouth when the weight on my shoulder vanished.
Cass had yanked my backpack off from behind.
“Cass, give me my bag.”
She scrambled back to Owen’s side, clutching it to her chest. My wallet, ID, and car keys were all inside.
“You can have it back when you’ve calmed down.”
I lunged for her, but Owen caught me around the waist. Cass seized the collar of my coat and yanked down, hard.
The zipper caught under my chin, sending a flare of pain up my jaw.
I clutched at my clothes with both hands.
“Let go of me!”
“Don’t let her keep making a scene,” Owen snapped.
One by one, Cass pried my fingers loose until she finally stripped the coat from my body.
The sea wind hit my thin sweater, and I shivered violently.
They each pinned one of my arms and dragged me toward the dock.
I grabbed at the wooden railing, but the soles of my shoes kept sliding on the wet planks.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere we can talk quietly,” Owen said. “You’re not listening to a word we’re saying.”
A small motorboat was tied to the dock.
That’s when I knew something was very wrong. I locked my hands around the railing. While Owen peeled my fingers off, Cass shoved me from behind. My knees struck the gunwale, and I tumbled into the boat.
I hadn’t even managed to get up before Cass started the engine.
Owen stood on the deck, pocketing my phone. My backpack and coat were in a heap at his feet.
The dock disappeared behind us.
Ten minutes later, a low, barren island came into view. It was low tide, and on the far side, a narrow sandbar connected it to the mainland.
I’d seen it in the venue brochure.
Once the tide came in, the sandbar would be completely submerged.
Cass steered the boat toward a rough wooden post.
Owen grabbed my arm and hauled me out. I stumbled into the icy shallows, my pant legs instantly soaked.
“This was our rented pre-wedding reflection spot,” Cass said from the boat, holding up my coat. “We were going to surprise you.”
“Give me my phone and my bag.”
Neither of them moved.
I turned to climb back onto the boat, but Owen slammed a hand on my shoulder and shoved me toward the shore.
“You need time to stop performing and really think about who your family is.”
Then he jumped back in the boat and untied the line.
The engine roared to life.
“You can’t leave me here!”
The bow was already turning away.
Cass leaned over the side and shouted, “We’ll be back for you in a few hours! Don’t do anything stupid!”
The boat shot out of the shallow inlet, its white wake quickly vanishing into the gray-blue sea.
I stood there, watching it grow smaller and smaller, until it was gone.
There was no one else on the island.
No phone. No wallet. No coat.
Just the wind whipping harder off the water, and the tide already creeping over the sandbar in the distance.