Ten Years Wasted Before Spring Chapter 07
I pulled out my phone and opened Brynn’s private Instagram account, showing him post after post.
Their first private meeting.
Every date after that.
The flirty screenshots.
The intimate photos.
Everett’s face grew paler and paler.
“These aren’t real,” he said helplessly. “She made up stories.”
“Made up stories?” I smiled. “Everett Shaw, do you remember the first time we went to the ocean?”
He froze.
“You said you would take me to see the ocean every year.”
My voice was calm.
“Last year, you said you were too busy with work.”
“Then I saw on Brynn’s Instagram that you took her to Maui that day.”
Everett’s lips trembled. He couldn’t speak.
“And on my birthday, you said you had to work late and sent me money instead of coming home.”
I continued.
“You were with her, weren’t you?”
“No, Celia, listen to me.”
“Explain what?” I cut him off. “How you planned a wedding with me while taking a breakup trip with her?”
Everett sank to the floor and covered his face with both
hands.
“I didn’t think she’d post it all.”
“So what you regret isn’t betraying me. It’s getting caught.”
Looking at him, I suddenly found our ten years together ridiculous.
“Everett Shaw, we’re done.”
“The moment you chose to betray me, there was no way back.”
He jerked his head up, eyes bloodshot.
“Because I made one mistake, you’re throwing away ten years of our relationship?”
“It wasn’t one mistake.”
I shook my head.
“From the first time you met her privately, you were
already betraying me.”
I handed him the buyout and release agreement I had prepared with my attorney.
“The condo is yours. I keep the car. Refinance the mortgage to get my name off the loan, remove me from the deed, buy out my share, and reimburse my
documented renovation costs.”
“The nonrefundable wedding deposits can offset the cancellation costs you agreed to cover.”
Everett stared at the agreement in disbelief.
“You had this ready?”
“Since the day I found out.”
My voice stayed calm.
“Everett, let’s end this cleanly.”
He stared at the papers for a long time. In the end, he gave a wry smile and signed the preliminary acknowledgment.
“You’ll meet me at a notary tomorrow,” I said. “After that, my attorney will send everything to the title company. The deed and mortgage paperwork can go through properly.”
“You’ve changed,” he said. “The old Celia would never have been this calm.”
I collected the packet and smiled faintly.
“The man I loved would never have betrayed me.”
