Chapter 4

Only then did Charity's mother sense that something was off, and she quickly handed me the floor plan from the coffee table.

"This is your wedding home. Spencer said Herbert doesn't want to get married anyway, so we might as well leave a room for him."

I looked down.

The master bedroom had been circled again in red pen.

Two words were written beside it.

Herbert Simmons.

Charity pulled me aside.

"Perfect timing. There's something I've been meaning to tell you anyway."

"Herbert's family home is getting a property buyout settlement soon, and the compensation is tied to marriage somehow."

"He's not planning to get married anyway, so I was thinking I'd get legally married to him first, and then divorce once it's all done."

My mind went blank for a few seconds.

"What did you say?"

Charity frowned.

"What I mean is, since Herbert isn't planning to get married anyway, the three of us can live together."

Charity handed me her phone.

Probably afraid I wouldn't believe her, she had even saved the buyout policy in advance.

Further down was the marriage registration appointment for the two of them.

The date was set for next month.

The premarital checkup, the required documents, everything needed to get the marriage certificate—it was all listed out, one item at a time.

They had even worked out how they would live afterward.

Herbert in the master bedroom, the two of us in the second bedroom.

Meals together as usual; for the New Year they'd go back to the Simmons home together, and I'd go back to my own family.

I read through it, line by line.

Suddenly I remembered what Charity had said on our third anniversary.

"It's livelier with three people together."

So it had started back then.

What she wanted was already no longer a future with just me and her.

Seeing that I still hadn't said anything, Herbert's expression turned uneasy.

"Spencer, if you don't agree, then forget it."

Charity frowned right away.

"Forget what?"

She turned to look at me, her tone matter-of-fact.

"It's just a marriage certificate. It's not like we're really getting married."

"You and I still date each other—what difference does it make?"

As if afraid I still wasn't getting it, Charity added another line.

"Besides, Herbert isn't going to get married later, and he doesn't plan on having kids."

"When we're old, won't our kids be able to take care of all three of us together?"

Herbert paused for a second, then laughed and gave her a push.

"Who said I want your kids to support me?"

Charity laughed too.

"So what? We're all family anyway."

"Family..."

"Then what am I?"

Charity didn't even have to think.

"You're my boyfriend, of course."

I suddenly laughed.

So the husband could be Herbert.

The home could have a place for Herbert.

They'd even divided up my future children's lives for me.

The only thing left for me was that one word—boyfriend.

I nodded.

"Fine."

"Then starting today, I'm not that either."

Charity was stunned.

I looked at her and said it word by word.

"Charity, we're breaking up."

I turned and walked away.

Charity stood there, her face grim.

Herbert said quietly:

"Maybe we should just forget about the marriage certificate."

"Forget what?"

She tugged at her collar in irritation.

"Spencer's just angry right now. He'll come around in a couple of days."

……

The next day, she went to where I lived.

A few sealed cardboard boxes were stacked at the door, and the landlord was changing the locks.

"You're looking for Spencer Dickerson?"

"He just gave up the lease—said he was going back to his hometown and would never come back."

Charity's expression froze in an instant.