All Chapters of We're on Equal Footing: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I scrolled through the teasing comments under the Instagram story.Indeed, it was no secret that I loved Daniel Bradshaw to the point of losing myself. No one would believe that I would choose to leave him now that we were so close to getting married.I spent three years pursuing Daniel before finally getting what I thought was a happy ending. I became his girlfriend, and when I turned 27 years old, I accepted his proposal. Just as I thought my years of hard work were paying off, Daniel told me something that threatened to crumble my belief system.He wanted to have a child with another woman.I was never a generous person, but I had lowered myself so much for Daniel that he believed I could share my fiancé with someone else.As I spaced out on the couch, my phone suddenly rang and shattered the deathly silence around me. It was a call from Silas Langley, whom I hadn't heard from in years.Technically speaking, Silas and I were childhood friends. When we were younger, I followed

Professor Lockwood had indeed been a well-respected gentleman, if the crowd gathered at the funeral parlor was any indication. Phoebe and her mother linked arms as they greeted and thanked those who came to pay their last respects.When Phoebe spotted Daniel, she dropped her mother's arm and dashed up to him. She clutched his sleeve and broke into tears, wailing with grief. At some point, her legs caved under her weight, and she nearly toppled over.Daniel hurried to pull the weeping woman into his arms and murmured soft words of comfort. He glanced at me. "I'll stay with Phoebe for a bit. Go on without me."I nodded wordlessly and approached Professor Lockwood's portrait. I lowered my head in silent prayer, then made my way toward the ashen-faced old woman standing by the side. "Mrs. Lockwood, my deepest condolences."Mrs. Lockwood dried her tears and gripped my hand, nodding with forced bravado. "You must be Daniel's girlfriend. Thank you for coming to see Macon. We heard you wer

I snatched my phone from Daniel and said breezily, "My best friend. I put her down as 'Babe' for the fun of it."I felt Daniel's suspicious gaze on me as I padded out to the balcony to take the call. I didn't know why Silas was calling me now of all times. "Is something wrong?"I heard the sound of glass hitting a hard surface, followed by Silas' tired voice. "Nothing. I'm just tired and wanted to hear your voice. Have you gone through the prenuptial agreement yet?"In truth, the prenuptial agreement Silas drew up was ironclad. A senior of mine from law school had asked me if Silas had hit his head when he sent me the agreement.It was only after I had gone through the clauses that I realized I was entitled to half of Silas' fortune if he failed to perform his duties as a husband to my satisfaction and we divorced. It was as if he was giving me everything Daniel hadn't given me, albeit in bits and pieces."I have no objections, but why did you agree to give me half your fortune if

I watched Daniel leave and glanced at the mess on the dining table. I had three hours to spare before my flight, but I decided to leave after grabbing my coat and suitcase.However, when I reached the threshold, I turned back into the bedroom. I left Daniel a note that said, "This is the end, Daniel. I wish you and Phoebe all the happiness."Before boarding the flight bound for Norwald, I came across Phoebe's Instagram post. She had put up a picture of Daniel taken from the back. He was wearing an apron.I double-tapped the photo just as she texted me. "Did you think you stood a chance against me, Daphne? Don't you see how much I mean to Daniel? He dropped everything to come see me the moment I called."At that moment, a flight announcement rang out through the PA system. I chuckled and replied to Phoebe's text, "Indeed, which is why I've decided to give him to you. I wish you and Daniel all the best. Remember to invite me to your wedding. I'd hate to miss it."I then blocked her

I quickly clamped my hand over Grandpa's mouth and eyed him with disapproval. "Don't you dare jinx your health, Grandpa! You'll have a long life ahead of you, and I forbid you from giving fate other ideas."Nonetheless, his words struck guilt in me. "I'm sorry for not coming back to visit you, Grandpa. I'll stay here from now on. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"Grandpa shook his head. "Oh, stop with that nonsense! I'm still waiting for you to marry. How else will I answer to your grandma and parents unless I've seen you happily married?" I couldn't help the sadness that welled up in me when I heard this. I knew Grandpa would leave me at some point, but I prayed the day would come much, much later.The atmosphere in the house warmed after Grandpa and I sat down and talked. He appraised me thoughtfully and said, "You've grown taller, but you look like you've lost weight. You look different, too.""Regardless of how much I've changed, I will always be your granddaughter," I said, lea