All Chapters of Left Behind on My Wedding Day: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

During the week Evan kept me confined, he visited more often than he ever had before. Anne, clearly growing desperate, resorted to increasingly clumsy tactics. Then one day, I noticed a shift in the online narrative. Suddenly, people were digging up dirt on her, painting her as the real homewrecker. I scrolled through the so-called "evidence." It was nothing incriminating just minor details that made me wonder if she had orchestrated the whole thing herself. That evening at dinner, Evan washed his hands and served me a bowl of soup, his voice unusually gentle. "Claire, this used to be your favorite." I smiled at him, though my tastes had long since changed. It didn’t surprise me that he didn’t know. His attention had always been on Anne. If I hadn’t noticed the difference in the flowers at the wedding—how they weren’t the ones I’d chosen—I might have believed he truly didn’t care about such things. Not wanting to argue, I accepted the bowl without a word. The warm glo

Evan placed a hand on my shoulder. "I’ll arrange for the reporters. Just follow the script I’ve prepared, and everything will be fine." I nodded in agreement, subtly stepping out of his embrace. Sure enough, by the next day, the reporters had arrived. He couldn’t wait even a moment longer, unwilling to let his precious first love endure another day of public criticism. The script Evan had prepared for me was neatly printed out with lines meticulously crafted to shift all blame onto me. All I had to do was read it word for word, taking full responsibility for everything. The interview was a live broadcast, but I had been in front of cameras countless times for work and felt no trace of nerves. As the two bright lights illuminated my face, the broadcast began. Instantly, the live chat exploded with hateful comments, each one nastier than the last. I ignored them all, keeping my composure as the reporter prepared to begin. But instead of the script, I reached under the s

After the divorce, I applied for a company program to study abroad. I had given up far too many opportunities for Evan, so much so that even my supervisor used to comment on how unfortunate it was for someone with my prestigious education to be held back. I rented an apartment near the office, but the harassment from my parents didn’t stop. They bombarded me with calls, even threatening to show up at my workplace to expose me for "not supporting my family." I was prepared to file a lawsuit against them, but to my surprise, Evan beat me to it and took them to court first. When he came to tell me this, I was in the middle of packing my bags for a late-night flight abroad. Watching me rush around, noticeably thinner from the stress and my workload, his expression was a mixture of regret and concern. "Claire, I know we’re divorced, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve gone over the things you gave me again and again, reflecting on everything. I’ve realized how much I hurt

A year later, I returned to the country and, with the encouragement of a lawyer friend, filed a lawsuit against my parents and brother to reclaim the money they had stolen from my bank account. All they could do was hurl insults at me, but their words were nothing more than a passing breeze, barely worth a second thought. With no home or money left in the city, they were forced to slink back to their rural hometown, drifting further and further from my life. There was no point wasting my breath on them anymore. When I received another offer for a long-term overseas position, a colleague handing over the transition paperwork couldn’t help gossiping. "Your ex-husband, Evan? He’s really hit rock bottom now," she said with a sly grin. Intrigued, I listened as she shared the details. Apparently, after realizing he couldn’t win me back, Evan returned to the country. He ended up living with Anne, who persisted in clinging to him. Anne, eager to secure her position, tried to use a