Chapter 3Using My Card to Pamper Her Old Flame

Winona's voice was shrill and sharp, carrying a tone of condescending certainty. She thought I'd beg and grovel like I always used to.

I looked at the pulsing waveform on the recording interface. "Fine. Then cancel it."

Silence fell on the other end of the line.

Winona seemed dumbfounded. "You… Wh-what did you say?"

"I said the wedding is cancelled. I've already saved the recording."

Then, I ended the call straight away.

In the afternoon, I received a text from the moving company. "Mr. Leyland, the items in the guest room have been cleared out according to Ms. Ziegler's instructions."

I opened the hallway surveillance photos sent by the property management. My clothes, books, and a few collectibles I hadn't had time to take were all thrown into the hallway like trash, scattered all over the floor.

Winona posted another message in the group chat. "I threw all his junk out! Just looking at it annoys me!"

Prudence immediately liked the message. "Well done! That's exactly what he deserves."

I carefully saved all the surveillance photos and the group chat records.

A while later, my phone screen lit up with a private message from the property manager. "Mr. Leyland, a locksmith has arrived at your door. He says Ms. Ziegler called him in to change the door lock. Should we stop him?"

"No," I replied.

She could change it. The sooner she got it changed, the worse it would be for her.

At 6:00 pm, I received a call from Winona's mother, Francine Tilney.

The moment it connected, I pressed the record button. "Ansel, Winnie's just hot-tempered. Don't take it to heart."

Francine sounded earnest, carrying that typical tone of an elder relative trying to smooth things over. "She called me today, crying, saying you froze her card because of some outsider. You really did make a mountain out of a molehill on this."

An outsider?

A mocking laugh escaped me, but I remained silent.

Francine continued, "But I've talked to her about it too. So how about this? Bring the property deed tomorrow and add Winnie's name to the title of your marital house. Consider it a gesture to give her some sense of security, a way to make her feel better. Then we can put this behind us."

She said it lightly, as if she were deciding what to have for dinner.

"I bought the apartment in full. I'm not adding her name to the title," I answered calmly.

The voice on the other end suddenly shot up an octave. "Ansel, what do you mean by that? Winnie has been with you for five years! What's the big deal about adding her name to the apartment? Why are you acting like you can't trust her? If that's how you're going to behave, then don't bother getting married at all!"

"I've already agreed to cancel the wedding. Goodbye, Mrs. Ziegler."

Then, I hung up and blocked Francine's number.

When I opened my social media feed, the first post I saw was a nine-grid collage Winona just posted. The photos showed the master bedroom with an entirely new look and a table full of lavish takeout.

In the middle was a shot of Caeden in pajamas, his back to the camera. The caption that went along with it was, "New life, new beginnings! Throwing out all the toxic trash! Housewarming party tonight—everyone's invited!"

Below it were likes and comments from Prudence and the usual crowd.

"Whoa! Cade looks amazing from the back!"

"You finally got rid of the miser! Congratulations on having the place all to yourself, Winnie!"

I saved screenshots of the post, including the one of Caeden's back.

Shortly after, I received a call from Mom.

"Ansel, I saw Winnie's post. What's going on? Who's that man?" Mom's voice was filled with anxiety.

"Mom, it's nothing. There's just been a slight misunderstanding. You and Dad shouldn't worry about it. I can handle this."

After reassuring my parents, I opened my chat with the locksmith, Ethan Talbot.

"Mr. Talbot, please bring your full kit with you and come to Willow Creek Residences, Apartment 1201 at 8:00 pm."