Eight Years of Maybe One Day of I Do—Bride Swapped Deal With It novel Chapter 55

Chapter 2

I pushed open the door to the fifth floor apartment.

Inside, everything looked exactly the same as last year.

Next to the old TV sat my mother’s military portrait, framed in polished wood. A single white candle flickered beside it.

I lit a fresh one, tied on an apron, and headed into the kitchen.

Three dishes and soup hit the table fast. Across from me sat an untouched plate-hers.

I ate slowly.

“Mom, ran into Morgan today.”

“Yeah, I know-don’t start. He can’t touch me anymore. And I’m done being that stupid kid who took hits for him.”

Only the howling wind outside answered.

I wasn’t hungry. I put down my fork, walked into the bedroom, and pulled out an old photo album.

“Look at you back then-total badass. These pictures don’t do you justice.”

Before I even opened it, a photo slipped out and hit the floor.

I bent down. Picked it up.

Damon. Me. Serena.

Three young faces grinning at the camera.

I stood in the middle, arms around both of them, smiling the widest-right cheek still bruised from training.

Summer. I was thirteen.

Debt collectors showed up at the Morgan house. Every neighbor locked their doors. Even my parents stayed out of it.

But I ran in.

The bat that was meant for Damon? Hit me square in the face.

Fractured cheekbone. Spent the whole summer recovering.

Mom was furious. Told me to stay the hell away from the Morgans.

Until Mrs. Morgan dragged her injured leg to our front door and wouldn’t stop thanking us.

Mom softened.

For the next ten years, there was always a plate set for Damon at our table. Every holiday, he got new clothes too.

When Mom wasn’t busy, she’d help Mrs. Morgan run the convenience store. If anyone tried to start trouble, she’d rip into them until they never came back.

11-2706!

They called each other sisters.

No one expected that “sister” to climb into my father’s bed.

When I came home that day, everything was smashed to pieces.

Mom stood in the wreckage, sobbing. Her face was red with handprints. Dad had that woman behind him.

“Let’s divorce. You can have everything. I just want Vivian.”

Damon rushed forward to pull Vivian away. Mom slapped him twice.

I shoved her. She fell back, staring at me in disbelief.

I was crying too. But what I said cut deeper than anything.

“Mom-what the fuck? Why’d you hit him?”

All those messy memories-frozen in this one little photo.

After I divorced Damon, I burned everything connected to him.

Guess I missed one.

I was about to toss it in the trash when someone knocked.

Figured it was Mrs. Carter from next door-she always brought casserole this time of year.

I opened the door.

Serena. Arm in arm with Damon.

She lit up like a damn Christmas tree.

“Claire! Oh my god, babe, it’s been forever! You look exactly the same!”

“I know this is, like, totally random-hope we’re not interrupting anything?”

I looked at them both. Didn’t blink.

“Not inviting you in. What do you want?”

Serena’s smile flickered. She shot Damon a wounded puppy look.

“She really wanted to see you. Brought you something. No drama, I promise.” His voice was careful. Soft.

He set a gift box down in the entryway.

Serena jumped in, all chirpy again.

“So-this skincare set is literally life changing-I swear by it. Thought you’d love it too! We used to swap beauty stuff all the time, remember?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify