Eight Years of Maybe One Day of I Do—Bride Swapped Deal With It novel Chapter 71

Chapter 1

I stumbled across my boyfriend’s secret account by accident. He’d just posted asking for couple vacation spots.

For fun, I left an anonymous comment: Pismo Beach. A place I’d been dying to go with him.

His reply came fast: “Thanks, but my girl and I already hit that spot this summer.”

1 froze.

Summer… He’d been on a work trip all summer. And who was “HIS GIRL?”

I took a look at that business trip roster. My eyes landed on the only woman on the list-

Intern Cora Ashford.

Ashford… Of course it was her.

And of course it was HIM. Always climbing, always using people. Never fucking changed!

I kicked back in my chair and immediately called my dad.

“Can I do you a favor and scratch two names off that headquarters list? Please? My dear Chairman Ashford?”

Ha! That asshole probably has no idea I took my mom’s last name!

My finger froze.

I clicked back into the profile-some random mess of letters and numbers like xK9mP2qL-and started scrolling through his posts.

He hadn’t posted much.

But every single one screamed the same thing: this was definitely my boyfriend, Silas Vaughn.

The custom watch I’d given him.

That weird little succulent on his desk.

Our five-year anniversary photo showing just my hand with the ring…

I took a breath and went back to that reply.

“My girl.”

I was two years older than Silas. He’d never once called me that.

And that summer trip…

Back in August, he’d supposedly been slammed on some work trip with his team. Too busy to even call.

I shot a quick message to my assistant, asking her to pull the list of who went on that August trip.

Cula n.

Of course it was her.

Then my mind flashed to last night when I’d mentioned taking next week off for a getaway.

His big project was wrapping up this week. Next week would be his slowest time in months.

But before I could finish talking, he looked up from his screen and said flatly:

“Got another trip lined up. Can’t do it.”

“Take one of your friends.”

Six years together. First time he’d ever blown me off like that.

Since we started working at the same company, we’d always synced our time off.

Even after finding his secret account, part of me still hoped maybe he was planning some surprise.

“Ms. Brennan, Mr. Vaughn put in his PTO three days ago.”

The HR rep told me:

“Also off next week: the VP from Operations, someone from Legal, and… Cora Ashford from Tech. She’s taking a week of sick leave.”

I let out a silent laugh.

Whenever anyone mentioned Cora Ashford, they’d pause. Get real careful with their words.

Her first day, word spread fast-she was some board member’s niece. Everyone pegged her as a rich kid just padding her résumé.

Only Silas put on this fair and impartial act whenever he brought her up.

“She’s just an intern. I treat them all the same.”

But this past year? His special treatment was impossible to miss.

He’d wear the leather bracelet she gave him right next to my watch. Said she got it from some crystal shop and he just wanted the good vibes.

He’d display her stuffed animal front and center on his desk. Claimed everyone on the team got one and he didn’t want her feeling singled out.

He forgot our anniversary for the first time ever, but remembered Cora’s hundred-day work milestone. Even pre-booked her favorite restaurant.

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