Skipped At The Altar, Taken By His Uncle novel Chapter 9

9 We Can’t Go Back

Whitney wore a crisp white shirt tucked into light blue jeans, accentuating her perfect waistline.

On regular workdays, she kept it casual, but for court appearances or client meetings, she’d dress up a bit.

Guided by the waiter, she stopped at the private room entrance on the second floor.

”Uncle Klein still loves coffee so much,’ Whitney thought to herself.

She then gently pushed open the door to the private room.

“Uncle Klein,” Whitney called out.

Only then did she notice that Klein was the only one in the room.

He was just wearing a black shirt, the top two buttons undone, looking way more laid-back than the strict, formal guy she’d seen yesterday.

He raised his eyebrow and replied in a low voice, “Sit.”

“Would you like an Americano?” Klein asked.

Whitney gave a half-hearted nod, thinking, ‘I only like Latte.’

Klein’s voice was casual, his rolled-up sleeves showing off his toned forearms. “Whitney, you seem a lot more reserved than you used to be. Five years has changed a lot of things, huh?”

Whitney felt a bit awkward, wondering, ‘Is he teasing me about that bold confession I made when I was 16?’

Whitney swallowed hard as she stared at the cup in her hands. “No, Uncle Klein, I’ve always been kind of reserved.”

Seeing her nervously look down, Klein gave a small, amused smile. “Relax, I’m not going to eat you.”

Whitney jerked her head up, locking eyes with him. His gaze was so deep that she felt like she could drown in it. Her heart raced uncontrollably in her chest.

“Carter said you two were getting your marriage license soon. Has he been back from his trip?” Klein asked, giving her a long, thoughtful look.

Whitney sounded pretty indifferent. “I guess so?”

Klein’s hand paused while getting his cup. “Look, if Carter ever upsets you or treats you badly, you can always come to me.”

Whitney’s nose prickled with emotion. No one had said something like that to her in a long time.

“Okay, thanks, Uncle Klein,” Whitney said.

They chatted for a bit longer, and then Whitney glanced at the time on purpose. “Uncle Klein, I have to be at the office at 2 PM, so I should head back to the firm.”

With that, she stood up, ready to make her escape.

Klein gently grabbed her wrist with his warm hand, then let go just as quickly. “Hold on, let’s add each other on WhatsApp. If you ever need to vent, you can reach out to me.”

Whitney glanced down at her wrist where he’d touched her. It was just for a second, but it felt like it was on fire.

It was like a jolt of electricity had shot through her, leaving her brain all fuzzy and slow.

“Hello?” Klein was already holding out his phone, QR code displayed, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

Whitney realized she was acting weird, so she immediately replied, “Oh, sorry. Please wait for a sec.”

Once she finished adding him, Klein put his phone away, remarking, “I’m just seven years older than you, not some old man.”

”Does he hate it when I talk to him so formally?’ Whitney wondered.

It took her a second to realize it, and then her ears turned red.

Whitney felt a wave of frustration. She thought, ‘Klein is seriously my kryptonite. Every time I see him, I get all jittery, like a mouse facing a cat.’

“I’ve added you, Uncle Klein. See you next time,” Whitney said.

*****She finally breathed a sigh of relief once she got back in her car. She unlocked her phone and peeked at Klein’s profile pic.

It was a purple starry sky.

”He claims he’s not old? But even my dad, who’s almost fifty, would never pick something so old-fashioned for his profile pic,’ Whitney thought.

Just as she was about to back out, she saw the “typing…” indicator pop up. Without thinking, she tossed her phone aside.

‘’Seriously? We just added each other. Do we really have to make small talk already?’ Whitney thought.

After a minute, Whitney carefully picked up her phone and turned it over, only to see she’d gotten a payment request.

She tapped on the chat box with Klei’s profile again. To her surprise, he had just transferred her 2,000 dollars with a red heart emoji and the note: [Allowance for upkeep of your car.]

Whitney stared at the emoji and the note, thinking, ‘This is so weird. Why did he send a heart emoji to me?’

Whitney replied: [No need, Uncle Klein. You really don’t have to give me that much for upkeep.]

Klein simply replied: [Take it.]

”If he’s got money to burn, I’m not about to say no,’ Whitney thought.

*****

Klein had been so busy that today was his first proper family meal at Harris Manor.

James was making a big deal out of it. Everyone from the family showed up, except for his youngest granddaughter.

George raised his glass and said, “Welcome back, Klein.”

Klein clinked his glass lightly, replying, “Thanks, George.”

Despite all the rumors swirling outside, the Harris brothers were actually on great terms.

Emily was still sticking to Carter like his shadow, and Carter kept taking care of her. Nobody in the family even batted an eye anymore.

But to Klein, their intimate gestures were a real eyesore.

“Carter, did you and Whitney get your marriage license yet?” Klein suddenly asked, throwing Carter off for a second.

Carter awkwardly cleared his throat. “We were planning to do it today, but Whit’s away for work. Once she’s back, we’ll get it done right away.”

Carter’s heart dropped. He suddenly had this gut feeling that things were spinning way out of control.

He headed back to his own bedroom, trying to steady himself, only to realize half his clothes were missing from the closet.

On autopilot, he yanked open his tie drawer. All the ties Whitney had ever picked out for him were gone, too.

Carter’s heart hammered in his chest as he finally threw open the door to the wedding suite.

The giant wedding portrait Whitney had insisted they take together was gone, too.

Carter stood out on the terrace, dialing Whitney’s number.

Every ring felt like an eternity. Finally, on the last ring, she picked up.

“Whitney, why is your closet empty? Where did all your clothes go?” Carter demanded.

“And did you take the clothes you bought for me too?” he added. “And if you weren’t even on a business trip, why didn’t you come with me to get our marriage license?”

Whitney actually snorted, as if Carter had just cracked the funniest joke she’d heard. “And you? Did you even go to City Hall yourself?”

Carter’s breath caught in his throat. “Don’t try to change the subject.

“Whitney, can you stop throwing a fit? I said I’d get the license with you. Why are you still acting like this?

“But I already told you, we’re done,” Whitney replied.

Carter didn’t want to get into it any further, so he pressed on. “Where did you take our wedding portrait?”

”Break up, huh? Who breaks up and secretly takes the wedding portrait with them?’ Carter thought.

Whitney was at the real estate office, checking out apartments. She replied, “I didn’t take it.”

Carter froze. “Then where’s the photo?”

“Check your drawer,” Whitney replied, sounding totally casual.

Carter’s gut twisted with dread.

He rushed to the master bedroom and yanked open the nightstand drawer.

The drawer was stuffed with shredded pieces of their wedding portrait. Carter’s eyes went red, shock and rage flooding him as he stared at the mess, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“Whitney, you—” Carter was so furious that he could barely speak, his whole body trembling with rage.

“Why are you so mad? You should’ve known this was coming the moment you bailed on getting the license,” Whitney shot back.

She stood in the lobby of the real estate office, catching a glimpse of her own reflection in the glass. She gave herself a smile, completely devoid of warmth.

“Carter, we can’t go back anymore,” Whitney said, her voice icy and resolute.