Chapter 3

"You'll come for dinner tonight, won't you? Just a small family gathering to welcome you properly," Dorothy said, her eyes bright with anticipation as they stood outside the Municipal Building. Chloe smoothed the fabric of her skirt, offering a small, practiced smile. "I'd love to, Dorothy. Thank you for inviting me." "Of course, dear. You're family now." Chloe nodded, though the word 'family' felt heavy and unfamiliar in this context. While Dorothy's warmth seemed genuine, Chloe harbored a quiet skepticism. She knew how these things often went; a matriarch's enthusiasm didn't always translate to the rest of the clan. Noah's parents and siblings—if he had any—might not be quite so thrilled about a stranger suddenly occupying a seat at their table, especially one who had married into the family under such unconventional circumstances. She thought of Olivia. When Olivia had married, she'd walked into her new life with such optimism, only to find that in-laws could be a minefield of unspoken expectations and subtle resentments. Olivia's mother-in-law had never quite forgiven her for not coming from a more 'established' background. Chloe had watched her sister navigate years of passive-aggressive comments and holiday dinners that felt more like interrogations than celebrations. If Olivia, who was the epitome of grace and patience, had struggled, Chloe knew better than to expect a seamless transition. "Actually," Chloe said, checking the time on her phone. "The shop is going to be incredibly busy for the next few days. We have a large shipment of rare editions coming in, and Hannah and I have a lot of cataloging to do. Could we possibly push the dinner to the weekend?" Dorothy's face fell for a fraction of a second before she rallied. "Oh, I understand. Business comes first! I'll tell Noah to pick you up on Saturday evening, then. Does six o'clock work?" "Saturday is perfect," Chloe replied. "And please, tell Noah he doesn't need to go out of his way. I can make my own way there." "Nonsense," Dorothy insisted, waving a hand dismissively. "He's your husband. It's the least he can do. We'll see you then, Chloe." Once Dorothy and Noah had departed, Chloe pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Hannah. *Heading back now. Everything is official. See you at the shop tomorrow.* She tucked the phone away and began the walk back toward her sister's house. The weight of the marriage license in her bag felt like a physical anchor, grounding her to a decision she couldn't take back. She needed to tell Olivia tonight. There was no point in delaying the inevitable, especially since she planned to move her things out as soon as possible. Ten minutes later, Chloe pushed open the front door of Olivia's house. The familiar scent of vanilla candles and laundry detergent met her, but the usual sense of home was missing, replaced by a looming tension. Olivia was in the kitchen, wiping down the counters with a frantic energy. She looked up as Chloe entered, her face tight with worry. "Where have you been? It's late, Chloe. I was starting to think something happened." "I'm fine, Liv. I just had some things to take care of," Chloe said, setting her bag on the table. She looked around the quiet room. "Where's Leo?" "Asleep, finally," Olivia sighed, dropping the rag and leaning against the counter. "He had a meltdown over his blocks. The Terrible Twos are no joke." She paused, her expression softening into something more defensive. "Look, about earlier... about what you heard. You shouldn't take what Mark says to heart. He's just stressed. Work has been a nightmare lately, and he vents. He doesn't mean half of it." Chloe pulled a chair out and sat down. "He's been 'stressing' for six months, Olivia." "He's the sole provider for a family of three—four, including you," Olivia countered, though her voice lacked conviction. "It's a lot of pressure." Chloe looked at her sister. Olivia was only thirty, but there were fine lines around her eyes that hadn't been there a year ago. When their parents died, Chloe was only ten and Olivia was fifteen. They had clung to each other through the wreckage, scrimping and saving every penny to get through college. After their grandparents had taken over the family home, they had survived on ramen and shared studio apartments. When Olivia met Mark, he had been the knight in shining armor, promising that they would always be a package deal. He'd welcomed Chloe into their home with open arms back then. But the 'package deal' had an expiration date, it seemed. The resentment had started small—complaints about the grocery bill, sighs when Chloe took a long shower—and had grown into the explosive argument Chloe had overheard. "I know I've been a burden, Liv," Chloe said softly. "You don't have to keep defending him." "You are not a burden!" Olivia snapped, her eyes welling with tears. "You're my sister. You help with Leo, you contribute what you can from the shop—" "It's not enough, and we both know it." Chloe reached into her bag and pulled out the folded marriage license. She slid it across the table toward Olivia. "I'm moving out. I got married today." Olivia froze. She stared at the paper as if it were a venomous snake. Slowly, she reached out and picked it up, her eyes scanning the names. "Married? Chloe, what is this? Who is Noah Hayes? Is this some kind of joke?" Her voice rose to a screech. "You can't just go out and get married! You don't even have a boyfriend!" "I've been seeing him for a while," Chloe lied, her voice steady and warm. "We wanted to keep it private until we were sure. He's a good man, Olivia. He's stable, he has a good job in the city, and he has a house in Briarwood." Olivia's hand went to her mouth, her gaze dropping to Chloe's hand. "A ring? You're wearing a ring?" Chloe lifted her hand, the band catching the light. "He wanted to make it official. It happened fast, I know, but it feels right. I'm moving into his place this week." "This is about Mark, isn't it?" Olivia's voice broke. She walked around the counter and slumped into the chair next to Chloe, tears finally spilling over. "You're doing this because you think you're in the way. Chloe, please. Don't ruin your life because my husband is an idiot. You don't have to marry a stranger to have a roof over your head. Stay here. I'll talk to him again, I'll make him see—" "Liv, stop," Chloe said, taking her sister's hands. "This isn't a snap decision. Noah is solid. His family is... well, they're a lot, but they're good people. I'm not throwing my life away. I'm starting a new chapter. And the best part is, he lives in Briarwood. It's only a ten-minute ride on my e-bike. I can come over whenever you need me. I'll still help with Leo." Olivia wiped her cheeks with her shoulder, looking unconvinced. "Who are these people? The Hayeses?" "His grandmother, Dorothy, is lovely," Chloe said, choosing her words carefully. "She has three sons, and each of them has three sons. That's nine grandsons in total. No granddaughters, so Dorothy is very eager to have a woman around the house." "Nine grandsons?" Olivia repeated, momentarily distracted by the sheer scale of the family. "That's... that's a lot of men. Are they all like Noah?" "I haven't met the rest yet," Chloe admitted. "But Noah is quiet. Professional. He's not the type to cause drama." Olivia sat back, her breath hitching as she tried to process the information. She looked at the marriage license again, then back at Chloe. Her protective instincts were clearly warring with the reality of the legal document. "If he has a house in Briarwood," Olivia said, her tone shifting from hysterical to pragmatically concerned, "is it his? Or is he renting?" "He owns it," Chloe said. Olivia leaned in, her eyes narrowing. "Chloe, listen to me. If you're really going through with this, you need to be smart. Men can change the moment a ring is on your finger. Look at Mark. You need to make sure you're protected. You should persuade Noah to add your name to the house title deed as soon as possible. If anything happens, you can't just be left with nothing." ════════════════════════════════════════