My Fiancé Stole My University Acceptance Letter novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: The Flour Tin

"How much?" I asked my father.

The ballroom had gone silent again.

"Ciara, not here," he whispered.

"Eighty-one thousand," I said, to him and to the room. "I know. Mrs. Sutcliffe told me on a college lawn this morning. I'll apologize to her when she apologizes for the lease notice."

Harriet's mouth went flat.

I took my mother's arm and walked out of the Country Club with my chin up and my boots loud on the parquet.

My father followed us out to the car without his coat.

Nobody spoke on the drive home.

In our kitchen, my mother put the kettle on, and my father sat down at the table and put both hands over his face.

I took the chair across from him.

"Start at the beginning, Dad."

"The roof," he said through his fingers. "Three winters ago. The tax bill the same year, and the supplier's invoice. I went to the bank, and the bank said no."

"And the Sutcliffes said yes."

"Brendan came to the shop himself. He sat on a nail keg and said family should help family." He lowered his hands. "I thought he meant it. He asked me to put the lease up as security, nothing else, and I thought it was only a form."

"You didn't tell Mom."

"I was ashamed."

My mother set down three cups so hard that the tea jumped.

"Eleven months ago he asked about you, Ciara," my father said. "Whether you were seeing anyone. He said he'd been watching you grow into a fine young woman."

I thought of Brendan on a nail keg.

"I told myself that if you married him, it would square everything," my father said. "That's the truth of it. I sold my daughter to keep my shop, and I called it a good match."

← Chapter 5 · All chapters · Chapter 7 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend