My Mother's Fiance Was My Ex

Chapter three

"Who are you", Sarah asks in suspicion.

The man didn't flinch at her tone. He didn't even smile. He just stood there, hands clasped loosely in front of him, looking down at her with a calm that was more unnerving than any threat.

"I'm just a messenger," he said, his voice flat and controlled. "Mr. Ryker wanted to ensure you made it to your afternoon lectures safely."

He tilted his head slightly, the sunlight catching the edge of his glasses. "He also wanted me to remind you that the wedding rehearsal is tomorrow evening at seven. Your mother is very excited about the guest list."

Mia stepped closer to Sarah, her eyes darting between the stranger and her friend. "What do you mean, 'messenger'? Is Ryker sending people to follow her around campus?"

The man didn't acknowledge Mia. His gaze remained fixed on Sarah, waiting.

"You don't need to remind me okay",says Sarah.

The man gave a single, sharp nod. "Understood."

He stepped aside, clearing the path toward the lecture hall as if he were a trained valet. He didn't linger, turning on his heel and walking toward a black sedan idling at the curb.

Mia grabbed Sarah's arm the second he was out of earshot. "Sarah, that was literally a bodyguard. A bodyguard sent by your mom's fiancé to follow you to class? Are you kidding me?"

Her voice was rising, attracting glances from other students passing by. "This is beyond 'protective,' this is stalking. You need to tell your mom. Right now."

Sarah's phone buzzed in her bag again. She didn't even have to look to know what it was. The vibration felt like a physical touch against her hip, a reminder that no matter how many people she blocked, the connection remained wide open.

The lecture hall was crowded, the air thick with the smell of old wood and the low hum of student chatter. Sarah sat in her usual spot near the back, her eyes fixed on the professor as he began scribbling notes on the whiteboard. But her mind was miles away, replaying the encounter with the man in the suit over and over.

Mia sat beside her, her knee bouncing nervously. "You're not going to tell your mom, are you?" she whispered, leaning in close. "Because if you don't, and this escalates, it's going to be so much harder to fix later."

Sarah didn't respond. She couldn't. The weight of it all was pressing down on her, a slow-building pressure she didn't know how to release.

When the lecture finally ended, Sarah was the first one out of the room. She walked briskly across the quad, her pace quickening with every step.

Sarah brings out her phone and calls her mom asking her why her fiance sent a messenger to her.

Elena's voice came through the line, sounding bright and utterly unbothered. "Sarah! Honey, you're calling. Is everything okay? You sounded so off at dinner."

"Mom," Sarah said, her voice tight as she navigated through the crowd of students. "Why did Ryker send a man to follow me to class? He sent someone to watch me, Mom."

There was a brief pause on the other end, then a light, airy laugh. "Oh, that? That's just Ryker being Ryker. He's just very protective of his new family, sweetie. He mentioned you were feeling a bit fragile after last night, so he wanted to make sure you had someone looking out for you."

"He's stalking me, Mom. He's messaging my friends and sending men to follow me around campus."

"You're being so dramatic, Sarah,"

"He's stalking me, mom. I'm not joking", says Sarah.

Elena's voice shifted, losing its airy lightness. "Sarah, please. Don't say that. That's a very serious accusation."

"It's not an accusation, it's what's happening," Sarah said, her voice cracking despite her best efforts to keep it steady.

"Ryker is a good man," Elena insisted, her tone hardening slightly. "He's been nothing but supportive since we met. He wants to make sure you feel safe, especially with everything going on with the wedding. He's just trying to be careful with you."

A beat of silence followed.

"I'll talk to him," Elena said, her voice softening again. "I'll tell him to dial it back a little. But please, Sarah, don't make this more than it is. It's going to be a big week for us."

The line went dead before Sarah could respond.

"That asshole" 😡, says Sarah.

The word hung in the air, sharp and bitter. Sarah gripped her phone so hard her knuckles turned white.

"Sarah, what did you just call him?" Mia asked, her voice small and uncertain. She had been walking a few paces behind, listening.

"Nothing," Sarah snapped, but the lie was transparent.

"He's not going to stop, is he?" Mia stepped up beside her, her face pale. "The bodyguard, the messages to me, the way he talked to your mom on the phone—he's playing both sides, Sarah. He makes himself look like the hero to your mother and a monster to you."

Sarah's phone buzzed in her hand. Not a call. A text from an unknown number.

Your mother sounds lovely when she defends me. You should try it sometime.

See you at the rehearsal tomorrow, Sarah. Wear something nice.

"f**k you", Sarah types back angrily.

The reply came almost instantly, as if he'd been staring at the screen waiting for her to snap.

Language, Sarah. You know I don't like that from you.

And don't forget. Tomorrow night. Seven o'clock sharp. I'll be the one in the front row, watching you.

The phone went silent.

Mia looked at Sarah's face, then at the phone clutched in her hand. "He's getting worse, isn't he? Sarah, this isn't just some ex being annoying. This is... this is something else."

She reached out, tentatively touching Sarah's arm. "You can't go to that rehearsal. You can't let him have that power over you."

Sarah's jaw tightened. The campus around her felt too open, too exposed.

"You're right, I can't let him have that power over me", says Sarah.

Mia's eyes lit up with a mixture of relief and determination. "Exactly. So what's the plan? You can tell your mom you're sick, or you can just not show up. We can make up an excuse."

Sarah looked down at her phone, the screen still dark, but she could almost feel Ryker's gaze through it.

"I'll tell her I have a huge project due," Sarah said, her voice gaining a newfound firmness. "I can't miss it. It's my final year, Mia. It's not like I can just skip out on academic responsibilities."

"That's smart," Mia nodded. "But he's going to find out eventually. He's not the type to just take 'no' for an answer."

Sarah's phone buzzed in her hand again. One last message before she could put it away.

I heard you talking to your friend just now. The 'project' excuse? A little cliché, don't you think?

But go ahead. Try it. I'll see you tomorrow regardless.

The message was chilling in its simplicity. He wasn't just watching her; he was listening. He was right there, close enough to hear her whispered plans with Mia.

Mia pulled her hand back from Sarah's arm as if burned. "He's listening to us right now, isn't he?" Her voice was barely audible, her eyes darting around the quad as if searching for a hidden camera or a microphone. "Sarah, we need to leave. Now."

Sarah heads home.

The walk home felt longer than usual. Every shadow seemed a little too tall, every car idling at a red light a little too suspicious. Sarah kept her head down, her eyes fixed on the pavement, counting the cracks in the concrete to keep her mind occupied.

She reached her apartment building and hurried up the stairs, fumbling with her keys. Once inside, she bolted the door and leaned against it, her breath coming in short, jagged bursts.

The apartment was dark. She didn't turn on the lights. She just sat on the floor in the entryway, her back against the door, listening.

The silence stretched. Then, a soft sound from the kitchen.

A glass clinking against the counter.

Sarah froze. Her heart hammered against her ribs so hard it hurt. She hadn't left any glasses out. She lived alone.

"You're home late, Sarah."