In the past, whenever we attended social events, I would drink for him until my stomach burned and my head spun, shielding him from every drop. He never once offered to take a sip for himself.
But for her...
He drank it without hesitation.
It turned out his allergy was selective. It only existed when I was the one protecting him.
I stumbled home. My legs gave out as I crossed the threshold, and I slid down the doorframe to the floor, too exhausted to even weep.
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
*You heard it all, right?*
I didn't know who sent it, nor did I care. I stood up and began to pack.
As I sorted through my belongings, I found a trove of memories. Every gift Walter had ever given me—expensive jewelry, handmade trinkets—I had treasured them all. But looking at them now, I couldn't reconcile the man who gave me these with the cold-hearted stranger in that private room.
Tears dripped onto my hands as I tossed them into the trash, one by one.
*Clink.*
A small, exquisite ring rolled across the floor.
My body went rigid.
The engagement ring.