Daniel’s face turned red. After a long pause, he blurted, “That’s different! You’re not scared of thunderstorms!”
“So because I’m not scared, I deserve to be ignored? Because I’m strong, I should suffer?”
I pulled out my phone, showing him a photo I’d saved from last month—Bella’s social media post. She wore the engagement ring Daniel had given me, leaning into his arms with the caption: My Danny.
When I’d asked him about it, Daniel said, “It’s just a joke between friends. Don’t make a fuss.”
I shoved the phone at him. “This is a joke too? She wore my ring, claimed you as hers, and you still call it a joke? Daniel, you’re not stupid—you’re rotten. You know she likes you, but you still blur the lines and treat me like a fool!”
Daniel’s eyes flickered with panic as he tried to snatch the phone. “Don’t go through my stuff! She liked the ring’s design, so I let her try it on. I’ll buy you another one. What’s the big deal?”
“What’s the big deal?” I yanked my hand away. “An engagement ring isn’t for lending out. Is our engagement also something you can ‘share’?”
Bella suddenly spoke up. “Olivia, it’s not what you think… You don’t even like wearing the ring, so Danny let me try it…”