His Betrayal, Her Unbreakable Resolve

tic and driven, and he told me from the beginning that he was a commitment-phobe. He didn't believe in marriage. He said it was an outdated institution, a piece

t the rings and the license. I put my art career on hold, pouring all my creative energy into building a ho

orked so hard to make a home. Mark was the perfect host, charming my parents and laughing with his business partners.

he app

mal for a garden party, and her eyes were locked on Mark. She didn' t mingle or smile, she just watched him with an intensity that mad

at?" I ask

. "I have no idea. One of Mark' s tech f

hing personal and unsettling. I watched as Mark finally noticed her. His smile tightened for a fraction

ds me and Leo. The conversation ended abruptly. She turned to leave, but as she did, she reached out and grabbed his hand. He pulled back quickly. I saw something small and metallic fall to the grass near his feet. She gave hi

r bedroom, I saw it. A ring, lying on the rug near the window that overlooked the garden. She must have dropped it again, or

wore a single silver ring on his right hand, a ring he told me was a family heirloom, something passed down from his grandfath

come into the room

, Chloe," she sai

ht, turning it over and over. And then I saw it.

, For

o was now laughing with my father on the patio. He raised his hand to gesture, and the late a

ring for a second?" I

rprised. "My

et me s

me with a worried expression. I held the two rings side-by-side in my palm. They were a perfect match. I lifted his ring

ription stare

, For

started to spin. My mother rus

it? You' re as wh

ies, resting in my trembling hand. The perfect life I thought I had, the foundation of trust I