The ring wasn’t flashy; it wasn’t the kind of piece that drew gasps or glittered under camera lights.
To my eyes, accustomed to high-fashion jewelry since I was young, it barely registered.
But to my former self, it had meant everything.
This was the ring Ryan had used to propose to me in my last life.
Back then, I’d slipped it on with a heart full of naive joy, oblivious to the turmoil that awaited.
“Marry me, Sophia,” he had said, his voice trembling with emotion.
But that was a lifetime ago.
Now, I took the ring out of its box with a chill in my veins.
Across from me, Lirian waited, his face a careful mask of support, but I could sense his tension.
His dark, ink-like eyes darted between me and the ring, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty flashing across his usually confident gaze.
And Ryan…his eyes brightened with hope, as if the sight of the ring meant we could erase the painful history between us.
The faint smile on his lips betrayed a yearning, a desperate belief that the past could somehow be mended.
With a flick of my wrist, I flung the ring.
It clinked once against the stone path, rolled a few inches, and then tumbled into the man-made lake, disappearing beneath the water’s dark, icy surface.
“We’re never going to make it,” I said, my tone devoid of warmth.
Ryan’s face twisted, panic flooding his expression.
“Why?” he sputtered, his voice breaking. ‘Is it because I'm not rich? Do you hate my poverty like Linda does?’
I held his gaze, unwavering. “If I cared about your poverty, I wouldn’t have been with you in the first place,” I replied, my voice icy. “Ryan, it’s not about wealth. It’s about trust, loyalty—the things you destroyed with your own hands. My heart was true, but you shattered it, and now…” I paused, watching the realization creep across his face, “now there’s nothing left for us.”
He looked at me, his eyes wide with shock, and for a moment, I saw the weight of regret settle over him.
Maybe, at last, he was realizing that he’d given up something genuine for the fleeting thrill of wealth and ambition.
I turned to leave, the cold air biting at my skin as I walked toward my car. Just as I reached for the door handle, his voice came from behind me, desperate, pleading.
“What do I have to do, Sophia? What would it take for you to forgive me?”
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