Chapter 4

A flash of panic crossed her face.

"I'm coming right now."

The second she hung up, Wendy dug twenty dollars out of her purse and shoved it into my hand.

"There's a problem with a project. I need to go deal with it. Buy yourself something good. Take the rest of the day off and come back tomorrow."

Before I could respond, she was already gone.

But I wasn't planning to forgive her this time.

I was done.

Done with her.

Done with the company.

I called a friend who'd been trying to recruit me as a partner for years. We met at a restaurant, talked over dinner, and worked out the details.

By the time we signed the contract, it was dark outside.

Afterward, I wandered through the mall.

Then I spotted a public proposal.

For a moment, memories surfaced.

Wendy and I used to have good times.

But after we built the company, she became more and more obsessed with profit.

Somewhere along the way, we turned into strangers.

I let out a quiet laugh and shook my head.

Just as I was about to leave, I got a clear look at the woman being proposed to.

It was Wendy.

Tristan knelt on one knee, holding a bouquet and a diamond ring.

"Wendy, you paid for my education. You helped me leave that small town. You funded my PhD overseas and stayed with me through three years of long distance.

"You're the most important woman in my life."

"I'm still broke. Even this ring was bought with your money.

"But I promise I'll work hard and give you a good life."

The crowd erupted.

"Say yes!"

Wendy nodded shyly.

Then she held out her hand and let Tristan slide the ring onto her finger.

The ring replaced the wedding band she'd once shared with me.

I smiled.

Then I started clapping.

Louder than anyone else.

She turned toward the sound.

The second our eyes met, all the color drained from her face.

The bouquet slipped from her hand.

She rushed over. "Honey, don't get the wrong idea.

"I just asked Tristan to help me rehearse.

"When we got married ten years ago, we were broke. We bought the cheapest rings we could find.

"I wanted to make it up to you with a real proposal and a diamond ring."

She looked at me hopefully.

"Honey, after ten years, will you marry me again?"

The crowd immediately started cheering.

I stood there with a cold smile.

Not moving.

Wendy forced a laugh and grabbed my hand.

She tried to slide the diamond ring onto my finger.

It wouldn't go on.

No matter how hard she pushed.

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

She lightly smacked my arm. "Honey, I keep telling you to eat less.

"Look at you. You've gained so much weight the ring doesn't fit.

"I'll exchange it for a bigger size later."

I glanced at the ring.

The wedding band we'd bought ten years ago still fit perfectly.

This one was obviously smaller.

It had been bought for Tristan.

And she expected me to believe it was just a rehearsal.

Did she think I was stupid?

The crowd didn't know any better.

They immediately took her side.

"It's normal for guys to put on weight."

"What matters is the thought."

"After ten years of marriage, she's spending a hundred thousand dollars on a diamond ring just to propose again. That's real love."

A hundred thousand?

I raised an eyebrow.

Back when we got married, we were so broke we bought our wedding rings from a dollar store.

They rusted away years ago.

One anniversary, I scraped together three hundred dollars to buy her a pair of silver rings.

I thought she'd be happy.

Instead, she accused me of wasting money.

She dragged me back to the jewelry store, demanded a refund, and made a huge scene.

Then she cut my monthly allowance to a hundred and fifty dollars for being irresponsible with money.