Chapter 3

When I got home, I dug out a bottle of good wine, one I'd been saving for our anniversary, but never got to drink.

I fired up my laptop and started drafting the divorce papers. Once I was done, I sent them to my lawyer for review.

I poured myself a glass and took a sip.

The wine was worth every drop. The man? Not even close.

I stared out at the city lights, the moon hanging high above, casting a soft, silvery glow over everything like a dusting of powdered sugar.

I remembered how Edward proposed to me on a night like this, with the moon shining down.

Ever since we got together, everyone said we were perfect for each other, that we were so in love.

I used to believe that, too. I really thought Edward loved me.

But I never imagined love could sour so fast, or that a man could stop caring and still keep up the act like he still did.

I raised my glass to the moon, my only companion tonight, so I might as well drink with it.

Looking up, I caught the glint of my wedding ring in the moonlight, sparkling so brightly. I couldn't help but let out a self-mocking laugh.

This was the ring Edward gave me when he was starting his business. He poured every penny into his startup, so he couldn't afford a decent ring. Instead, he spent months secretly working as a food delivery driver after his day job, coming home at two or three in the morning.

Back then, I thought he was busy with his new venture. I trusted him and didn't ask much, quietly waiting up and making him something to eat whenever he got home late.

One night, a customer was rushing him, and, to his luck, a heavy rain started pouring down.

Edward was so afraid of getting a complaint that he pushed himself way too hard, speeding through the slippery streets. When he tried to turn, his car slid sideways, and he got thrown out, hitting the ground so hard it nearly knocked the life out of him.

When I got to the hospital, his hands and feet were bloody, his forehead was busted open, and he was covered in blood from head to toe.

When he saw me, he tucked his hands behind his back, head bowed, trying to hide them from me, like a kid caught red-handed.

In that moment, my tears spilled over as I wrapped my trembling arms around him.

With a shaky voice, I asked him why he did all this. He told me, "I saw other girls with nice rings, and I couldn't stand the thought of you missing out. I wanted you to have something beautiful and sparkling, too."

Right then, all I wanted was to start a life together with him. I wanted to marry him.

Later, when his business finally took off, he proposed with a prettier diamond ring.

But honestly, the one I'm wearing now is still the most beautiful to me. To me, it's the most precious ring in the world.

I remembered how nervous Edward was when he proposed, his hands trembling as he held out the ring box, his voice stumbling, that awkward, flustered look on his face, and his eyes sparkling with excitement.

When he loved me, he worked all day, then ran deliveries at night, barely getting three hours of sleep.

But when he stopped loving me, he'd work all day and then find any excuse not to come home.

I took off the ring and dropped it into the empty wine bottle.

He was not the same person anymore.

I didn't need this ring anymore. I didn't want him anymore, either.

*****

Maybe drinking didn't wash away my sorrow. It only made me feel even more miserable.

That night, I passed out drunk and drifted into a dream that felt like it belonged to another life.

I dreamed about my sophomore year in college, the first time I met Edward.

We joined the same research group, and he was a senior.

After the meeting, he suddenly jogged up to me. I glanced at him, confused. "Edward, what's up?"

He was a little out of breath, his face bright red, and there was a shy look in his eyes.

After a moment, he stammered, "You... you're really beautiful and talented. Can I have your number?"

Seeing how nervous he was, I grinned and handed him my number without a second thought.

After that, he started blowing up my phone with texts, always popping up wherever I went, and showering me with little gifts.

By junior year, he was already working on his startup, busy as hell every day. Still, he'd quietly figure out my class schedule and favorite things, always making time to sit in on my lectures and bringing me snacks and drinks I loved.

Honestly, there were a bunch of guys after me in college, and at first, I didn't really care about them. But he was the only one who kept at it, never got tired of trying, and always found ways to make me laugh.

Slowly but surely, I started to fall for him.

The day we got together, he picked me up and spun me around, his eyes red and full of tears. He promised, "I'll love you forever. If I ever betray you, I deserve to lose everyone I care about."

For two years, he was always so attentive. Even when his startup kept him busy, he still found time for me, taking me out, sending me money and gifts, and making sure I always felt special.

Back then, if I texted him late at night saying I missed him, he'd show up outside my building the very next morning.

The day he proposed, he kissed the back of my hand, tears blurring our vision so much that every word between us felt like it echoed in the air.

He said he'd keep getting better, that he'd give me a good life, we'd have a cozy home together, and someday, a little one to call our own.

But now, he was fallen out of love. All those promises? They were never happening.

If I couldn't have them, then whatever, they were never really mine.

Right now, I wanted to grab onto everything that was actually mine, everything I can really hold onto.