Chapter 3

Tiffany stared at the ring, her eyes shining.

She turned to Mark. “Mr. Harrison, this is too much, I can’t accept it.”

Mark grabbed my arm, his voice low and angry. “Sarah, what the hell are you doing?”

I pulled away from 1, still smiling.

“I’m just apologizing, like you asked. This is a perfect ring for her, especially with that wedding dress she wore with you. Your girl, Tiffany will make such a beautiful bride, don’t you think, Mark?”

Our wedding was so simple. We were just starting out, had nothing to our name. We lived in that cramped, damp basement, ate ramen for days. I remember one evening, we were walking home after a late night at his office, and I could smell this amazing stir–fry from the street vendor. It made my mouth water.

But that stir–fry was ten bucks, and I couldn’t spend it.

One night, Mark was holding me, crying, “Sarah, I can’t believe I put you through this, you’re a princess! Maybe you should just go home, I will get you later when I make something out of myself!”

I put my hand over his mouth, “Don’t say that! I’m with you to the end.”

He then emptied his pocket of change and found the ten dollars and bought it for us. We sat on the curb, eating that stir–fry, sharing every bite. It was the best stir–fry ever.

The next year, the company took off, and he proposed. We didn’t e a wedding dress or even take wedding photos when we got married.

I just had a small veil.

When we came out of the courthouse, Mark had tears in his eyes, he made a promise.

“I will be good to you forever. I will be in pain. if I ever treat you wrong. I’ll never be happy if I don’t make you happy.”

I remember when a couple walked by and the bride had this beautiful dress and a massive diamond ring, and I saw him look at the ground with shame, and then look at me with determination.

“I’ll make sure you will get the biggest dress and the biggest ring! And every anniversary, we will get a new wedding photo!”

“I’ll make sure my wife gets everything others have.”

Mark kept his promise. Every anniversary, he got me a dress and a new diamond ring. The diamonds got bigger every year, but I kept wearing that first ring he gave me. He knew what that ring meant to us, and he was terrified of losing that.

“Sarah, what are you doing? I know I said some harsh things but putting our wedding ring on her hand? Are you trying to punish me?”

I smiled.

Mark would never understand how wedding dresses work. Tiffany’s dress was something a pregnant woman would wear, she was very obvious, but Mark saw her as this naive innocent girl. She’d been Mark’s assistant for two years.

She’d been the one to book the studio for our annual photo shoot. She knew I would see the photos, she knew I’d see her social media posts. And the owner of the studio was a horrible actress, she wouldn’t have shown me those photos by mistake.

There was only one explanation, someone wanted me to see it. I looked at Tiffany, seeing her jealous face, and I took Mark’s fingers, one by one, and took my hand away.

“Mark, your girl, Tiffany, is probably pregnant, right? I think you better marry her fast, or the child is going to be a bastard.”

“Let’s get a divorce, I give you my blessing.”

Mark was shocked, denying everything.

“Pregnant? No! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

I pointed at Tiffany. “You don’t know? Maybe ask your little, assistant, she knows!”

I turned on my heels, and I left.