With the wedding imminent, I still had a few essentials to collect.
Gavin, clearly out of his element, insisted on accompanying me. Being virtual strangers, I couldn't politely decline.
We passed a boutique jewelry store where an overly enthusiastic clerk practically pulled us inside. Her effervescent manner made refusal impossible.
The shop's intimate ambiance was surprisingly comforting.
As I browsed the rings, one particular design caught my eye.
I was about to stop Gavin from purchasing it when fatigue washed over me. As I turned to leave, a familiar voice cut through the air.
"Yvonne!"
The staff tittered like audiences of a soap opera.
I turned, face impassive, to replace Luke clutching the ring I'd been examining. He looked uncertain, almost vulnerable. "Remember this design?"
How could I forget?
Years ago, Luke had sketched this ring - a sapphire with a hidden inscription. Nothing ostentatious, but it had made my heart race.
It never materialized. Life intervened.
Luke stepped forward, reaching for my hand.
The onlookers, except Gavin and me, began chanting for reconciliation.
The cacophony was suffocating. I yanked my hand away, and the ring sailed into the trash.
A heavy silence descended.
"Mr. Luke, please respect my personal space," I said, voice glacial.
He recoiled as if struck. "Yvonne, isn't this what you've always wanted? We could marry now, be together forever!"
But it was too late.
If this had happened before discovering his infidelity, before enduring three solitary abortions... perhaps I would have tearfully claimed that long-dreamed-of ring.
Luke's delusion seemed to crack. "Don't like this one? I'll design another. As many as you want."
"I know you're jealous of Mandy, but she's just "
"Luke," I cut him off firmly. "We're done."
I linked arms with Gavin, who seamlessly played along, reading the situation.
Luke tried to intercept us, but we walked past.
Behind us, chaos erupted.
Luke was frantically digging through the trash, a man unhinged.
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