Chapter 1

At the engagement party, Robert was suddenly nowhere to be found.

No matter how many times I called, he didn't answer.

He finally sent me a brief message. "Something came up. I have to go."

I got stood up in front of all our friends and family, giving those who doubted me more reason to criticize.

It was then that I received a photo from his ex, Claire.

Claire was lying half-naked in Robert's arms.

Robert was sleeping soundly beside her.

It turned out he never intended to marry me.

But I didn't react with the usual outburst.

I quietly went home, packed my things, and moved out.

After all, he wasn't the one I truly wanted to marry.

...

At the engagement party, I received photos from Claire.

Their bare skin was covered in red marks.

The girl's lips were swollen, her eyes misty.

It was clear what they had done the night before.

What really stung was the diamond ring she flaunted on her hand.

I remembered when Robert first started his business, he came home late every night.

He often forgot to eat when he was busy.

So, I would make sure to cook for him just before he got home.

After cooking, I would lie on the sofa waiting for Robert to come home.

Exhausted from my own job during the day, I sometimes fell asleep holding a pillow.

In my sleep, I felt someone playing with my fingers.

I opened my eyes to see Robert's flustered expression and couldn't help but laugh.

I guessed he was measuring my finger for a proposal ring.

Teasingly, I asked, "Robert, what are you up to?"

He avoided my gaze and mumbled, "Never mind. It's a secret."

Then he ruffled my hair and went to have dinner I had prepared for him.

The next day, I received a message from a friend of mine.

She told me that Robert's ex, Claire, had returned.

Claire had once been my best friend too.

She even helped me plan how to win Robert's heart.

But unexpectedly, she ended up with Robert herself later on.

They soon broke up because Claire went abroad for studies and didn't want to stay with him anymore.

Robert then confessed his feelings to me.

I guessed he wanted to spite Claire.

But I agreed because I genuinely liked him.

I believed time would heal everything and that I could make Robert truly fall for me.

Even though we had been together for three years, I still felt uneasy hearing that Claire had returned.

After work, I sat at home waiting for Robert, feeling distracted.

It wasn't until the door opened that I snapped back to reality.

Robert staggered in and collapsed onto me.

Smelling the alcohol on him, I frowned and asked worriedly, "Why did you drink so much?"

Robert rarely drank.

Only when something significant happened would he get drunk like this.

Thinking about what my friend told me about Claire's return today, I couldn't help but connect the two events in my mind.

Before I could ask anything, something fell to the ground suddenly.

I settled Robert on the sofa and looked down to find it was a ring box.

Opening it revealed a beautiful one-carat diamond ring.

Carefully slipping it onto my finger, I found it fit perfectly and sighed in relief.

So it really was meant for me. He truly wanted to marry me.

Reflecting on my day's needless worries, I laughed with relief.

I took off the ring and placed it back in the box, slipping it into Robert's pocket.

I kissed him on the cheek, eagerly awaiting his proposal.

But now that ring was on Claire's hand.

I had forgotten we were of similar build with nearly identical finger sizes.