The memory slammed into me—our third anniversary. Miles sliding the bracelet onto my wrist himself, his voice low and certain: "This is a Gilbert family heirloom. It only goes to the woman I'm going to marry."
Stacy Fox's sharp eyes caught the glint of metal on my arm. Her brow arched.
"Your bracelet looks exactly like mine."
Before I could respond, she let out a small laugh.
"You must have been scammed. There's only one of these—it's been passed down from my boyfriend's grandmother. Anything else out there is just a knockoff."
My throat closed. But I forced the words out anyway, my voice tight.
"What if... yours is the fake?"
The second I said it, I wished I could take it back.
He was living with her. Why would he give her a fake?
I was only fooling myself.
Stacy laughed, light and unbothered.
"That's impossible. His mother gave it to me personally. Why would it be fake?"
His mother.
The words hit like a hammer to the chest, crushing the last fragile thread of hope I'd been clinging to.
Shame and humiliation twisted together, burning behind my eyes. My legs trembled. I wasn't sure how much longer I could stay standing.
Just then, a familiar voice drifted in from outside:
"Baby, I'm home! I brought you that mango mousse you love."
Stacy's eyes lit up instantly. She bounced toward the door like an eager puppy and threw herself at Miles, clinging to him like a koala.
I stood frozen, a bitter ache spreading from my chest to my throat.
Back when Miles and I were together, I'd wanted to hold his hand. Even when no one was around, he'd subtly pull away, frowning. "We need to maintain appearances."
But with Stacy? He let her hang all over him without a flicker of impatience.
I let out a self-deprecating laugh. So this was the difference between loving someone and not.
"Why are you so good to me?" Stacy cooed, pawing at his cheek.
Miles leaned down, touching his nose to hers. His voice dripped with affection. "You're my future wife. Of course I'm good to you."
The next second, his gaze swept into the room. The moment our eyes met, the smile on his face froze.
Stacy noticed something was off. She followed his line of sight and turned to look at me.
"Oh no, why didn't you warn me? There's someone else here!" She swatted his arm playfully. "Put me down!"
Miles finally set her down.
But he wasn't looking at her. He was staring straight at me.