### The day after I said yes to Isaac’s proposal, I accidentally logged into his messaging app on my laptop. A new message popped up: “Thank you for the ring, babe. In my heart, I’m already married to you.” Attached was a picture of the ring—a perfect match for the one Isaac had used to propose to me. Except hers was real. Mine was a cheap knockoff. In that moment, I finally understood the distant, unfocused look in his eyes when he proposed. It wasn’t me he was looking at—it was her. Without hesitation, I took off the ring and tossed it into the trash. I’ve never cared for fake jewelry. Or fake love. Almost the moment I saw the message, a notification popped up on the screen: “You’ve been logged out.” Then my phone started ringing—it was Isaac. “Mia, why were you logged into my account?” he demanded, his voice sharp and accusatory. “Were you trying to spy on me?” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. It was always the same. He was the one who couldn’t stay loyal, but somehow, he always managed to twist things around and make it seem like I was the one in the wrong. But today… I didn’t have the strength to argue. I hung up. I was exhausted. Completely, utterly exhausted. The phone immediately rang again. “Mia, what the hell? Did you just hang up on me?” Isaac’s voice was furious. I swallowed the lump in my throat and said hoarsely, “Isaac, let’s just end this.” There was silence on the other end. Then, all at once, his voice exploded with rage. “End this? Mia, who do you think you are to end things with me?” “You still think you’re the same rich little daddy’s girl from back then? That you can just throw me away like garbage whenever you feel like it?” “Don’t forget—your mom is still in the hospital, and she’s relying on me to pay her medical bills!” He wasn’t wrong. Years ago, he’d used my mother’s surgery as leverage to force me into staying with him. But what Isaac didn’t know was that earlier today, my mother had passed away. “It’s just a ring,” he sneered before I could respond. “You’re really breaking up with me over a stupid ring?” His laugh was cold and filled with disdain, cutting straight through me. “Let me make something clear, Mia. You don’t deserve anything better than a fake ring. Women like you—” His voice was like a swarm of buzzing mosquitoes, loud and unbearable, making my head spin. Without thinking, I hit the end call button. Then, I blocked him on everything. For the first time in what felt like forever, the world around me fell silent. I sat there in front of my laptop, staring blankly at the screen. Minutes passed, maybe longer. When I finally snapped out of it, I realized my face was wet with tears. In a single day, I had lost my mother, and the man I was supposed to marry had humiliated me beyond belief. And yet, in this moment of overwhelming grief and betrayal, I felt strangely calm. It’s funny how the human mind reacts when pushed to its absolute limit. I don’t remember how I packed my things. I just remember looking around this cold, empty apartment and realizing that everything I truly owned fit into two suitcases. Dragging them behind me, I wandered aimlessly through the streets. With my mom gone, I felt like a tether inside me had snapped. When she was alive, she had once threatened to take her own life unless I broke up with Isaac, who was then a struggling entrepreneur, and left the country to study abroad. Later, when my father went bankrupt and took his own life, and my mother’s health began to fail, Isaac used her medical bills as a chain to keep me trapped by his side. For years, I’d been like a kite, bound by a string someone else was holding. Now, the string was gone. “Beep! Beep!” A blaring car horn jolted me from my thoughts. I looked up and realized, far too late, that I was standing in the middle of the street. The headlights grew brighter, and the screech of tires tearing against asphalt filled the air. I didn’t have time to move. The impact sent me sprawling onto the pavement. I opened my eyes to see a man stepping out of the driver’s seat. He looked panicked as he rushed toward me.
The man’s face initially carried a hint of impatience, but the moment he saw me, a flicker of surprise crossed his expression. “I’m so sorry, it’s my fault—I’m fine, really,” I said, forcing a weak smile, trying to ignore the searing pain in my leg. After all, I was the one who broke the rules and wandered into the street. I just hoped I hadn’t caused him much trouble. I tried to stand, but the sharp pain in my leg sent me stumbling back down. “Don’t push yourself,” the man said, catching me quickly before I fell again. Without another word, he pulled out his phone and called for an ambulance. It arrived quickly. Maybe it was the exhaustion from days spent sleepless by my mother’s bedside, but as soon as I was inside the ambulance, I blacked out. When I woke up, it was already the next afternoon. The sound of my phone ringing jolted me awake. It was an unfamiliar number. The moment I answered, an all-too-familiar voice barked through the line: “Mia, so now you’ve got the nerve to block me?” Isaac’s voice was full of venom. “You faked a car accident just to get my attention? How desperate can you be?” His words hit me like a slap in the face. “If only the car had actually finished you off,” he added coldly. Suddenly, I remembered the EMT asking for an emergency contact while I was barely conscious in the ambulance. I must have given them Isaac’s number. “I really was in an accident. I’m in the hospital right now—” I started, trying to explain. But he cut me off, his tone dripping with disdain. “Enough! You’re such a liar. Do you think I’m stupid?” “Lola asked her friend at the hospital. She said no car accident victims were admitted last night. So what was your plan? That I’d drop everything and come running to you out of guilt? Keep dreaming!” I glanced down at my leg, still wrapped in bandages, the pain radiating like fire. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back. Why wouldn’t he believe me? I knew why. Isaac had never forgiven me for leaving him when he was at his lowest point. But he didn’t know the full story. He didn’t know how my mother had taken my phone, broken it in front of me, and forced me to end things with him. She had locked me inside the house until I left for school overseas, ensuring I couldn’t reach him. It had taken everything I had to slip a letter to him before I left. I poured my heart into it, explaining everything, telling him how much I loved him, begging him to wait for me. I even left him all the money I had at the time, hoping it would help him get back on his feet. But when we finally met again years later, he’d looked me dead in the eye and said, “Mia, you dumped me when I had nothing. It was Lola who sold her house and loaned me the money to rebuild my life.” Maybe he was right. Maybe I was a fool to think that letter had meant anything to him. If Lola had done so much for him, then why didn’t he just marry her? What was the point of dragging me back into his life and blaming me for everything? “What’s wrong? Did I hit a nerve?” Isaac sneered, breaking the silence. “You’re just a manipulative, gold-digging woman who’ll stop at nothing to get what you want.” I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. “Isaac, my mom passed away yesterday. You don’t need to worry about paying her medical bills anymore.” “I’ll pay back every cent I owe you. And after that, let’s just… end this, okay? Please.” The line went silent. For a second, I thought he’d hung up. Then his voice returned, colder than ever. “Wow, Mia. You’re so twisted you’d even lie about your own mother’s death? Do you really think I’d fall for that?” I stared at the phone, his words slicing through me like a knife. So this is what he thought of me. When he finally hung up, my hands were trembling so badly I could barely hold the phone. I thought my heart had already been shattered beyond repair, but somehow, the pain still felt fresh, sharp, suffocating. How do you let go of someone you’ve loved for so long? The same person who had broken you again and again? It was a while before I calmed down. When I finally glanced toward the bedside table, I noticed a small yellow sticky note sitting there. “Had to step out for a bit, but I’ll come check on you tonight.” It was signed, “Logan.” It must’ve been from the man who hit me—the unlucky driver who’d ended up stuck with me.
I didn’t wait until evening. There was still so much to do to settle my mom’s affairs. Ignoring the doctor’s disapproving glare, I signed myself out of the hospital against medical advice. It took me a full week to handle everything. When it was all done, I stood in front of that small, lonely grave, and something inside me broke. For the first time, it truly sank in—this woman, who had spent her life controlling mine under the guise of love, was gone forever. I collapsed against the cold headstone, sobbing uncontrollably. It was only after some time had passed that I realized something was missing. The necklace. The only thing my mom had left me. I must’ve left it at Isaac’s place. If it weren’t for that necklace, I wouldn’t have set foot in that suffocating house again. All I could do was pray that Isaac wasn’t home, so I could grab it and leave without any drama. But life isn’t that kind. Isaac wasn’t there, but Lola was. “Mia? What are you doing back here?” Lola asked, leaning against the doorframe in her silk pajamas, arms crossed like she owned the place. “I came to grab something. I’ll leave as soon as I have it,” I said, not wanting to waste a single second more on her. Whatever happened between her and Isaac was no longer my concern. But she wasn’t about to let me off so easily. “Let me guess,” she said with a smug grin. “You’re just using that as an excuse to worm your way back into Isaac’s life, aren’t you?” She covered her mouth, pretending to stifle a laugh. “Did you know that the moment you moved out, he couldn’t wait to have me move in? If it weren’t for you, I’d have been Mrs. Carter a long time ago.” As she spoke, she held up her hand, showing off a ring that sparkled far too brightly. The same ring Isaac had used to propose to me. “Some people,” she sneered, “are only good enough for cheap knockoffs. Pathetic, isn’t it?” I clenched my teeth, my nails digging into my palms. Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. “You are not in any position to mock me!” At this point, I had nothing left to lose. If she wanted a fight, I was ready to give her one. Lola let out a sharp scream, clutching her cheek in disbelief. “You hit me?! Do you have any idea what Isaac will do to you when he finds out?” Then, as if suddenly remembering something hilarious, her expression twisted into something malicious. “Oh wait,” she said, her voice dripping with mockery. “Didn’t you say your mom’s dead now? Good riddance. Too bad you didn’t die with her.” That was it. I snapped. Grabbing her perfectly styled hair, I yanked her forward and slammed her head against the wall. Her shrieks were ear-piercing, but I didn’t care. “What the hell are you doing, Mia?!” Isaac’s voice roared through the room as he stormed in, grabbing my arm and shoving me to the ground. He immediately knelt down to cradle Lola, whispering softly to her as if she were made of glass. His face was full of tenderness, but when he turned to me, his eyes were filled with disgust. “Mia, I’ve been way too patient with you!” he shouted. Lola, ever the actress, sobbed quietly into his chest. “Isaac, it’s my fault. I upset her… I deserved to be hit. Don’t blame her anymore, okay? I’ll just leave so she won’t be mad anymore.” Her performance was Oscar-worthy. Even I wanted to applaud her dedication. Isaac, of course, fell for it. “From now on,” he snarled at me, “you’re not getting another dime from me. Let’s see how you like watching your mom rot in the hospital without my money.” I laughed bitterly, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through my leg. Blood was already seeping through the bandages, staining my jeans. Isaac noticed, pausing for a moment. “What’s wrong with your leg?” he asked, his voice softer for a second. “None of your business,” I spat, swatting away the hand he reached out. Without another word, I limped toward the bedroom, grabbed the necklace, and headed back out. But before I could leave, Isaac snatched it from my hand. “Give it back!” I demanded, trying to grab it, but he held it out of reach. “Everything you have—your clothes, your jewelry, even your mom’s hospital bills—was paid for with my money. If you’re so high and mighty, why don’t you take off everything I’ve ever given you and walk out naked?” “You bastard!” I snapped, biting down on my trembling lip to keep the tears at bay. Isaac just smirked. “Go ahead. Strip. Do it, and I’ll let you leave.” I stared at him, his mocking smile twisting the knife deeper into my chest. Fine. If this was what he wanted, I’d give it to him. I started with my jacket, then my shirt. Soon, I was standing there in just a tank top. As I reached for the hem of it, Isaac suddenly shouted, “Enough!” “Have you lost all self-respect, Mia?” He threw my clothes and the necklace at me, the chain hitting me square in the face. “Fine. Get out. But don’t you ever come crawling back to me, begging for help.” With that, he wrapped his arm around Lola and walked away, not even bothering to look back. I stood there, clutching my clothes and the necklace, watching his retreating figure. What was he so angry about? This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? To see me humiliated. To see me crushed under the weight of everything I’d lost. To see me as nothing more than a broken shell of the person I used to be. He should’ve been happy. Shouldn’t he?
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