Chapter 3

Dead silence on the other end of the line.

After a full five seconds, he let out a dry laugh. "What kind of joke are you playing?"

"No joke. I bought the apartment. All cash. My name only."

"Ashley!" His voice instantly rose, filled with unrestrained fury. "Are you done with this drama?"

I didn't speak.

"Just because I didn't show up yesterday? Didn't I explain it to you? Chloe was shaken up by a car accident, what's wrong with me going to keep her company as a friend? Do you have to be so petty?"

"Yeah, I know. So I bought it myself. No need to trouble you."

"You... you just wait, I'm coming to find you right now!"

He hung up.

Sarah looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Someone's getting desperate?"

I tossed my phone back into my bag, surprised that my heartbeat was perfectly steady.

At three in the afternoon, Ethan stormed into the coffee shop where Sarah and I were.

He was breathless, sweat on his forehead, his eyes full of disbelief as he looked at me.

"Ashley, say what you just said again?"

"I said, I bought the apartment, all cash, in my name."

He slammed his hand on the table, making everyone around us look over.

"Where did you get so much money? Are you out of your mind? That's our future home, how can you decide that on your own?"

"My money, I can do whatever I want with it." I took a sip of my coffee. "As for our future home, now it's just my apartment."

Ethan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, reaching for my hand, but I pulled it away.

He awkwardly retracted his hand, his tone softening. "Ash, I know you're upset about yesterday. But we're supposed to live in this apartment together, how am I going to explain this to my parents?"

He wasn't feeling bad about my hurt; he was worried about explaining it to his parents.

"No need to explain." I looked at him. "Ethan, I've been thinking about something recently."

"What is it?"

"Work-related."

He visibly relaxed, his tense shoulders slumping, even a hint of a smile appearing on his face.

"You scared me to death. I thought you were going to call off the engagement."

His tone when he said that was so casual, it was almost cruel.

As if the idea of "Ashley leaving Ethan" was preposterous.

"Oh, right." He pulled a delicate little velvet box from his pocket and pushed it across the table to me. "I bought this necklace for you when I passed the mall, as an apology. Chloe said it would really suit your style."

I looked at the box but didn't touch it.

"Chloe helped you pick it out?"

"Yeah, she has good taste. She also said she felt bad about taking up your time yesterday and insisted I get you a gift."

I opened the box. Inside was a silver four-leaf clover necklace.

It looked familiar.

I opened Chloe's Instagram page. Three days ago, she'd posted: "Love this necklace so much, but it's too expensive. Guess I'll come back for you when I get paid next month."

The picture was of that exact necklace.

I pushed the box back to him.

"I don't like it. You should give it to her."

Ethan's face changed. "Ashley, don't be ungrateful. I'm trying to make things right, and you're going to be sarcastic about it?"

"I'm not being sarcastic. I just think, since she likes it, it's more fitting for you to give it to her."

I stood up and picked up my bag.

"I have to go. I'm busy."

"Ashley!" He called after me. "If you walk out that door today, don't expect me to come after you again!"

I didn't look back. I pushed open the coffee shop door and stepped out into the blinding sunlight.