Chapter 4

A verbal defense from Logan wasn't enough to satisfy Chloe.

Before walking out the door, she found another way to put me in my place.

Her eyes landed on the engagement ring on my finger.

Logan had driven across three states just to track down that specific cut for me.

When he slipped it onto my finger back then, there wasn't a trace of exhaustion in his eyes.

"It's gorgeous," he had said with the sweetest smile. "Only my future wife deserves something this perfect."

The stone sparkled brilliantly under the light.

Chloe's eyes flashed with jealousy.

She pointed at my hand and said casually to Logan:

"I need some nice jewelry to show off to my family back home. Why don't you let me borrow Saffron's ring?"

It was an engagement ring, after all. Logan hesitated.

Chloe instantly dropped her smile.

"What? You always say you'd take a bullet for your best friend, but now you won't even lend me a ring?"

Logan immediately scrambled to appease her:

"That's not what I meant."

"Whatever's mine is yours."

He turned to me, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"Take it off and give it to her."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Logan, this is our engagement ring."

"You're giving our ring to her? Are you planning to marry her instead?"

Logan faltered, his expression darkening with annoyance.

"She just wants to borrow something pretty for a few days! Why does your mind always jump to something so malicious?"

He grabbed my wrist, prying the ring off my finger with rough force.

He didn't even notice that the edge of the band scraped my skin, drawing blood.

Watching him gently slip the ring onto Chloe's finger, my entire body trembled violently. Tears finally spilled over.

"It's just a piece of jewelry. I'll buy you another one when I get back," he mumbled dismissively.

As Chloe brushed past me toward the door, she let out a quiet chuckle.

Her voice was barely a whisper, meant for my ears only:

"You don't need to cry over it."

"That diamond isn't even real."

My head snapped up.

Chloe smirked, relishing the shock on my face.

"I borrowed the real one to try on months ago and accidentally dropped it somewhere."

"Logan didn't want you to find out, so he bought a cheap glass replica to propose with."

A crushing weight slammed into my chest, suffocating me.

"That's... impossible..."

Chloe touched her glossed lips, her voice dripping with venom:

"Face it, Saffron. If I want it, you don't even get to keep the fake one!"

"Shut up!"

My voice cracked as I shoved her away with everything I had.

Chloe stumbled and hit the floor hard. Looking up at me from the ground, she gave a triumphant wink.

"I win," she mouthed silently.

Smack!

Before I could even process what was happening, Logan's hand cracked across my face.

His eyes burned with disgust.

"You've crossed the line, Saffron."

"Apologize to Chloe. Right now."

Holding my stinging, swollen cheek, I glared at him with pure defiance.

"She deserved it."

Logan glared at me, the veins on his neck bulging with fury.

He looked exactly like he did years ago when he punched the guy who disrespected me. Only this time, his rage was directed at me.

In the end, Chloe pulled him toward the door.

"You need to learn a lesson," Logan said coldly before leaving. "Until you apologize for what you did, the wedding is postponed indefinitely."

Those were his parting words.

I stood frozen in the quiet apartment for a long time.

Then, my phone vibrated in my palm.

The voice on the other end asked softly:

"Are you still sure you want me to come home with you to meet your parents?"

A faint smile touched my lips. "Of course."

"Good. Look out the window."

"I'm already here."