Chapter 2

"Honey, why are you suddenly asking this?"

Mario's expression froze for a moment as he looked at me with confusion.

"Mario, I just thought of us back then when I saw the ring. Look, your ring's gotten a bit dirty."

I pointed at his hand. "Let me clean it for you."

As I spoke, I reached to remove the ring from his hand.

Mario's body stiffened for a split second, but he quickly relaxed and extended his hand with a smile.

"Sure, I want your personal service."

My hand trembling, I removed the ring.

But no matter how I looked at it, it seemed identical to the one in the photo.

I couldn't fool my own eyes. My world completely collapsed in that moment.

The joyful chatter around me became grating noise.

Holding that ring, it felt scorching hot in my hand.

Mario looked at me searchingly. "What's wrong, Timothy? Is there something wrong with the ring?"

I snapped back to attention and shoved the ring back into his hand.

"No, nothing wrong."

My voice shook slightly: "I just think that, well, today it looks especially beautiful."

Lowering my eyes, I didn't dare look at him anymore.

Mario laughed and put the ring back on, then took my hand.

"I'll wear it every day from now on, so you can look at it as much as you want."

His tone remained doting, making me instinctively doubt myself.

What if? What if it was just the same model?

My parents and relatives looked at us, their faces full of gratified smiles.

In their eyes, we were a loving couple about to enter the hall of marriage.

No one knew what kind of storm was raging inside my heart.

When the dinner ended, Mario drove me home.

The car played my favorite music.

While driving, he chatted with me about tomorrow's marriage license arrangements and honeymoon travel plans.

Everything seemed normal, but I only felt suffocated.

How could this man so calmly plan our future with me while holding hands with another woman?

And that woman was someone else's wife.

In the photo, her husband and child were sitting right beside her.

"Mario." I opened a bottle of water and handed it to him. "Last Wednesday night, didn't you say you were working overtime at the company? That the project was urgent?"

Mario unscrewed the cap and took a sip. "Yeah, we were rushing the project. Worked all night—nearly killed me."

My fingertip picked at the seam of my skirt as my gaze fell on the ring on his hand.

"Really? I thought you went to see a movie."

Mario's drinking motion suddenly stopped. He choked on the water, and it went down the wrong pipe.

He frantically hit the brakes, his face turning red. "Honey, what are you talking about?"

"I was so busy those days I barely touched the ground. I practically lived at the office. Where would I have time to see a movie?"

"Oh, that's good then."

I lowered my head and said nothing more, but those comments from the trending topic kept echoing in my ears.

My heart sank bit by bit.

When we reached my building, Mario got out of the car as usual to open my door and planted a goodnight kiss on my forehead.

"Get some rest. I'll pick you up tomorrow, and we'll become a legal married couple."

I grabbed the corner of his jacket, pretending to act drunk and clingy: "Mario, we're getting our marriage license first thing tomorrow morning."

"Park your car in my building's garage. That way you won't have to make an extra trip to pick me up tomorrow. Just take a cab home and come straight here tomorrow."

Mario smiled and patted my head. "So clingy! Then I won't leave tonight."

My heart jumped, and I quickly pushed him away. "No, Mario!"

"We're getting married tomorrow. We can't stay together tonight. Hurry home!"

Only then did Mario shake his head helplessly and leave in a cab.

After his taillights disappeared around the corner, I turned and walked back to my own car.

We'd exchanged spare keys in case of emergencies.

I used to think this proved the trust between us. Now it just felt ironic.

I took out the spare key and opened Mario's car door.