He Came With a Ring. I Had a Fiancé Chapter 09

He Came With a Ring. I Had a Fiancé Chapter 09

The diamond glittered harshly in the sunlight.

I’d waited so long for that ring. But it had come far too late.

I took it from him and studied it with a rueful smile.

“The latest design from SY Jewelry. It’s beautiful.”

“Claire picked it out, didn’t she?”

Dylan’s gaze slid away.

“I’m no good at this stuff, so I asked her for a few suggestions.”

I nodded. Exactly the excuse I’d expected.

“And I’m guessing the proposal was her idea, too.”

He looked even more uncomfortable.

“…Yes.”

“But I really do want to marry you now. That has nothing to do with Claire.”

During the month he’d been deliberately giving me the cold shoulder, he’d taken Claire to do

all the things they hadn’t gotten to do when they were younger.

They’d made up for all the reckless adventures their old relationship had missed.

But when it was over, Claire told him he should come find me.

He owed me an answer.

And as always, he’d done what she told him to do.

He’d bought a ring and brought his parents along so he could propose in person.

He hadn’t seen anything wrong with it.

Even if Claire hadn’t brought it up, he’d already planned to marry Audrey.

He’d merely moved the proposal up.

My disappearance had ruined that plan.

For the first time, Dylan had started taking a hard look at our relationship.

But it was too late.

Everything was too late.

Dylan, I’d already let go of my love for you.

I dropped the ring on the ground and turned away.

“Dylan, you’re not the man I want to marry anymore.”

He acted as though he hadn’t heard me and kept trying to pull me into his arms.

“Audrey, I know I was wrong.”

“I thought about everything on the way here. This time, I’ll do whatever you ask.

“If you don’t want me seeing Claire, I won’t see her again.”

I struggled desperately.

“Let go of me!”

But the more I struggled, the tighter he held me.

“She told you to let go. Are you deaf?”

A dark figure rushed toward us and punched Dylan square in the face.

It was so fast and hard that Dylan didn’t have time to react. He released me and staggered back two steps, nearly falling.

The gift boxes lay scattered all over the floor.

Everyone came out at the commotion,

Father had seen Dylan’s picture before and recognized him immediately. He swept the gifts into the trash.

“You piece of trash. How dare you come here and harass my daughter?”

“Dylan Walker, did you think my daughter had no one to stand up for her?”

Ryan stood protectively in front of me.

His mother patted my shoulder and told me not to be afraid. His father joined mine to block

Dylan from reaching me again.

Warmth spread through my chest. I tightened my hold on Ryan’s hand.

Dylan’s lips trembled violently.

Whatever he’d wanted to say or do, he swallowed it when he saw everyone standing together

against him.

At last, he left, utterly dejected.

After that day, Dylan never came looking for me again.

I later heard from friends that he’d gone to South Africa to work on an international development project. He only managed to return to the United States a few times a year.

Conditions were brutal, and the area was caught up in local unrest.

He survived being caught in the shelling several times, but eventually lost a leg in an

explosion.

He was still using a wheelchair.

As for Claire, she followed him to South Africa when he first left.

Less than a month later, she came back looking utterly defeated. She said she couldn’t stand

the conditions.

She found herself a younger boyfriend and rushed into marriage.

“Did you hear?” a friend asked me.

“That boyfriend of hers was actually a male escort. And the marriage was a sham.”

“They never even had a wedding ceremony.”

“Now he pressures Claire into financially supporting him every day, and she has to watch her so-called husband flirting with clients at the bar every single day.”

“Talk about karma.

I smiled, turned the ring on my ring finger, and changed the subject.

Claire had actually come to my wedding.

We hadn’t seen each other in six months.

She looked almost unrecognizable, worn down and exhausted, her hair a mess and her eyes

vacant.

“Audrey, I’m glad you’re happy.”

I looked at her coldly.

“Of course I’m going to be happy.”

“Because I don’t need to hurt my friends to get what I want.”

Her face went pale. She left without another word

That was the last time I saw her.

“Audrey? What are you thinking about? It’s our turn.”

Ryan stood and helped me into the examination room at the OB-GYN clinic.

During my prenatal appointment, the little one inside me gave a few sudden kicks, as if playing

around.

I blinked in surprise, then met Ryan’s eyes.

“Already this restless before he’s even born. I wonder if we’ll be able to keep him in line.”

Ryan bent down and gently stroked the top of my head.

“What’s there to worry about?”

“If you can’t handle him, I will.”

I nodded.

He was right.

I wasn’t alone anymore.

Dylan Walker, without you, my life was only going to get better.