Chapter 1
The day before my wedding, my boyfriend’s childhood sweetheart, Sheryl, posted a picture in a small group chat with ten childhood friends and herself.
The picture showed a peculiar ring, which immediately caught my attention. Sheryl commented, “Calvin is so kind. He actually made me a ring with his own ribs. It symbolizes undying love. Now I no longer envy Lana.”
My heart shattered at her words and in that moment of clarity, I finally made a
decision. I called my Aunt Mary, who lived
abroad.
“Auntie, I’ve made up my mind. I agree to the marriage you suggested.”
When Calvin emerged from the shower, he saw me holding his phone. His expression soured and he snatched it from my hand
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with impatience.
“Lana, I didn’t set a password because I trusted you. But I didn’t give you
permission to snoop. Don’t you trust me at all?”
Trust? How could I trust him? Those who are cherished feel secure, but he never gave me that sense of security. Instead, he repeatedly pushed the limits of my tolerance.
As he interrogated me, I wanted to ask about the ring. What did it mean? But before I could speak, his phone rang. I already knew it was Sheryl, thanks to the exclusive ringtone he set for her.
Calvin glanced at me briefly before
answering the call right in front of me, as if to prove that he and Sheryl had nothing to hide.
“Calvin, you’re getting married
tomorrow. Let’s meet up tonight for one last gathering,” Sheryl said sweetly.
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“Sure, send me the location,” Calvin replied without hesitation.
He hung up and turned to me. “I’ll be back later. Go to bed early and don’t wait up.”
Once again, he dismissed me before I could utter a word. Without a second thought, he changed clothes and walked out the door.
Strangely, I didn’t complain or argue this time. I was uncharacteristically quiet, but Calvin didn’t notice my unusual behavior.
After he left, I made up my mind. Picking up my phone, I started calling every guest who was invited to the wedding, informing them that the ceremony was canceled.
Once all the notifications were sent, I sat down and opened the chat logs I had forwarded from Calvin‘ s phone to mine.
In the group chat, I saw Sheryl boldly asking each of her “sweethearts” prepare a special gift for her before her wedding.
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Among these so–called sweethearts were two of her brothers and several others who either adored her romantically, like Calvin, or treated her as if she were royalty. Sheryl, in this group, was undeniably a princess.
Faced with her request, everyone went to great lengths to impress her. Calvin, of course, decided to offer something extraordinary—he used his own rib to craft a one–of–a–kind ring for her.
Why? Because Sheryl had once casually mentioned, “I really envy the custom ring Calvin made for Lana.‘
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As I read this, I couldn’t help but question the purpose of all the years I had spent
with Calvin.
The time I had a high fever of 39 degrees and couldn’t reach him? He was busy teaching Sheryl to skate.
The night I was nearly assaulted on my way home from work and called him for help? He was out with Sheryl, searching for her
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lost dog.
He adored Sheryl, cared for her, loved her. And yet, it was Calvin who pursued me when we were younger, initiating a relationship I thought was built on love.
That night, Calvin didn’t return home. At dawn, he called me with a nonchalant
tone.
“Lana, I drank too much. The wedding‘ s canceled. Can you inform everyone?”
His words were casual, as if he were canceling a game night.
After hanging up, I finally understood why. Sheryl’s social media post explained it all.
She had shared a video captioned: “The most thrilling game I’ve ever played. Who dares to top this?”
In the video, Sheryl and her group of friends were clearly drunk. A boy named Liam turned to Calvin and taunted him,
“Do you dare to cancel tomorrow’s
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wedding for Sheryl?”
