Half an hour later, Susan sat on a swing in the garden, swaying gently.
She looked at Jensen calmly, as indifferent as if staring at a fallen leaf or a passing bird.
Jensen pulled a velvet box from his pocket and flipped it open, revealing a diamond ring inside.
His voice shook. "I found this in the boxing ring. It was crushed flat, but I had it restored. Put it back on. Let's start over, please."
Susan's gaze flicked over the ring lightly, her voice soft. "A crushed ring can be fixed. But a shattered heart and broken trust—can those be mended?"
She lifted her eyes, meeting his directly. "When I gave you my whole heart, you trampled it again and again. Now that I've taken it back, why do you pretend it's precious all of a sudden?"
She picked up the tablet beside her and tapped the sc
