Chapter Two: The Ring and the Silence
1173 Words
The morning sun spilled into Adrian’s living room, casting a warm glow on the polished wooden floor. Laughter floated through the air—Adrian sat on the couch, playfully massaging Thelma’s legs as they giggled like teenagers. The atmosphere was light, affectionate, carefree.
Until the door opened.
Isadora stood frozen in the doorway, her heart plummeting at the sight before her. Her eyes darted from Adrian’s hands on Thelma’s legs to their laughter—laughter that faded instantly once they noticed her.
Adrian scrambled to his feet, guilt already settling on his face. “Ehm… I wasn’t expecting you,” he stammered.
Isadora’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes, now sharp with confusion and pain, fell on Thelma’s left hand.
A ring.
An engagement ring.
She turned to Adrian, but the look in his eyes already confirmed her worst fear.
Adrian, trying to regain composure, gently turned to Thelma. “Babe, can you give me a few seconds to talk to her?”
Thelma stood, brushing down her gown with a knowing smile. “Sure! I already know everything. I’ll give you two some time to sort it out.”
She strutted up the stairs, leaving a gaping silence in her wake.
Isadora remained motionless, her emotions colliding like a storm within her chest. Adrian moved closer, gently.
“What kind of drama is this?” she asked, her voice thin and shaking.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know how much this hurts, but I’m sorry. Please forgive me... and move on.”
Her eyebrows raised slightly as if trying to make sense of the words. “Are you serious?”
He said nothing.
She looked down at her hand—at the ring he had once placed there with so much love—and then back at him.
“You can choose to keep it,” Adrian said quietly, “or return it whenever you want.”
Isadora’s heart broke then.
“Stop the prank,” she snapped, tears rushing down her cheeks. “It doesn’t make sense! It doesn’t make sense!” Her voice cracked as the weight of her sorrow collapsed on her shoulders. “It doesn’t make sense…”
She stumbled toward the couch and slumped onto it, crying, her world crumbling in silence.
—
Evening draped itself gently over Isadora’s room. The curtains were drawn halfway, casting long shadows across the bed where she sat motionless. Her eyes were red and swollen, her soul aching.
The door flung open, and Luna walked in, a bright smile on her face. “Dora!” she called out. “You won’t believe what just—”
She froze.
Isadora’s tears, silent but steady, stopped Luna in her tracks. Her excitement melted into instant concern.
“What's wrong?” she asked softly, dropping her handbag and rushing to her side. “Dora, what happened?”
No reply.
Luna sat beside her and gently placed a hand on her back. “C’mon, talk to me. Please.”
Still, Isadora remained quiet, lost in the hollow ache of betrayal.
Luna stood and pulled out her phone, quickly dialing Adrian’s number. It rang... and rang... no answer.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Then her phone rang—it was Adrian.
“Hey,” Luna answered quickly. “Good evening. Please can you come over? Dora won’t talk to me. She’s just crying silently.”
Adrian’s voice came cold. “No, I can’t come over, Luna. I’m sorry. Isadora will be fine.”
“Adrian, what—” Before she could finish, he ended the call.
Luna stared at her phone in disbelief. “He hung up?”
She called again, but this time he declined the call immediately.
Luna’s mouth dropped open. “Wow... he busied the call?”
She turned to her friend. “Adrian has never ignored my calls about you. Dora, please... are you two having issues?”
Isadora still said nothing. Her silence was louder than screams.
—
The next day, Luna stormed up to Adrian’s house, anger fueling every step. Just as she approached, Adrian stepped out of the house, looking freshly dressed and indifferent.
“Adrian!” she called.
He looked up, calm.
“Look, whatever you’re doing with Isadora needs to end. My friend is falling apart. She’s hurting like hell, and you’ve been hiding?”
Before Adrian could speak, Thelma appeared at the door, looking just as polished.
“Baby!” she called, her voice light.
Luna's face contorted with confusion and rage. “Wait a minute…”
Thelma walked over and raised a brow at Luna. “You must be her friend. So Dora couldn’t confront him herself, huh? That’s why she sent you?”
Luna glared. “Shut up, you husband snatcher.”
Thelma scoffed. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Luna said firmly. “Adrian and Dora are engaged. Planning their wedding. He’s Dora’s future husband—or did he forget to mention that part?”
Thelma smiled smugly. “Actually, he didn’t forget. You’re just not updated. He ended their relationship two days ago and took back the ring. Then he proposed to me.”
She raised her left hand with a flourish.
Luna gasped. She turned to Adrian, whose silence was the only confession needed.
—
Later that day, Isadora sat on the couch, her eyes blank. Luna sat across from her, her expression full of pain and disbelief.
“Were there signs?” Luna asked softly. “Did anything feel off between you and Adrian?”
No response.
Luna let out a shaky breath. “Six years, Dora... Six whole years, and he throws it all away in one decision? After a six-month engagement?”
Isadora’s lips quivered. She blinked, but the tears spilled over anyway.
Luna moved closer and pulled her into a tight hug. “You don’t have to take this. Maybe Adrian needs a serious wake-up call. Maybe he forgot who you are.”
Isadora wept quietly into her friend’s shoulder.
—
The following morning, the sound of loud, joyful singing filled the room. Luna groaned and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.
There, by the mirror, was Isadora—singing a love song at the top of her voice while applying bold makeup. She was dressed in a revealing outfit, her eyes bright, her movements energetic.
“Dora?” Luna said, confused. “What are you doing?”
Isadora danced, tossed her hair, and blew a kiss in Luna’s direction. She sang even louder, her voice filled with an odd kind of joy.
Luna couldn’t help but laugh nervously. “Are you okay?”
Isadora grabbed her handbag and paused at the door.
“Off to my man’s place,” she said with a mischievous smile. “I knew all these were pranks.”
She slammed the door behind her.
Luna blinked.
“Did she just say it was a prank?”
She sank back into bed, too confused to ask further.
“What kind of prank is that?”
- Writer
