Forget Him, Leave Him

Chapter 3

Ethan's expression changed.

"It's not what you think. The doctor said she needed to watch for any changes. I was just..."

"Just what?"

My mother shot to her feet. The chair scraped harshly across the floor.

"The circumstances were unusual. I didn't think much of it at the time."

Ethan looked at me, speaking faster now.

"Maya, I handled this badly. But in my eyes, she's basically one of the guys."

My mother picked up the wedding calendar and set it aside.

"No need to explain. This wedding is off."

Tessa's face tightened.

"We've always been like this. It's really not as complicated as you're making it."

She picked up her bag and started rummaging inside.

"Forget it. I'll grab my insurance card and take a cab to the hospital myself."

A navy velvet ring box fell out of her bag.

The room went dead silent.

I recognized it.

2 weeks ago, the matching diamond rings we had looked at in the jewelry store had come in an identical box.

Tessa bent down to pick it up and handed it to Ethan without a second thought.

"Almost forgot. Your ring was still in my bag. When we went rock climbing a few days ago, you were afraid the box would get banged up, so you put it in my bag for safekeeping."

I stared at the box.

"Open it."

Ethan didn't move.

"It's yours, isn't it? Why are you afraid to open it?"

His fingers tightened. After a moment, he finally lifted the lid.

There were two slots inside. One was empty. A men's ring sat in the other.

Tessa glanced at it as though she'd only just remembered something, then slipped the ring off her finger without hesitation.

"I've got the other one. I thought it was pretty, so I put it on for fun and have been wearing it for a few days."

It was the exact ring I had tried on.

Ethan took his ring out and closed his fist around it.

My mother slapped the table.

"Put it away. Maya won't take something another woman has already worn."

Ethan's back went rigid.

"Mrs. Collins, that ring was always meant for Maya. Tessa suddenly felt sick that day. That's the only reason I didn't get the chance to..."

"There's nothing left to explain."

My father pointed at the door.

Ethan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Tessa yanked the zipper of her bag shut.

"I already explained everything. Do you people have to be this unreasonable?"

A crash split the room.

My father hurled his cup to the floor, shattering it.

Ethan instinctively shifted half a step forward and put himself between Tessa and my father.

My gaze darkened even further.

Just then, cheering burst from the video call that had never disconnected.

I looked down.

At some point, the image on the screen had changed.

On the campus field, a younger Ethan walked through a crowd toward my younger self, holding a bouquet of white lisianthus.

His voice came through one earbud.

"Maya, I can't promise I'll always make the right choice. But I can promise that whenever I have to choose, I'll walk toward you first."

My younger self covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

At the same time, the Ethan standing in front of me was shielding Tessa as he spoke.

"She's in a lot of pain right now. We can deal with everything else later."

The two voices overlapped in my ears.

5 years ago, he had promised that every time he had to choose, he would walk toward me first.

5 years later, he chose Tessa again.

"Ethan, there is no later."

I looked up at him.

"We're done."