Chapter 1

In the seventh year of our relationship, Selena picked me up from work in the middle of a torrential downpour.

I opened the passenger door, only to find the leather seat soaking wet, with a stray strand of short hair clinging to it.

She kept both hands on the steering wheel, not even bothering to look at me.

"I gave the new intern from the project team a ride home. He didn't bring an umbrella and got completely drenched."

I sat on that cold, wet seat, my heart turning to ice.

"Selena, you know about my severe germaphobia."

She scoffed, her voice thick with exhaustion and irritation.

"It's just a seat. He's younger and far more exciting than you, and he looks better caught in the rain than you ever could."

"I gave him a try, and honestly, it was way more fun than being with you."

"I'm still going to marry you, though. As long as you play dumb, we can keep living our lives."

Outside the window, rain fell in blinding sheets, but the air inside the car felt far more suffocating.

1

I sat in that puddle of moisture, the icy chill instantly soaking through my expensive dress slacks.

The sticky, repulsive sensation crawled up my skin straight to my heart, sickening me to the point of nausea.

During the entire drive, Selena was even humming a catchy tune I had never heard before.

She was in high spirits, completely indifferent to my misery.

We arrived at the restaurant, the most exclusive Michelin-starred spot in the city.

She offered no apology for what she had said, nor did she make any effort to soothe me.

Halfway through the meal, she pulled a velvet jewelry box from her purse.

It was an engagement ring, but the velvet exterior was scuffed and worn, as though someone had been playing with it for days.

"Put it on, Austin. It's been seven years. It's time to give our families an answer."

She tossed the ring across the table carelessly, without even looking up.

When I slid the band onto my ring finger, my heart sank into a pit of dread.

It was a full size too large, dangling loosely on my finger.

She had measured my finger size herself three years ago.

"Selena, the ring is too big."

She took a sip of red wine, her eyes shifting away.

"I must've misremembered. Just go get it resized yourself later."

Right at that moment, my phone screen lit up on the table.

A text notification popped up from a contact labeled "Little Sunshine".

"Ms. Ross, I think I stretched the ring when I tried it on in your car earlier. Brother Austin won't mind, right?"

I stared at the screen, then down at the tainted ring on my finger.

So this was not just an engagement ring; it was another man's leftover toy.

My stomach churned with violent disgust, and the revulsion of being humiliated finally boiled over.

I pulled the ring off and deliberately dropped it into the cold, greasy leftovers on my plate.

"Tell me, Selena. Can just anyone try on my wedding ring?"

Her face hardened, and she slammed her silverware onto the table.

"Austin Shaw, don't you dare push your luck!"

"Who else in this world would put up with your damn germaphobia and OCD?"

"Leo was just curious. What does a fresh college kid know about boundaries anyway?"

She truly believed I was making a scene out of nothing, that I was being completely unreasonable.

She pointed a finger at me, her eyes arctic.

"If you refuse to wear it, the wedding is off. Think carefully."

I looked at the woman I had loved for seven long years.

Her face was still the one I adored, but beneath the surface, she had rotted away.

Just like that drenched passenger seat, she was filthy beyond repair.

"Then call it off."

I picked up a linen napkin and meticulously wiped down every finger.

"I never keep anything that has been soiled."