I thought our anniversary would be the perfect moment for Josh to propose. Everything seemed to be falling into place until one shocking twist shattered my dreams. The ring wasn’t meant for me, and that revelation changed everything I thought I knew about us.

Josh and I had been living together for just over a year, and everything felt perfect. It was like life had finally aligned the way I had always dreamed. A few days before our anniversary, I was looking for something in his bag when I stumbled across it.

The ring!

My heart stopped for a second. I stood there, frozen, holding the little velvet box, staring at the diamond inside.

Is this really happening?

I closed the box quickly, afraid if I looked too long, I’d spoil the surprise. But still, I couldn’t help myself. Josh was going to propose.

This has to be it!

The timing was perfect, and the anniversary dinner with his parents seemed ideal for him to pop the question.

I had just wrapped up a huge project and submitted it to investors for review. My schedule was wide open now, and it felt like fate gave me this time to focus on us.

I planned a surprise for our anniversary: a weekend trip to Paris. I had saved up for months, cutting back on everything. I turned to Wayne, Josh’s best friend. He had always been around, and I trusted him to keep the surprise under wraps.

“Wayne, I want this to be special,” I said, explaining my idea. “Do you think you could help me organize everything? I’m not great at keeping secrets, and Josh will notice if I’m acting weird.”

Wayne nodded, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. “Sure, Kate, I can help. But… don’t you think you’re going a bit overboard?”

“Maybe, but I want it to be perfect. It’s important to me.”

“Alright, I’ll make some calls and help set it all up. But just remember, sometimes the simplest things are the most memorable.”

I appreciated his advice, but I wanted Josh to feel how much he meant to me.

***

The following day, we arrived at Josh’s family estate. The place was enormous, far beyond anything I had imagined. Josh’s mother, Darlene, gave Josh a quick hug, smiling warmly at him.

“Josh, darling, it’s been too long,” she said, holding his arm. “I trust the city hasn’t made you forget your roots?”

Josh chuckled nervously. “Of course not, Mom.”

I stood there, waiting for some sort of greeting from her, but nothing came. She didn’t even glance in my direction. I smiled, but it was like trying to break through a wall of ice.

At dinner, things only got worse. Darlene glanced at me between bites.

“So, Kate,” she began, placing her fork down delicately, “you must be quite busy with… your work?”

“Yeah, I’ve just finished a big project. I submitted it to some investors last week.”

“Oh, how nice,” she replied, her tone more dismissive than impressed. “Women in this family aren’t just pretty faces, you know.”

Is this a compliment or a jab?

“We’re strategists,” she continued, leaning forward slightly, her sweet smile deepening. “We know how to protect what’s ours.”

Her words hung in the air, cold and heavy, like a warning. Josh, sipping his wine, seemed oblivious to the tension.

Later, as we sat quietly in the living room, the tension from dinner still clinging to me, I couldn’t shake the feeling of not belonging. Still, every time doubt crept in, I thought of the ring.

No matter what, our love will withstand anything. The ring is proof of it.

***

The next day was our anniversary, and I woke up with butterflies in my stomach, excited for the dinner we had planned at a luxurious restaurant.

“Today’s the day,” I whispered to myself, smiling as I imagined the ring on my finger by the end of the evening.

Surprisingly, Darlene was much more pleasant than the night before.

“I hope you slept well, Kate,” she said over breakfast.

By the time we were enjoying appetizers in the garden, something felt off. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone’s attention was elsewhere. I glanced around, and that’s when I noticed a woman I hadn’t seen before.

“Who’s that?” I asked, leaning toward Josh.

He didn’t even look up. “Oh, that’s Linda. Childhood friend.”

She seemed to be the star of the evening. Everyone was hanging on her every word. When she finally reached us, her eyes swept over me once, and then she turned her full attention to Josh, smiling brightly.

“Josh, it’s been too long,” she said, her voice sugary sweet.

Then, she glanced at me briefly, her smile turning sharp.

“That dress… is not for such an event,” she said, eyeing me up and down. “But you wear it… well enough.”

My cheeks burned with humiliation. I opened my mouth to say something, but the words caught in my throat. I suddenly felt out of place.

As the evening went on, it became painfully clear that Linda wasn’t just an old friend. She had a connection with Josh’s family that I couldn’t quite understand.

A chill ran down my spine when I overheard Darlene whisper to Linda, “Everything will fall into place soon.”

What does that mean?

I barely had time to process it before Josh turned to me. “Kate, there’s something I need to tell you.”

I stared at him, my stomach twisting with fear. “What is it, Josh?”

He took a deep breath, avoiding my eyes.Linda and I… we’ve been together for a long time. I tried to love you, you’re wonderful, but…” His voice cracked. “My parents know better what I need. I can’t disappoint my mother.”

I felt like the ground had disappeared beneath me.

Before I could even react, Josh walked to the center of the room, where everyone was gathered, and got down on one knee. He looked up at Linda, and in front of everyone, he proposed to her.

***

I didn’t know what to do. I ran from the estate through the garden, barely seeing anything through the flood of tears that blurred my vision.

How could he?! How could Josh do this to me?

I stumbled over the cobblestones, my shoes catching on the uneven path. Everything felt wrong as if the entire world had crumbled in a single moment.

Suddenly, I felt a hand grab my elbow. I spun around, startled, only to see Wayne standing there.

“Kate, wait!” he called out, slightly out of breath. “You forgot your purse back at the hall.”

“Oh… thanks,” I mumbled, wiping at my face with the back of my hand, embarrassed by how broken I must have looked.

“I saw everything,” Wayne said quietly. “I know how hard this must be. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

I wanted to push him away, tell him I needed to be alone. But the truth was, I had no idea how to stay alone at that moment.

“Come on. There’s a little bakery around the corner. Let’s grab some coffee and a croissant, yeah? You need to calm down.”

***

We sat down at a small table by the window. Wayne handed me a cup of coffee. “Kate, there’s something I think you should know.”

“What is it?”

“Linda… She’s always been the one Josh’s family wanted him to be with. They’ve been talking about it for years, even when he was with you.”

Wayne’s eyes met mine, full of regret. “Josh never spoke about you seriously. You were always… temporary.”

I felt my hands tremble as I gripped the cup. “So I was just… a placeholder?”

Wayne sighed. “I know it hurts, but you deserve to know the truth. I stopped being friends with Linda a long time ago. She’s… manipulative. But I came to the party out of respect for Josh’s family.”

Anger welled up inside me, hot and fierce. I felt so foolish. I thought Josh and I had a future together, but I had been nothing more than a convenience.

Before I could calm down, my phone buzzed. I glanced down and saw an SMS that changed everything.

“The investors,” I whispered, “they said yes.”

Wayne leaned in, his brow furrowed. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah. My project… it’s happening.”

His face lit up with genuine happiness. “Kate, that’s incredible! I knew you had it in you.”

I smiled. “It feels surreal. Everything I’ve worked for… it’s actually going to take off.”

“There’s this event next week,” I said, glancing at him. “A big one, with the investors. It’s like the official launch of my project.”

“That sounds… fancy.”

I laughed softly. “Yeah, it kind of is. But there’s one small detail.”

“Oh?” Wayne was curious.

“I need to bring a date.”

“A date, huh?”

“I can’t think of anyone better to be there with me. You’ve been there for me when I needed it most, Wayne. So… would you come with me?”

“Me?” He pointed to himself as if I could’ve meant anyone else.

“Yes, you.” I smiled, feeling a little nervous.

“Kate, I’d be honored.”

***

The night of the event came faster than I had expected. I stood in front of the mirror in a luxurious dress I had picked out, feeling different, confident, a completely new person. That was my moment.

Wayne picked me up, looking sharp in his suit. “Wow, you look amazing.”

“Thanks, Let’s do this.”

Josh and his family were there. They attended that gathering every year, and part of me had been bracing for the revenge encounter. But when I spotted Josh across the room, something strange happened.

The anger, the need to prove myself, all the old feelings… they weren’t there. I no longer cared.

Wayne noticed Josh too. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Actually… better than fine.”

As I watched Josh and his family mingling with the other guests, I realized something important. I didn’t need to prove anything to them. Not anymore.

That wasn’t about revenge or showing them what they lost. I wasn’t that person anymore.

Looking at Wayne, I understood something deeper. He didn’t deserve to be part of any plan for revenge.

“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered to him, smiling. “Back to that our bakery, maybe?”

His eyes lit up, and he smiled in return.

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

As we walked out, arm in arm, I felt lighter. That night, I finally understood that my worth was something I found within myself. And with Wayne by my side, I could start fresh—without the weight of the past holding me back.