No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

She caught me off guard with her question; I hadn't dared to entertain the thought.

After all, I had watched him collapse in front of me, heard the doctors announce the surgery's failure, and held his ashes in my hands...

I fantasized about his return, but that was only in the confines of my dreams.

I knew life wasn't like novels or movies. Ernest was gone, and no matter how much I wished otherwise, it was the truth.

"I do wish he hadn't died," I murmured, my voice heavy with sorrow.

"If you've accepted his absence, why come asking me all this?" Yolande shot back.

I looked at her, feeling something amiss. "It's the reaction of the Collins family, your calm demeanor; it's all wrong," I pointed out, convinced of Yolande's love for Ernest. Her lack of visible grief didn't sit right with me. "I am grieving. Who said I wasn't?" Yolande admitted openly. "But all the tears in the world won't bring him back."

A hard truth, one I used to console myself as well.

"Is there anything else that seems off to you?" she inquired.

Yes, but suddenly I didn't want to talk about it anymore. Sometimes feelings can deceive, and my doubts were based on just that feelings, without any proof.

When I fell silent, Yolande reached into her bag, pulled out a note, and slid it across to me. "This is for you."

"What's this?"

"Just open it and see," she urged with a nudge.

Unfolding the note, I frowned at the words. Yolande explained, "The ring was ready a long time ago. The shop called Ernest multiple times but couldn't reach him, so they called me to pick it up."

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"You could've just picked it up. Why show me this now? It seems unnecessary to upset me further," I said, my tone laced with sarcasm.

Yolande's laugh carried a mocking

edge too. "What use do I have for it? That ring was chosen for you from the start was just there to make the selection process seem believable, to throw others off the scent. If you doubt it, check the size,

and the inside bande size,

both of your initials."

with

I was stunned. Yolande pursed her lips. "It must've hurt, knowing he and I were selecting a ring together."

She was right. That news had felt like a thousand needles to my heart.

"He went through all that trouble, staged an entire drama to protect you. He succeeded, but at his own expense," Yolande sighed.

My heart felt heavy as I gazed at the ring order, unable to speak.

"That's a nice bracelet you've got there. The design is quite unique," Yolande commented, her attention shifting to my wrist.

I stayed quiet, and she let out a chuckle. "That red string you're using as a clasp? It's really ugly, you know."

She was referring to the makeshift clasp I had created for the bracelet, needing only one more clasp to complete it-the one Ernest had promised.

I tinkled the bracelet's bell, then made my departure.

Arriving at the jewelry store, I

handed over the ticket. The clerk presented me with a pair of rings. Glancing at my bracelet, I noticed the design matched the rings perfectly. en FindNovel

Without even checking the engraving inside, I knew these rings were indeed custom-made for Ernest and me.

"Miss, try it on. If it doesn't fit, we can adjust the size for you," the sales associate suggested.

I slipped the ring onto my finger, finding it a perfect fit.