During my time with Eulalie, I had owned little.
A few pieces of clothing, a set of office equipment, that was all.
Silently, I stepped into her room, intending to retrieve the engagement ring I had given her. But the moment I opened the wardrobe, I froze.
Inside, everything was neatly arranged, but none of it was mine. Rows of men’s suits and trousers filled the space, all two sizes too small for me.
I didn’t need to check further. I already knew whom they belonged to.
In the corner of the wardrobe, half-hidden beneath the pristine folds of River’s clothes lay the ring box I had once placed in her hands.
Tossed aside. Its edges were chipped, its paint peeling.
River’s belongings were carefully placed, while my ring, the symbol of our supposed future, had been discarded without a second thought.
At that moment, there was nothing left to misunderstand. Love and indifference had never been clearer.
The door creaked open behind me, followed by Eulalie’s sharp voice.
“What are you doing here? Who let you into my room?!”
She stormed in, flustered, furious.
“I told you to go home! I never said you could touch my things!”
Before I could react, she snatched the engagement ring from my hand.
She glanced at the open wardrobe and faltered, her anger momentarily subsiding. Her voice softened as she explained, almost hesitantly, “The dry cleaners near River’s place broke down, so I brought his clothes here to wash them.”
A rare explanation. But it meant nothing to me.
I gave a slow, indifferent nod, barely sparing her a glance before turning toward the door.
She frowned and quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? I already explained!”
“Are you still upset about the wedding?”
I towered over her and from this angle, I caught the fresh mark she had tried to conceal on the back of her neck.
A deep shade of red. Newly made.
Looking at her feigned indignation, a wave of nausea swept over me.
“Don’t you think you’re being hypocritical?”
Eulalie froze, her expression shifting for the first time, confusion flickering across her flawless features.
“Let’s break up. This is pointless.”
She stood still as if the words hadn’t fully registered.
Eulalie was born privileged, wealthy, well-educated and effortlessly beautiful.
She had never lacked admirers. Someone like her, with such high standards, would never tolerate humiliation.
Yet, surprisingly, she didn’t throw a tantrum this time.
Silence stretched between us until she finally spoke, her voice unexpectedly gentle.
“Are you sick? Or just feeling unwell? I think you’ve been overworked lately. Get some rest at home and stop overthinking. Our engagement is a matter between our families. You can’t just call it off on a whim.”
At the mention of “engagement,” something in me snapped back into focus.
I met her gaze, a trace of mockery flickering in my eyes.
For a fleeting moment, I had actually thought she cared.
How laughable.
She wasn’t worried about me, only about what she stood to lose if our engagement was broken.
A quiet, bitter chuckle escaped me.
How foolish of me to believe, even for a second, that I mattered.
To her, the only thing that ever mattered was my money.
“No—”
Just as I opened my mouth to refuse, she suddenly bolted out of the room.
“Something happened to River! I have to go back right now!”
“You stay home and rest. I’ll be back later.”
With that, she threw the door open and disappeared.
And just like that, the words I hadn’t finished saying were swallowed whole, left hanging in the empty air.
