A ring.
At first, it didn’t bother me. I thought we still had plenty of time. Then David said we needed to establish our careers first. Later, he claimed we should renovate the house before getting married. After that, he said we needed to save more money.
Every year, he found a new reason.
For the tenth anniversary of our relationship, I booked a table at a beautiful restaurant. I wasn’t expecting some spectacular proposal. I didn’t want hundreds of guests or an expensive wedding.
I only wanted him, after ten years of building a life together, to officially choose me.
Halfway through dinner, I calmly suggested that maybe the time had finally come for us to have a small ceremony.
David’s expression changed immediately.
He put down his fork and laughed.
I still remember that laugh.
It wasn’t the laugh of a man in love.
It was the laugh of a man who was absolutely certain I would never leave him.
“I’m never going to marry you, Rachel.”
