The Ring on Another Woman's Finger

On the day Ethan and I were supposed to register our marriage, the million-dollar diamond ring he promised turned out to be a mere can pull-tab. I broke up with him on the spot.

He frantically pulled out a purchase receipt. The ring is just forgotten at home. If you mind, I'll go get it now.

My gaze fell on the figure rushing toward us, and my voice was cold.

"No need. Your 'shadow' has already delivered it."

A girl with tear-filled eyes rushed over. A diamond ring was tightly stuck on her swollen ring finger.

She sobbed, explaining, "Ethan, I just wanted to help Sam try on the size. It just wouldn't come off"

Ethan's face instantly went dark. He snapped, "Who gave you permission to touch it? That's for Sam!"

He roughly twisted the ring, but it wouldn't budge.

I watched the farce with my arms crossed, then suddenly chuckled. "It's simple. If it won't come off, just saw the finger."

Ethan froze, then immediately glared at the girl.

"Ashley, look at the mess you've made! If that ring isn't back by tomorrow, don't bother coming to the office!"

Ashley's eyes instantly welled up, but instead of begging Ethan, she turned to me, profusely apologizing, almost prostrating herself.

Her dramatic display drew glances from everyone in the city hall lobby.

"Sam, I'm so sorry. Please don't fire me. I really can't lose this job."

The words had barely left her lips when she suddenly started bending her finger at a twisted angle that made my teeth ache.

Ethan frowned, immediately stepping forward to grab her wrist.

"Are you crazy? You're taking Sam's angry words seriously?"

He pulled out his car keys, dragging Ashley out.

"Get in the car. We're going to the hospital now. That ring has to come off today!"

Throughout the whole thing, Ethan didn't even spare me a glance.

In the city hall, passersby looked at me with varying degrees of sympathy.

But I was remarkably calm.

After all, similar scenes had played out hundreds of times. I had long grown used to it.

Everything changed a year ago at a party.

I was about to announce our engagement.

But the server, carrying a tray of drinks, accidentally dropped a bottle.

She staggered towards Ethan, her eyes sparkling with the surprise of a long-lost reunion.

"Ethan, long time no see. Are you engaged?"

Her familiar tone clearly indicated they weren't strangers.

But I had been with Ethan for five years and knew his social circle inside out. I had never seen her before.

Ethan, who was usually so gentle, lost his temper in front of me for the first time.

"Ashley, do you have any idea that champagne bottle you just shattered costs six figures?"

Ashley's face went pale. She stood there, helpless, like a child being reprimanded, enduring Ethan's anger.

Out of politeness, I didn't pursue it. I just had another bottle sent over.

Afterward, Ethan explained it to me.

Ashley was just his childhood neighbor, who used to cling to him when they were kids. They lost touch completely after his family moved.

When he spoke of her, Ethan's tone even carried a hint of exasperated dread, like a nightmare relived.

But the next day, I ran into Ashley at the office, where she was processing her onboarding.

Faced with my questions, Ethan rubbed his temples, looking slightly annoyed.

"Sam, I couldn't help it. Ashley's parents died in a car accident. She didn't even finish college and is working as a server now."

"Her parents did me a favor once. I can't just abandon her. You'd understand, right?"

I didn't understand, but considering our five years together, I chose to stay silent.

I thought that once we were married and I took Ethan home to meet my parents, I could prove my choice was right.

But I never imagined that on the day we were supposed to get married, inside the ring box Ethan opened, there lay a can pull-tab.

I didn't need to guess whose masterpiece it was.

After all, ever since Ashley became Ethan's assistant, there had been an endless string of incidents.

She threw important gift boxes in the trash but mailed actual trash to my house.

When she was in charge of promotions, she uploaded my unedited, high-definition close-up photos to the company website.

Every time she made a mistake, Ethan would yell at her mercilessly.

The irony was that Ethan was known in the LA business world as a notoriously easygoing boss.

In our five years together, I had never seen him angry with anyone else.

But with Ashley, he seemed to wish he could humiliate her with the most vicious and demeaning words in existence.

At an outdoor dinner, he'd mock her for not checking the weather forecast, then turn around and drape the blanket I'd prepared over her shoulders.

During company team-building, he'd scold her for being clumsy, then impatiently stand at the grill, meticulously cooking every skewer for her.

Even every time he threatened to fire her, nothing ever came of it.

And today, seeing the can pull-tab in the ring box, Ethan actually laughed out loud.

"This ring is quite unique, different from everyone else's."

He had completely forgotten that during the hardest times of his startup, we were so busy we couldn't even stand straight, resting on the company rooftop.

He held my hand and promised, "Sam, someday I'll buy you a big, sparkling ring."

In the city hall, seeing my serious expression,

Ethan still had the nerve to joke with me.

"Are you that bothered? You're not actually going to break up with me just because there's no million-dollar diamond ring, are you?"

A million dollars was just the cost of one of my casual bags.

But I still nodded. "Yes, if there's no ring, we're over."

Ethan finally panicked. He immediately sent people to search for the ring along the way, even promising to get me a ten-million-dollar diamond ring as compensation.

With his current wealth, spending ten million on a diamond ring was nothing.

But it was all too late.

I was genuinely tired of his entanglement with Ashley.

Watching his Maybach drive off with Ashley, disappearing in the distance.

I dialed my father. "Dad, I was wrong. I'll be home in a week."

Breaking up with Ethan was destined to be a complicated process.

Five years of a relationship had already intertwined our lives inextricably.

I drove to The Solaris Estate, one of the most exclusive mansion communities in Los Angeles.

Back then, to build our dream marital home with Ethan, I didn't hesitate to drain my savings and buy this villa.

Now, it had become the burden I most wanted to shed.

I never thought my first serious visit here would be to sell the house.

As my car entered the community gate, a security guard stopped me.

"Ma'am, the system doesn't have your facial recognition information. I can't let you in."

When we bought the house, Ethan had solemnly promised, "Since you're covering the cost, I'll make sure to put in all the legwork."

During renovations, whenever I suggested a style I liked, he personally oversaw all the large and small projects.

Yet, in the end, I didn't even have access to get inside.

I called Ethan five or six times, but all I got was a busy signal.

Ashley had just posted an update on Twitter.

The doctor easily removed the ring from her hand using some cooking oil.

Ethan, while calling her stupid, ran to every convenience store near the hospital, just to buy her favorite strawberry ice cream to soothe her swollen finger.

Meanwhile, in the five years Ethan and I were together, even when I had a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit, he only ever rushed the housekeeper to bring me medicine.

Love or not, it was so clear.

Finally, I used the property deed to get into the community.

Ethan had always said he wanted to keep the marital home a surprise until after we were married.

The moment I pushed open the door, my breath hitched.

In the living room, seven or eight pairs of shoes were piled haphazardly.

The sofa, airlifted from Milan, was covered with cheap plushies won from a claw machine.

On the main wall, where our wedding photos should have hung, my face was covered by a dartboard.

My lips twitched uncontrollably. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't even manage a sarcastic smirk.

So, this was the so-called "surprise."

The front door opened, and Ethan returned, helping Ashley inside.

Seeing me on the sofa, both of them froze.

Ethan quickly stepped forward to explain.

"Sam, Ashley got evicted by her landlord, so I let her stay here temporarily."

"I meant to tell you, but it happened so suddenly. Our house was empty anyway, it's good to have some life in it"

I raised my hand, cutting him off. "Tell her to pack her things and leave now."

Ethan was visibly stunned, apparently not expecting me, who was usually so accommodating, to be so resolute.

"Are you angry? Just because I left you alone at the city hall?"

So, he knew it was wrong.

I took a deep breath, emphasizing again, "I'm selling the house. Please clear out."

Ethan's face changed instantly. "Just for a ring, you're abandoning our marital home?"

Realizing he was too agitated, he softened his tone.

"You don't like rings that others have worn? I'll buy a better one immediately. Please, don't be angry, okay?"

"Tell her to leave."

I repeated myself a third time.

"Bang!" Ethan suddenly erupted in rage, sweeping all the plushies off the sofa onto the floor.

"Ashley, I let you stay temporarily. I didn't tell you to turn this place into a complete mess."

"Now look, you've made Sam angry. Get out of here right now!"

Ashley sobbed, bending down to pick up the plushies from the floor, her voice trembling as she apologized to me.

"Sam, I was thoughtless. I caused you trouble."

I closed my eyes, no longer saying "It's okay" as I usually would.

She dragged her heavy suitcase directly over my foot, the piercing pain almost brought tears to my eyes.

I instinctively called out to Ethan, who was about to leave.

"Come back"

"and get me some pain relief cream" was cut short by Ethan's harsh interruption.

"Enough, Sam! Don't be so ruthless. Whatever it is, it can wait until after she's gone."

The door slammed shut with a heavy thud.

In that moment, it felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head, completely extinguishing the last spark of warmth in my heart.

I no longer hesitated, contacting the agent to finalize the price.

At the same time, I had my father's team quickly complete the equity valuation of the Angel Group.

Angel Group, Ethan and I had founded it together.

Over the years, I had contributed money and effort, elevating him to an unrivaled rising star in the LA business world.

Now, a complete settlement would be a messy affair.

I was working non-stop until a subordinate called to remind me.

"Miss Samantha, don't forget tonight's new product launch."

After hanging up, I realized my phone had dozens of missed calls from Ethan.

I thought about it and decided to see him one last time, just to put a definitive end to our five absurd years together.

Moreover, this new product represented all my hard work.

From market research to breakthroughs in core technology, I was personally involved in every step.

For this, I had pulled countless all-nighters, endured endless business dinners, and rejected countless design drafts.

After so many years striving outside, I had to bring a decent representative work home.

When I arrived at the venue, the launch had just begun.

Ethan spoke eloquently on stage, introducing the greatest contributor to the new product.

After a burst of stirring drumbeats, the spotlight suddenly illuminated the stage.

I stood up, filled with anticipation, but the next second, Ashley stood in the light, smiling brightly.

The entire hall erupted in murmurs.

I froze, my ears buzzing.

Except for Ethan and her, almost all the employees looked bewildered, then started whispering to each other.

"No way, everyone knows this new product is Miss Samantha's achievement."

Ethan's face didn't change. He lavishly praised Ashley's contributions to the media, even announcing on the spot:

"Effective immediately, Ashley will take over as Director of Product Development, replacing Samantha."

My nails dug deep into my palms, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the suffocating feeling swelling in my chest.

Ashley stood beside him, her triumphant smile almost impossible to suppress.

As soon as the launch ended, before the crowd had fully dispersed.

I walked straight up and delivered a hard slap across Ashley's face. "Aren't you ashamed to steal someone else's hard work and claim it as your own?"

Ashley clutched her face, her lips pressed tight, saying nothing. Ethan's reaction was even more intense than hers.

He shoved me hard, the force making me stumble back a step.

"Sam! Why are you yelling at her? This was my decision!"

"You kicked her out, she's homeless. How is an assistant's salary supposed to support her in LA?"

His self-righteousness made me laugh out loud.

"Her contributions? Do you mean when the coffee she ordered gave the entire team diarrhea, or when her electrical use caused a power outage on the entire floor?"

I bit down hard on my teeth, afraid that if I lost control, my voice would break into sobs.

"How dare you hand over a year's worth of my hard work like that? Ethan, how could you?"

Ethan looked disappointed, as if I was the unreasonable one.

"Sam, when did you become so bitter?"

"It's just a patent. Everything I do is for you."

"Before, you used to run around researching technology. But after we get married, I just want you to live a comfortable life as Mrs. Ethan. Do you only feel satisfied if you work yourself to exhaustion?"

With that, he coldly pulled Ashley away, leaving without looking back.

My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. It was my father's lawyer.

"Miss Samantha, we've found some things. You should come back as soon as possible to discuss them in person."

I watched their retreating figures, gently wiping away the dampness from the corners of my eyes.

"Okay, I'm coming back right away."

I was the only daughter of New York's wealthiest man.

This secret, I had planned to tell Ethan myself on the day we got married.

Unfortunately, I would never have that chance.

After the plane landed in New York, I was supposed to see my dad first.

But his secretary informed me he had an important board meeting soon and asked me to come later.

I nodded and turned towards the legal department.

At the corner of the corridor, I unexpectedly ran into Ethan and Ashley's group.

So, when he said he was coming to New York for a business trip, he was actually coming to my dad's company.

Seeing the documents in my hand, his eyes darkened.

"Sam, are you really going to make such a fuss? You came all the way to New York to look for a job? Can't you just wait for me to come home?"

I almost laughed out loud.

Did he not know this was my home?

After being promoted to director, Ashley even dared to chime in.

"Sam, throwing a tantrum needs to have its limits."

"Today's partnership with the Adrian Group is crucial for Angel Group's future. Please don't come to cause trouble."

Before I could respond, the hurried secretary urged them,

"The Chairman is about to meet an important guest. You only have half an hour."

Inside the legal department, the lawyer, looking serious, slid a document across the table.

"According to our investigation, Ethan is not single. He's already married."