Chapter 6: The Lost Engagement Ring

Chloe’s POV

My mind was spinning with endless questions.

Why was the ring on Rachel’s finger?

Trevor had told me she would be leaving soon, yet his secretary claimed she was going to be his assistant. Still, I didn’t want my suspicions to ruin the proposal. I tried to calm myself, choosing to trust Trevor. There was no reason for him to lie to me.

That evening, Trevor went out for a business dinner, leaving me at home.

I started looking through engagement party invitation designs. The table was covered with different options, each one a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The variety showed just how much thought and care Trevor had put into the engagement party preparations, proving how important this day was to him.

While I was immersed in the designs, Rachel walked over and began offering unsolicited advice, as if this were her engagement instead of mine.

“This one is simple yet elegant. If it were my engagement, I’d definitely pick this one…”

But I couldn’t focus on a single word she was saying. My eyes were fixed on the sparkling ring on her left hand, the one on her ring finger.

I had foolishly believed that the ring was meant to be a surprise for me.

Now, it sat perfectly on Rachel’s finger, sized just right, clearly made for her.

A wave of bitterness surged through me, but I fought to keep my voice calm, trying to sound casual. “That’s a beautiful ring, Rachel. Is it new?”

Rachel held up her hand, showing off the ring with a bright, smug smile. “Isn’t it stunning? It’s a gift from someone very important to me!”

My heart sank, and I struggled to keep my voice steady. “It’s from Trevor, isn’t it? I saw this ring in his office. It should have been the one he bought for me.”

I fixed her with an icy stare, my patience for her blatant disregard of boundaries nearing its breaking point.

Rachel tilted her head, her expression full of self-satisfaction as she toyed with the ring. “This is a gift Trevor custom-made for me. He designed it to my size and taste. It has nothing to do with you.”

Her words ignited a fire inside me. Furious, I confronted her directly.

“Trevor is my boyfriend. Why would he buy you a diamond ring? Do you have any idea how inappropriate your behavior is? You’re making me uncomfortable.”

Rachel smirked, eyeing me up and down. “Wow, staking your claim already, huh? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? You’re not even married to him yet.”

I couldn’t hold back any longer. I grabbed her hand, pointing at the ring as I spoke firmly and clearly. “I saw this ring in Trevor’s drawer. It was meant for me.”

Rachel’s smile froze, and she quickly pulled her hand away, her tone turning defensive. “Chloe, are you accusing me of stealing your ring? Look at it. Does this ring even fit you? And anyway, didn’t you lose your ring already? What’s your problem coming at me like this?”

I stared at her, my voice sharp with anger. "That’s right! You’re the one who lost my ring. What exactly are you up to? You lost the ring meant for me, and now an identical one just happens to be on your finger!"

At that moment, Trevor walked in.

Seeing the tension between us, he quickly asked, “What’s going on? What happened?”

Rachel shot me a smug glance before turning to Trevor. “Chloe’s accusing me of stealing her ring! Isn’t that ridiculous?”

Trevor turned to me, his expression puzzled. “Chloe, the ring Rachel’s wearing is one I bought for her. She helped me pick out your engagement ring, and while we were at the store, she fell in love with this one. She really liked it, so I bought it for her as a gift.”

He draped his arm around my shoulder and said, "I thought this ring was beautiful, so I got an identical one as our engagement ring."

Even after his explanation, I couldn’t make sense of it. Why would Trevor buy Rachel a diamond ring too? Since when could diamond rings be given out so casually? I knew Trevor could be careless, but basing my engagement ring entirely on Rachel’s preferences and even matching her finger size was beyond belief. This meant the ring in the office was actually mine, and Rachel had deliberately brought her ring to my proposal to stir up trouble.

Sensing my silence, Trevor pulled me into his arms, his tone soft yet tinged with helplessness.

“Chloe, don’t overthink this. Rachel and I have been close since we were kids. We’re practically family. She’s used to being direct with me about what she wants. Besides, she traveled all this way just to help with the proposal. Don’t let this upset you.”

I bit my lip, forcing myself to suppress the frustration building inside me. After all, Rachel had already caused enough misunderstandings between us.

I didn’t bring up the ring again, even though I couldn’t accept his reasoning.

But I told myself to be patient—Rachel would leave soon, and things between Trevor and me would go back to normal.

He loved me deeply, always had, and aside from his overly attentive behavior toward Rachel, he was perfect.

And now, we had a new bond—the baby growing inside me.

Soon, we would be a family of three.

“Don’t be mad, baby,” Trevor said gently, coaxing me.

Rachel walked over, flashing a smile that felt too familiar. “Chloe, I’d really like to be friends with you. We’ve had our misunderstandings, but I like your straightforward personality.”

Before I could respond, she wrapped her arms around both of us. “Let’s all get along and be happy together! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Her lack of boundaries made my skin crawl, but I reminded myself that she’d be leaving soon. For now, I could tolerate it.