The Ring

**You betrayed me?**

Carol’s hands tremble as she signs the words, her gaze locked onto Damien. He looks… different now, like someone she barely recognizes. The man she once trusted feels like a stranger before her eyes. The silence between them is heavy, suffocating. Carol waits, heart pounding, as his cold expression pierces her. She feels the regret beginning to gnaw at her heart.

Finally, she lets the question she’s been dreading slip out, her fingers moving hesitantly, signing, **How long have you known me? Did… did you know me before our wedding?**

Damien's jaw tightens. His eyes shift to the floor, avoiding hers. Carol’s heart sinks deeper, and it’s as if the floor beneath her is crumbling away. **So, it’s true…** she signs, heartbroken.

This isn’t a misunderstanding. Those people were telling her the truth. He knew her before the wedding! Every cherished memory, every quiet, shared moment—it all feels like a lie, unraveling thread by thread.

She steps back, clutching her