Chapter 2 - The Ring on the Pavement
"What are you doing?"
The voice was low, sharp, and laden with disbelief.
Julianna turned instantly, her icy expression vanishing, replaced by a practiced, radiant smile. Standing five feet away was Ethan, dressed in an immaculate tailored navy suit, his white silk shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He was holding a leather folder containing their prenuptial agreements, his face pale as he stared at the dark, wet patch on the sidewalk.
"Oh, Ethan, darling!" Julianna laughed softly, reaching out to wrap her arm around his sleeve, attempting to pivot him toward the glass entrance. "Ignore him. He's just another vagrant trying to ruin our afternoon. Let's go inside, we're late for our appointment."
Ethan didn't move. His body went rigid under her touch. He looked at her fingers—the hand bearing a seven-carat diamond ring that had cost his family's trust fund millions—and then down at the old man sitting silently on the cardboard box.
"Let go of me, Julianna," Ethan said softly.
He reached down with his right hand, catching the platinum band of the engagement ring. With one smooth, deliberate pull, he slid the ring off her finger.
Julianna’s eyes went wide, her jaw dropping open in absolute, unscripted horror. "Ethan? What... what are you doing?"
Ethan didn't answer her. He stepped past her, dropping to one knee on the hot concrete beside the homeless man. He reached into his navy jacket, pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, and placed them directly into Samuel’s dirty, trembling palm.
May you like
He stood up slowly, looking Julianna dead in the eyes.
"Today I found out the person I almost married," Ethan said, his voice ringing across the quiet street like a executioner's bell.
