It was encircled with diamonds, breathtakingly beautiful.

The gossiping secretaries gasped in unison.

I slipped the ring onto Ava's ring finger and held up her hand to admire it.

"It's gorgeous, suits you perfectly. Do you like this gift?"

Behind me, Ethan's face turned pale.

This ring was our wedding ring. Back then, he wasn't as successful as he was now; this expensive ring had cost him nearly all his savings.

At that time, he had given me all his love.

Now, I didn't want him, or his love, anymore.

Ava looked at the diamond ring, her young face beaming with happiness, her eyes shining brightly.

She tilted her head to look at Ethan. "Mr. Presley, this is too valuable. I can't accept it."

Ethan strode forward, grabbed my hand, and hissed through gritted teeth, "Eve, what do you think you're doing?"

I pulled my hand free, still smiling sweetly.

"Weren't you asking for an apology? I did what you asked. This ring is perfect, especially perfect for wearing with a wedding dress. Your Ava will be the most beautiful bride, don't you think, Ethan?"

My wedding with Ethan had been very simple.

It was our first year in Riverton; we had nothing.

We lived together in a damp basement apartment, ate instant noodles together…

Sometimes, after working late at the office, I'd walk home, and the smell of stir-fried noodles from the street vendors would make my mouth water.

But a portion of noodles cost ten dollars, and I couldn't bring myself to buy it.

One day, Ethan held me and cried.

"Eve, I've made you suffer by being with me. You're from a wealthy family; why do you have to live like this? Why don't you go home? When I make it big, I'll come and marry you!"

I covered his mouth. "Don't ever say that again. I've made up my mind to be with you."

He pulled out some loose change from his pocket, scrounged up ten dollars, and bought a portion of stir-fried noodles.

We sat on a small stoop, sharing it, one bite at a time…

That was the most delicious meal I’d ever had.

The following year, the company's business started to pick up, and Ethan proposed to me.

When we went to City Hall to get married, we didn't even have a wedding dress.

I only wore a small, simple veil on my head, let alone professional wedding photos.

As we left the courthouse, Ethan's eyes were red. He promised me.

"I'll be good to you for the rest of my life! If I ever wrong you, may I be poor and unhappy for my entire life!"

Just then, a newlywed couple came out, the bride in a beautiful wedding gown, the diamond ring on her finger catching everyone's eye.

Ethan looked down, ashamed, but then looked at me with renewed determination.

"I will make sure you wear the most beautiful wedding dress and the most beautiful diamond ring! From now on, we'll take wedding photos every anniversary!"

"Whatever others have, my wife will have too!"

Ethan kept his promise.

Every wedding anniversary after that, he would take me for a new set of photos and buy me a new diamond ring.

The diamonds got bigger each year, but I always wore the first ring he ever gave me.

Ethan knew what this ring meant to both of us. That’s why he was panicking.

"Eve, what are you trying to do? I know I might have spoken harshly, but what does giving away our wedding ring mean?"

I just smiled.

Ethan was a man; he probably never understood the subtle details of wedding dresses.

The gown Ava wore in those photos was a maternity style, something a pregnant woman would wear. Her little scheme was obvious, but only Ethan saw her as a simple, easily frightened innocent.

She had been Ethan's secretary for two years; she was the one who booked our photo sessions at that studio.

She knew I would be coming to pick out photos, and she knew I would see her social media post.

The studio owner's terrible acting had already given her away. Why would she ever let me see wedding photos of Ethan with another woman?!

There was only one possibility: someone wanted me to see them.

I looked at Ava, who was standing behind Ethan, her face a mask of jealousy, and I pried Ethan's fingers off my arm, one by one.

"Ethan, your precious Ava… she must be pregnant, right? If you don't marry her soon, the baby will be born out of wedlock."