I felt Nothing.
No anticipation.
No joy.
If Alexander had given me matching bands on our wedding anniversary—or before then,even something simple—I would have treasured them like the most precious gift in the world.
But that chance was gone.
Broken.
Just like something between us.
A crack had already formed in the bond I once believed was unshakable.
That night remained like a thorn buried deep in my heart.
Most days it lay still.
But every now and then, it reminded me it was there with a dull, quiet ache.
The harmony between us now felt fragile.
Forced.
Like something burned through and held together only by appearance.
Touch it lightly—
and it would crumble into ash.
Across from us, even the manager seemed momentarily stunned.
But her expression quickly smoothed into practiced neutrality.
As though she had suddenly remembered something.
Alexander watched me silently as I sat there lost in thought.
