3
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I shut the door, shoved in my earbuds, blocking out the party’s noise.
I’d decided to move back to Miami, meaning I needed to quit my job.
But I wanted to finish my current projects, to avoid causing any trouble.
I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, working.
The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues.
Darkness crept in.
I removed my earbuds, stretching.
Work finally done.
Downstairs was silent.
I absentmindedly opened my phone to unwind.
A message from Qiana popped up.
I opened it.
“Why didn’t you like my Instagram post?”
A moment later, another message.
“Sorry, Lanie. I sent that to the wrong person. Don’t be mad!”
I opened her Instagram and wanted to know what she post.
Nine photos.
All showcasing the gifts from Ethan and Mason.
A stunning emerald necklace, easily worth a seven-figure sum, adorned her neck.
To match, Ethan had given her a diamond bracelet.
Sparkling diamonds reflected the light, luxurious and dazzling.
The red sports car, obviously from Mason, was in the background.
The central photo showed Qiana nestled between Ethan and Mason, her arms linked with each of them, a radiant smile on her face.
The caption read:”Yay! I got to be a princess today~”
She’d done this on purpose to provoke a reaction.
In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to handle Qiana’s manipulative behavior, or the fact that Ethan and Mason were lavishing their attention on her, someone they barely knew.
But I was leaving.
It didn’t matter anymore.
I tapped the screen.
A red heart appeared.
From now on, Ethan, Mason, and I were just casual friends.
Qiana could have them.
The next day, I submitted my resignation.
Back home, I gathered our shared photo albums.
Twenty years of memories, countless photos, filling over a dozen thick albums.
Pictures of childhood games, school awards, college trips…
At the very bottom, I found the three-finger grass rings.
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We’d made them as kids, mimicking a wedding ceremony.
Ethan and Mason had both wanted to be my “groom,” almost coming to blows.
I’d run into the yard, plucked some blades of grass, and woven two rings to appease them.
They’d insisted that, when I got married, one of their rings would have to be discarded. I’d blinked and asked, “How do you know I’ll marry one of you?”
They’d both exploded, demanding I choose between them.
The memories were vivid.
But irrelevant now.
One by one, I lit the photos, tossing them into a trash can.
The flames devoured the images, leaving only ashes.
As I reached for the rings, Ethan and Mason arrived, witnessing the scene.
They charged toward me.
Ethan rushed forward, his voice trembling. “What are you doing?”
I glanced at him, calm.”Nothing. These photos are old and mildewed. I’m burning them.”
Mason instinctively lunged for the rings.
I let them slip from my hand, into the fire.
The flames quickly consumed them, leaving no chance for rescue.
Mason tried to grab the burning photos and rings, but the heat forced him back.
“Even if they were mildewed, you didn’t have to burn them! Those were memories!”
He was heartbroken, his eyes welling up.
Ethan stared at the fire, helpless.
I found their reaction almost funny.
They could hurt me repeatedly for Qiana, yet they were this distraught over a few photos.
What if I told them I’d secretly accepted a marriage proposal, planning to leave them forever?
They’d probably lose their minds.
