The Fake Engagement Ring

The day after I said yes to Isaac’s proposal, I accidentally logged into his messaging app on my laptop.

A new message popped up:

"Thank you for the ring, babe. In my heart, I’m already married to you."

Attached was a picture of the ring—a perfect match for the one Isaac had used to propose to me.

Except hers was real. Mine was a cheap knockoff.

In that moment, I finally understood the distant, unfocused look in his eyes when he proposed. It wasn’t me he was looking at—it was her.

Without hesitation, I took off the ring and tossed it into the trash.

I’ve never cared for fake jewelry.