No Cheap Love

The day I went to pick up our wedding rings, I discovered there were two. One was mine. The other, identical in every way, belonged to Summer, the college student my boyfriend, Ethan, was sponsoring. I confronted him, only to overhear his phone call. "Help me buy a condo for Summer, in your name. Don't let Olivia find out," he pleaded. There was a pause, then he said hoarsely, "I love her. I can't give up on Summer." That was it. I was done.

My heart felt like it had been stabbed. I’d designed the ring myself, engraving the date we met and our initials inside the band. The other ring had their date and initials. I’d thought it was so special, so unique to us. Now, I felt like a clown. I forced a smile, put their ring back, and walked out, tossing mine in the trash.

The cool air cleared my head. I was about to call Ethan and demand an explanation when I saw his text, three minutes old: "Waiting for you at the Chinese place nearby."

My stomach churned as I walked to the restaurant. The hostess led me to a window table, and there he was, his back to me, on the phone. "Help me buy a condo for Summer, in your name. Don't let Olivia find out."

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. So, it was true. What was I, chopped liver? He continued, his voice thick with emotion, "I love her. I can't give up on Summer." A bucket of ice water couldn't have been more effective. I was suddenly, eerily calm. He loved her? Fine. I'd let them have each other.

I knocked on the booth. Ethan spun around, phone snapping shut, a flash of panic in his eyes. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," I smiled. "Who were you talking to?"

He watched me carefully, relieved when I didn't react. "Work," he said, pulling out a chair. "Reminding me about a meeting this afternoon."

I nodded, playing along. "Let's order then. You need to get back."

He called the waiter, then turned to me. "So, the ring? Everything you hoped for?"

My smile faltered. "It's beautiful. But there's another one, exactly the same. Kind of weird, right?"

Ethan shifted uncomfortably. "Must be a mistake. I'll look into it."

I said nothing, my heart a block of ice. He stared at me, probably wondering why I was so quiet. I was usually a chatterbox, always telling him stories, but ever since Summer arrived in town after high school graduation, he’d become increasingly impatient. He’d interrupt me, telling me, "Girls are cuter when they're quiet." I used to get upset, but he never bothered to soothe me. How stupid I’d been. The signs had been so obvious.

Ethan and I were practically childhood sweethearts. We’d known each other since kindergarten. Our parents were close, and there was always this unspoken understanding we'd end up married. Summer was an anomaly. I was the one who suggested sponsoring her. She was this skinny, shy kid from a poor rural area, always polite, calling everyone "Ma'am" and "Sir." I wanted to help her get out of that life, but my allowance wasn't enough, so I begged Ethan to join in....