Seven Years of Love Lost, After the Stand-In Left, He Went Mad

Cody's tone faltered, with a hint of guilt, "What nonsense are you talking about now? Just treat it as nonsense."

Since I was about to leave anyway, I didn't want to engage in meaningless arguments with him. I grabbed my bag of clothes and walked past them straight into the house.

Barely two seconds after entering, Cody burst in angrily, "Elise, do you have any manners? Don't you see Brittany is here? Last night, when you didn't come home, it was Brittany who took care of me all night."

I looked at him with a faint smile. "You've already given her the family heirloom bracelet meant for a daughter-in-law, so of course, it's only right she takes care of you."

Cody grabbed my arm and started dragging me outside, "I haven't even settled the matter with you about Brittany's birthday party! Hurry up and apologize to her properly!"

He twisted my arm as he dragged me into the living room. Brittany's gaze fell on me, her eyes carrying a hint of triumph.

Releasing my arm, Cody turned to Brittany, his tone gentle, "Brittany, thank you for taking care of me last night. Elise is here specifically to apologize to you for what happened yesterday."

I glanced at her and asked calmly, "What exactly do I need to apologize for?"

Cody's expression darkened further. "Elise, you're truly unrepentant. Last night, at Brittany's birthday party, you gave her a cheap ring as a gift, who were you trying to disgust?"

I chuckled lightly, "Oh, so you also know that ring is cheap? That's the engagement ring you gave me. Did you forget?"

Cody paused and asked, "Engagement ring? I remember the ring I gave you wasn't this style."

I sneered, "Well, you should ask yourself where you bought a ring that changes color."

This ring was something Cody had purchased for 9.9 dollars with free shipping from a cheap shopping platform. A week after his proposal, I discovered the ring had started to discolor, so I asked him about it.

He told me bluntly, "This ring is from a cheap platform. It's a temporary compromise. When we're better off financially, I'll get you a big diamond ring."

I wore this 9.9 dollars ring year after year. Now, I realized how foolish I'd been to naively believe his words.

Perhaps recalling the origin of the ring, a trace of awkwardness flashed across Cody's face and even his anger subsided a bit.

But Brittany, standing by the side, spoke up, "Elise, the value of this ring isn't something that can be measured by its price. It's your engagement ring with Cody. How could you just give it away to someone else?"

As she spoke, Brittany placed the ring back in my hand. "You should keep it safe in the future and cherish Cody's gesture."

Cody's tone turned cold, "Exactly. No matter how cheap it is, it's the engagement ring I gave you. How could you give it away so casually?"

I sneered and retorted, "You could give away the family heirloom bracelet to someone else. Compared to that, what's an engagement ring?"

It was as if I'd hit a nerve. Cody immediately shouted at me, "Elise, why are you always fixated on other people's things? That's my bracelet. I can give it to whoever I want!"

Brittany looked aggrieved and said, "Cody, I told you that giving me this bracelet would upset Elise. Let me return it to you now."

She raised her hand to remove the bracelet, but Cody quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her, his voice as gentle as ever, "Brittany, I told you seven years ago that this bracelet was meant for you. Now, it's finally back where it belongs."