My Husband Made a Ring from My Father's Ashes to Please His Lover

The next morning, before leaving, Julian gave me some instructions.

"I recently got a new assistant. Our families were close when we were younger, and now that her father passed away, I need to help her out more. Let's have dinner together tonight."

Seeing that I didn't respond, he softened his tone.

"Honey, are you still upset? What I said last night was just in the heat of the moment. You can't take it seriously. Don't be mad at me. I'll send you the restaurant address for tonight."

Julian, assuming he had convinced me, turned and left for work.

As soon as he stepped out, I heard his voice, soft and tender, sending a voice message to someone else.

"Layla, are you awake? What do you feel like eating? I'll bring it to you when I pick you up later.

"What do you want for dinner? I'll make reservations in advance.

"Is the ring ready? Great, I'll pick it up in a bit."

Anyone overhearing this might praise him as the perfect husband.

With such care and attention, he seemed like a man who adored his wife.

Unfortunately, all that attention wasn't for his wife.

Once he was far enough, I picked up my phone.

"Dr. Lewis, I've made my decision. Please help me book an appointment."

Julian didn't send me a single message all day.

It wasn't until dusk that he sent me the restaurant location.

He didn't even bother to pick me up, yet in the morning he willingly bought breakfast and went out of his way to pick up Layla.

By the time I arrived, they were already seated, and the food was ordered.

"Isabella, this is Layla, the one I mentioned this morning."

Even without the introduction, I already knew who she was. I'd seen that face in his photos countless times.

"Isabella, I told him not to order until you arrived, but I couldn't stop Julian."

"Layla, you don't need to explain so much. Today's dinner is for you. You're the main guest."

Watching the two of them chatting back and forth, I felt like the outsider.

It seemed intentional how Layla kept bringing up work-related topics, discussing and laughing with Julian.

Occasionally, noticing I wasn't speaking, she would fake an apologetic tone and say, "Sorry, Isabella, we got caught up talking about work and completely forgot about you."

I turned off my phone and smiled politely.

"It's fine. Your ring looks nice, where did you get it? I'd like to get one too."

I had just seen this ring in the video she posted earlier.

She was bold, wearing it so openly.

"Oh, this? It's not worth much. If you like it, you can have it, Isabella."

"Thank you."

I accepted the ring and carefully put it away.

Julian kept watching me, probably wondering why I suddenly wanted the ring.

He knew the significance of the ring, so my sudden request for it must have piqued his interest.

But I remained calm throughout. He didn't notice anything unusual, so he eventually looked away.

Once I got what I wanted, I had no intention of staying any longer.

Once the dishes were served, I took a quick glance and stood up to leave.

My actions once again sparked Julian's displeasure.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't you know how to respect people?"

I chuckled softly.

"You're here to entertain the guest. I've got other things to do, so I'm heading out."

Before leaving, I glanced back at the two of them.

Julian didn't even look at me. He was too busy picking out fish bones for his dear Layla.

He used to worry when I went downstairs at night to throw out the trash. Now, I walked home alone in the dark, and even a glance from him was too much to ask.

I pulled my coat tighter around me.

The weather was growing colder, and so were people's hearts.