My boyfriend’s other woman

A week before our 7th year anniversary, I found a sweet surprise, my mate and boyfriend had prepared a ring for me with my nickname “Addie” engraved in it. Excitement bubbled through me at the thought of him proposing on our anniversary.

Before I could dwell more on it, his call came through as I hurriedly picked it up, his friend was the one who called, Glenn was drunk and needed me to pick him. Without thinking twice, I hurried to the location.

When I got there, I saw my boyfriend in another woman’s hand, staring at her with so much love as he whispered one word that shattered my soul.

“Addie”.

I stood frozen, staring at the two of them. It was then I noticed the ring on her finger, the same one I had found in Glenn’s drawer, the one I thought he was using to propose to me was on another woman.

Everyone stared at me awkwardly, before it was broken by his friend. “Addie, you’re here. Glenn is a little drunk… huh..”. He stuttered, scratching his head.

Glenn stood up unsteadily, clearly drunk out of his mind, unable to stand straight, his eyes darting around the room.

“Addie? Isn’t Addie sitting here?”. He asked, slurring his words in confusion, his eyes drift back to the woman beside him, a smile spread across his face.

“I knew you’d come back, you still care about me”. He murmured, his voice filled with affection and relief. The woman he just called Addie , was wearing a flowery white gown, her long jet black hair floaty slowly around her.

She was beautiful, I stared at her for a little longer, wondering where I had seen her before. The realization suddenly hit me— I have seen her before.. She was the one on Glenn’s phone wallpaper. That was the first he yelled at me and also raised his hand on me, because I touched his phone.

My heart sank as I remembered the ring.. she was Addie too. We were both called Addie, it all can’t just be a coincidence right?

She must have noticed how pale and trembling I was as she smiled and took the ring off her fingers, grabbing my hand, placing them in.

“Glenn was too drunk and had proposed to me. I’m sure he didn’t mean too, perhaps it was the name "mix up”. She said, smiling mocking at me.

“Don’t think too much about it, he always likes this when he’s drunk, doing things without thinking”. Her tone cut like a knife, but I accepted the ring, my fingers closing around it instinctively. Glenn's gaze snapped toward me, and he strode over with an urgency that sparked a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he would finally explain everything.

But instead of clarity, Glenn's eyes blazed with a ferocity that made me recoil. His voice was a low, menacing growl. "That's Addie's ring, not yours. Give it back to her." The possessiveness in his tone sent a shiver down my spine.

A friend intervened, forcing a smile to diffuse the tension. "Glenn's just had too much to drink. He hasn't seen Adalynn in a while, and it's getting to him. Don't mind him, Addie."

But Glenn's grasp on my hand tightened, his fingers digging painfully into my skin as he tried to wrestle the ring from me. I winced, my gaze locked onto his dark, intense eyes. The dim lighting obscured his expression, making it impossible to read his thoughts.

The man before me was unrecognizable, his face twisted in anger. The same hands that once held mine with gentle reverence now bruised my skin. I struggled to reconcile this stranger with the person who had once loved me with such devotion.

I clenched my fist, refusing to relinquish the ring, but Glenn's grip was relentless. He pried open my fingers, one by one, his fingers digging into my skin like vice grips. I felt my flesh strain, on the verge of tearing, as he wrenched the ring from my grasp.

Friends rushed to intervene, but Glenn shoved them aside, his eyes blazing with determination. His face twisted in a mix of anger and desperation.

Finally, the ring was torn from my hand, leaving me feeling violated and shaken.

This was the second time I have seen him so annoyed, first it was a photo album of her and the ring that was meant to me.. I watch my mate!.. my mate! hand the ring back to her.

Glenn didn’t stop there but he sank to one knee, raising the ring up to her. “Adalynn,” he called.

“Will you marry me? This ring was made specially for you, I have been waiting for you for years now too”. The whole room fell completely silent with only his word hanging in the air.

My chest tightened with a mixture of pain and betrayal. At this moment I finally understood I was just a replacement or an object for him to use to get over his pain. He never regarded me as his mate, that’s why he never called me by my full name. It was alway Addie, all his love was for addie!

I gritted my teeth in pain, feeling a burning pain in my chest at my mate’s rejection. He doesn’t have to say the words before I know he rejected me. I turned to leave but only taking a few steps, I heard a loud noise, turning to see Glenn had collapsed on the ground.

Adalynn called out to me. “You should probably take your mate home now and just pretend he proposed to you instead of me. I’m sure you’re quite good at it”. She mocked, half smiling.

“Glenn has also invited me to your 7th year anniversary tomorrow. I will be there with gifts, I really feel sorry for you, knowing you will never be the one your mate truly loves, despite being mates, you can’t still get his love, how unlucky of you, Addie”. She emphasizes the name.

“Future sister in law..”. The name now felt insulting, I used to love it when his friends refer to me as that.

“Glenn is just really drunk, and he’s also planning your wedding. Please don’t let these little issues destroy all your efforts”. They said as they helped Glenn up to his feet.

For a split second, my focus wavered, and Glenn slipped into my car. Adalynn's smug grin seared itself into my memory, her venomous words still ringing in my ears. As I pulled away from the curb, my mind reeled, struggling to process the betrayal.