The Day I Proposed and Walked Away

...

Cheryl's hysterical wails pulled me back to the rooftop drama.

Milton had managed to calm her and bring her down.

They clung to each other, their bodies pressed so close it turned my stomach. His lips trembled as he kissed her forehead repeatedly, murmuring, "Thank God, you're okay."

Cheryl shook in his arms, sobbing. "Are you marrying Claire? If you are, I should've jumped."

Milton wiped her tears tenderly, his gaze flicking to me, cold and predatory. "Marriage is just a formality. In my heart, you're always number one."

He sighed theatrically. "Claire has been with me for eight years. I don't love her anymore, but she saved me from drowning once. And she has been like a maid ever since, always there to care for me. I owe her that much."

The onlookers gasped, their pitying stares burning into me. Yes, I'd pulled him from a frozen lake when we were kids, sparking our romance.

But he acted like my sacrifice was a leash I used to chain him. If I'd known he'd become this, I'd have let him sink then.

Their pity grated on me, and I broke my silence. "Milton, I'm swamped. When are you keeping your promise?"

He smirked, smugness oozing. "So desperate to lock me down, huh?"

He rubbed Chery's earlobe, comforting her, then turned to me with mocking indifference. "Fine, name the date. When do you want the wedding? Since you're so hell-bent on marrying me, I'll..."

I cut him off, calm as a still lake. "Let's break up."

His head snapped up, his eyes blazing with shock and fury. "You're dumping me?"

Ignoring Cheryl's gleeful expression, I met his glare evenly. "Yep."

"What's this, another one of your games?" he scoffed, unconvinced. "Everyone knows you've been glued to me since high school, like a stray dog I can't shake. You finally get a shot at a ring, and now you're bailing? Stop kidding yourself. You're still wearing my ring."

He pointed at my hand, triumphant, as if he'd caught me in a lie.

I glanced at the silver band. "Whoops, forgot. Thanks for the reminder."

I slid it off and, with a flick, sent it sailing off the rooftop.

The ring was a birthday gift from our college days, bought with his first scholarship check, engraved with our initials.

Once, after a car accident left me unconscious, I'd clung to it like a lifeline.

Milton knew it meant everything to me, but not anymore.

His brows knitted into a scowl, but he still didn't buy it. "I don't care what stunt you're pulling. Apologize now, and I'll pretend this never happened. You want to be Mrs. Woodard? It's yours."

"I wish we both got what we deserve." I smiled faintly, turning to leave.

Behind me, Cheryl's voice piped up. "You're not going after her?"

Milton's cold laugh followed. "Nah, she'll come crawling back. A woman who'd scheme to carry my kid? No way she's walking away for real."