When I Leave, Love Disappears

“I'll go with her,” Lidia said immediately, eager to tag along. Of course, she wanted to come. I wasn’t surprised. “She could probably use some help,” she shrugged, turning to Raymond with a sweet smile. I didn’t refuse her, but then I slipped the voice recorder from my bag into my coat pocket discreetly.

Raymond followed us to the door, looking at me with concern, then glancing at Lidia. His lips moved slightly, but before he could speak, Lidia giggled and pushed him back inside. “Oh come on, Raymond, don’t be so clingy. You’ll be fine alone for a couple of minute!” The door clicked shut behind us.

I wasn’t sure who exactly she thought he was being clingy with. But I was sure she meant herself. Once we made our way down the stairs, Lidia raised her hand in front of me, making sure I couldn’t miss it, showing off a sparkling diamond ring on her finger.

“Look, Ariana! Beautiful isn’t it? Raymond gave this to me for my birthday. Custom-made. He said it cost him three hundred grand. Silly guy, I told him not to get me anything.” She paused for effect, then added with a sly smile, “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot we’re here for your birthday. So, what did he get you?”

Her eyes drifted to the simple gold ring on my finger, tied tightly with a red string. She let out a mocking laugh, unable to hold back her amusement.

Back when Raymond and I got married, he was at his lowest point. We couldn’t afford much, not even a pair of wedding rings. One day, I asked my mom to accompany me to choose a pair of gold rings, keeping my intentions a secret. She hesitated, fearing I might regret my decision, but eventually agreed. Holding back her tears, she told me, “A ring made of gold is the best of all. It’s stronger than any other material and carries a sense of tradition. Just like this metal, your love will grow strong and endure, lasting as long as gold itself.”

When I gave Raymond the ring, he hugged me tightly and burst into tears, promising that one day he’d buy me the biggest, most beautiful diamond ring. Well, he did. Only now, it was on someone else’s finger.

Over the years, I worked myself to the bone, becoming so thin that the ring had become loose. Instead of getting it resized, I just wrapped a red string inside to keep it in place.

I twisted the ring on my finger and chuckled softly to myself. “You know, even if Raymond gives you the most expensive ring, you’ll never marry into his family. At the end of the day, all you’ll get from him is his money and nothing else.”

Though I sounded tough, deep down, my heart was in turmoil.

A diamond ring worth three thousand dollars. If what Lidia said was true, this wasn’t just an emotional betrayal. Raymond had also been hiding money from me, too. He always told me he made forty thousand a month and he gave me half. So, where did he get the money for this ring?

That morning, I had sworn I wouldn’t let myself be played for a fool. And yet, here I was, realizing I had been the biggest fool of all.

“And knowing him, it won’t last for long. So, what are you so proud of?” I shot back.

Anger flared in Lidia’s eyes. She suddenly let out a loud cry and slammed her ankle against the wall. With a dramatic fall, she collapsed onto the ground. Just as her sobs filled the air, I could hear the door above us fly open. Raymond poked his head out and rushed down the stairs.

His eyes were wide with panic as he saw Lidia sitting there, holding her ankle and crying pitifully.

“What happened?” He dropped to his knees beside her, gently pulling up her pant leg to reveal a swelling ankle.

Lidia sniffled, her voice soft and sweet. “No, Raymond. Don’t blame Ariana. I’m just too clumsy and got myself tripped. But it really hurts though.”

Raymond stood up, his face twisted with anger. Without warning, he slapped me hard across the face.

“You heartless woman! Lidia was being kind enough to go with you and you mistreat her when I’m not around. Is this who you really are? A vile woman?” His voice dripped with venom.

My cheek stung from the slap and rage boiled inside me. Before I even realized it, I slapped him right back.

The sound echoed through the stairwell. I saw a few neighbors peeking out from their doors, but the moment they heard the slap, they quickly pulled their heads back inside.

Raymond looked at me, completely stunned.

“You—did you just hit me?” He stumbled over his words, disbelief written all over his face. “You’ll regret this, you bitch When we get back, I’ll divorce you for sure.”

With that, he scooped Lidia into his arms and started down the stairs.

I pressed my tongue against my aching cheek and yelled after him, “Think that’ll scare me? Don’t back out when I present it right in your face!”

Raymond tripped on the last step, almost dropping Lidia. She shrieked and clung to his neck, both of them tumbling into a heap at the bottom of the stairs.

The commotion drew attention. The neighbors who had been peeking out were now outside their doors, but Raymond’s friends were rushing to help. One of them held my shoulders and gave me an awkward smile while saying, “Let’s take them to the hospital first.”

I didn’t move an inch as they tried to help Raymond and Lidia. I waited until everyone left, then headed for the house. As I reached the front door, I paused. Images from that night flashed in my mind and I turned, making my way to the garage instead.

Since there were two people who needed help, they’d taken them to the hospital with one of Raymond’s friends. That gave me a window of opportunity. Lately, I’d been wanting to check the car’s dashcam footage, but Raymond had been using the car constantly, so I never got the chance. Raymond must have felt pretty confident, thinking I’d never be able to catch him. Little did he know, I was about to get all the proof I needed.

Once I had the evidence in my hand, instead of heading back to my apartment, I drove straight to the lawyer’s office. With the video and the voice recordings, my lawyer quickly drafted a divorce agreement that would give me 60% of our assets, as well as a petition to reclaim any marital property Raymond had hidden from me.

By the time Raymond dragged himself home that night, exhaustion etched into his face, I no longer felt any sympathy for him. I pushed the divorce papers across the table toward him.

“Sign it, Raymond. Let’s end it once and for all.”