The Heirloom Proposal

After Seraphina Monroe accepted my family's heirloom jade bracelet, I planned a grand proposal for her during her birthday banquet the very next day.

But she showed up wearing that bracelet while clinging to another man's arm.

She let out a delighted cry when she saw the decorations I had spent weeks setting up.

"Dominic, how did you know I was going to propose? You even had the whole place decorated for me!"

Then, she turned around and dropped to one knee before the man.

"Will you marry me?" she asked, her eyes shining with a love I had never seen directed at me.

The guests turned to look at me with pity, but I only forced a smile and offered my congratulations.

This woman, whom I had loved for eight long years, was no longer worth my heart.

1.

Watching the two of them kiss passionately on stage, I pulled out my phone and called my mother.

"Mom, I agree to come home for those blind dates you mentioned."

"You took the family heirloom and now you want to come home for dates?" my mother grumbled over the phone.

Just two days ago, I had rushed home overnight to beg her for that bracelet to give to Seraphina.

The moment she accepted it, my heart had been overflowing with joy.

I never imagined it would end like this today.

I lowered my eyes, my voice quiet as I apologized.

"I was wrong before. I'll make sure to get the bracelet back."

Only then did my mother stop lecturing me.

"I'll be back as soon as I wrap things up here."

Before I could finish, Seraphina walked over, her arm still linked with her new fianc's.

"Caleb, I really love the venue you set up. Thank you."

I murmured a few quick words to my mother and hung up the phone.

"I'm glad you like it," I said.

I looked at the woman I had loved for eight years with a strange sense of calm.

"Where did you say you were going just now?" Seraphina asked suddenly.

"My aunt needs me back home for something," I lied, making up a random excuse.

Seraphina just nodded and then beamed at me.

"Caleb, I didn't have a chance to introduce you properly. This is my boyfriend, Dominic King."

Dominic corrected her with a smug grin, "Fianc now."

Seraphina leaned into his chest, looking like the happiest woman alive.

I let out a bitter, silent laugh, gave them a polite nod, and found an excuse to leave the party early.

On the way home, I realized the heirloom was still on her wrist.

I messaged my best friend, Jax, asking him to help me get it back.

But as soon as I stepped through my front door, Jax called me.

"Caleb, Seraphina doesn't believe you actually want the bracelet back."

"She said if you want it, you have to come and get it yourself."

I froze, stunned by her audacity.

Jax continued to rant on the other end of the line.

"That woman is a piece of work. She kept you on a leash for years while planning to propose to another man."

All my friends knew how much I adored Seraphina.

They all thought I would eventually win her over with my persistence.

Nobody expected her to pull a stunt like this.

"Do you want to go grab a drink?" I asked, cutting Jax off.

He immediately gave me the name of a restaurant and told me everyone was already there.

But when I pushed open the door to the private lounge, the first thing I saw was Seraphina and Dominic locked in a heated kiss.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

One of Seraphina's friends saw me and spoke up with a sneer.

"Isn't that Caleb Sterling? Did you follow Seraphina's scent all the way here again?"

Before I could speak, Jax snapped back at her, "I was the one who invited him..."

I reached out and pulled my fuming friend away.

We sat down in a corner, and Jax whispered to me.

"I don't know who leaked our location, but she showed up with that guy and her crew right after I called you."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Right then, my landlord sent a message asking if I wanted to renew my lease.

"No, I'll be moving out soon," I replied.

My lease was up in a week.

That would be just enough time to settle everything.

As I was planning my next steps, someone called my name.

"Caleb, Truth or Dare?"

I snapped back to reality and saw the group playing.

The neck of the wine bottle was pointing directly at me.

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Truth."

Everyone looked at me as if they already knew what was coming.

In the past, I would always use this game as a chance to confess my feelings to Seraphina.

The girl sitting next to Seraphina gave me a meaningful look.

"Caleb, is there someone in this room that you love?"

I didn't even hesitate. "No."

The entire room went silent.

2.

The girl who asked the question was the first to react, letting out a sharp laugh.

"Caleb, is there any point in acting tough now?"

"Everyone here knows exactly why you decorated that venue today."

Seraphina reached out and pulled at the girl's hand, but I could see the smug satisfaction she was trying to hide.

I had always known she used my devotion as a way to boost her own ego.

"Seraphina, why are you stopping me? He's just lying through his teeth."

I glanced at Seraphina. Her expression was filled with even more disdain than before.

I couldn't help but let out a cold chuckle.

"Are you a mind reader now? You seem to know who I love better than I do."

"Since you're so sure, why don't you tell me? Who is it?"

The girl was about to shout Seraphina's name when Seraphina jerked her arm.

"Chloe, that's enough!"

Chloe glanced at Dominic sitting nearby and realized she had almost caused a scene.

I leaned back against my chair and stared directly at Seraphina.

She seemed uncomfortable and avoided my gaze.

I laughed quietly, stood up, and told them I had things to do before walking out.

Once I got home, the mask I had been wearing crumbled.

I collapsed onto the sofa, my eyes stinging as the weight of the day finally hit me.

A while later, my mom sent another reminder about the bracelet.

I sighed and dialed Seraphina's number.

She didn't pick up.

Finally, I sent a text telling her to return the heirloom.

By the time I finished work the next day, I still hadn't received a reply.

Then, I saw Seraphina post a location pin in our group chat, saying she was heading there for dinner.

It was obvious. She was ignoring my messages on purpose.

I packed my things and headed to the restaurant.

As I approached their private room, I heard Seraphina's mocking voice drifting through the door.

"How could Caleb ever leave me? He's been my lapdog for eight years. Could any of you be that loyal?"

Her words were followed by an explosion of laughter.

Someone asked her what she was going to do about the heirloom bracelet.

Through the crack in the door, I saw Seraphina wave her wrist dismissively.

"It's just a shiny toy to play with. If he wants it back, he can have it. Besides, this thing isn't even worth as much as the bag Dominic just bought me."

The group erupted into murmurs of envy.

Listening to her contemptuous tone, I felt a surge of cold irony. I pushed the door open.

The atmosphere in the room turned to ice instantly.

Normally, I only showed up to their gatherings when Seraphina summoned me.

That was why they felt so comfortable talking trash behind my back.

Seraphina was the first to break the silence, putting on a sweet, fake smile.

"Caleb? What are you doing here? Do you need something?"

In the past, that smile would have blinded me.

Now, it just looked pathetic.

I looked at her with a blank expression.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask when you're planning to give my bracelet back."

The smile on Seraphina's face vanished.

Her brow furrowed, and she looked at me with pure disbelief.

"Didn't you give this to me as a gift?"

I let out a dry laugh. "That bracelet is reserved for my wife."

Seraphina's eyes filled with scorn.

"Caleb, I didn't think you were the type to use moral kidnapping to force me to be your girlfriend."

"I know you love me, but this is low, even for you."

I laughed out loud at her delusional accusations, but I also felt a deep sense of grief for myself.

For eight years, I had loved a person I didn't even truly know until this moment.

I stared her down, my voice flat.

"Just give it back, Seraphina."

The entire room stared at me in shock.

Seraphina's face twisted. "Caleb, are you really that triggered by my engagement?"

"We can still be best friends. Don't worry about it."

I was genuinely amused. How could she think I still wanted to be near her?

"Seraphina, the only thing I'm interested in right now is that bracelet."

Feeling like she was losing face in front of her friends, Seraphina exploded in rage.

"Fine! Take your stupid bracelet! I only accepted it because I felt sorry for you! You actually thought I'd want you? You were pathetic, begging me to marry you the very next day!"

I took a deep breath, suppressing the sharp pain in my chest, and held out my hand.

Seraphina looked around at the judging eyes of the crowd and aggressively shoved the bracelet into my palm.

I took it and walked out without looking back.

3.

The next morning, I got a text from a boutique.

"Mr. Sterling, the custom wedding dress you ordered has arrived. When would you like to come in for a fitting?"

The message reminded me that I had ordered the dress the very night Seraphina accepted the bracelet.

But as soon as I sat down in the boutique, Seraphina and Dominic walked through the door.

After last night's confrontation, I didn't want to make a scene in public, so I moved to a different corner.

"Caleb Sterling! Of course it's you!"

I had barely sat down when Seraphina's voice shrieked across the room.

"Was that custom dress yours? Give it to me! I want it."

She looked at me as if it was her birthright.

I looked up at her calmly. "Once I process the return, you can order it yourself."

Seraphina sneered at me. "Wasn't this dress meant for me anyway? Just consider it a final gift."

I felt a headache coming on.

I had personally contacted a top designer to create this piece.

All the excitement I had felt then had turned into a dull ache.

"You really want that dress?" I asked softly.

Seraphina smirked. "Yeah, I do."

I pulled up my payment QR code on my phone and held it out.

"Fifty thousand dollars. Scan it, and it's yours."

Seraphina stared at me, dumbfounded. "What is wrong with you?"

"Pay up," I said.

"Or did you really think I'd give it to you for free?"

Seraphina's face turned bright red with fury.

"Fifty thousand? There's no way you spent fifty thousand on a dress!"

"Stop acting like you're rich just to save face, Caleb! It's pathetic!"

Her voice grew more certain, her eyes filled with more and more disgust.

I wasn't even angry. A sarcastic smile played on my lips as I called over a staff member and told them I wasn't returning the dress after all. I told them to pack it up for me to take away.

Seraphina looked like she was about to explode.

I stood up and left before she could get another word out.

After that day, I spent every waking moment packing.

I stood in front of my glass display case, looking at all the worthless little trinkets inside.

I let out a bitter laugh.

I had custom-built this case just to hold the "gifts" Seraphina had given me over the years. Even a crumpled napkin she had used, I had kept like a treasure.

I grabbed a heavy-duty trash bag and started tossing everything inside, one by one.

I hauled the bag down to the dumpster at the edge of the complex and threw it all away.

The day before I was set to leave, an old friend called and asked if I wanted to go to an escape room.

I figured it was a good chance to say a proper goodbye to the group.

But I didn't expect Seraphina and Dominic to be there.

The moment Seraphina saw me, her face darkened.

But with Dominic there, she managed to keep her mouth shut.

The friend who invited me didn't seem to notice the tension. Once everyone arrived, he led us into the game.

Not long after we started, I got separated from the main group.

I ended up alone with Dominic.

The silence between us was stifling. Just as I was about to say something, a heavy prop from the ceiling came loose.

It crashed down, pinning me to the floor.

Dominic rushed over, trying to lift the prop, but his hand slipped, and more of the weight shifted onto me.

That was when Seraphina and the others burst into the room.

She saw Dominic struggling on the floor and rushed to him, panic written all over her face.

"Dominic! Are you okay?"

Without waiting for him to speak, she turned and pointed a finger at me.

"Caleb, is this your sick way of getting revenge? You tried to hurt him!"

I gasped for air, the pain in my chest throbbing, but I still managed to laugh.

That was the difference between love and indifference.

I didn't argue. I just closed my eyes and turned my head away.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and I drifted in and out of consciousness.

When I finally woke up, I saw a girl in a staff costume sitting by my bed.

Seeing me awake, she immediately buzzed for the doctor.

After the doctor confirmed I was stable, she told me she was an actress at the escape room and had been the one to bring me to the hospital.

I thanked her quietly and asked about the others.

The girl told me that Dominic had already been discharged and left with his girlfriend.

I nodded slowly. I wasn't surprised.

Against the doctor's advice, I insisted on being discharged.

I dragged my aching body home, grabbed my suitcase, and headed straight for the airport.

I survived that accident, and I knew better things were coming.

The last eight years were officially dead.

Now, I was walking toward a better future.

Before the plane took off, I posted one last update.

"Leave the past behind. Face the future without fear."