Silence fell between us. The entire restaurant seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for what would happen next.
I turned to the waiter. “Why did you do it?” I asked.
“Why tell me now?”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Because I couldn’t stand by and watch him get away with it. Chloe doesn’t know about you, and she deserves to know the truth, too.
But… I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you. I’m sorry.”
I nodded slowly, my anger softening just a little. “Thank you.
I needed to hear it.”
James reached for my hand, but I pulled away. “Brittany, please. We can fix this.
We’ve been through so much together.”
I stared at him, searching for the man I thought I knew, the man I’d built my life with. But all I saw was a stranger.
“I loved you,” I said quietly. “I gave you everything.
And you threw it away.”
James’ eyes filled with tears. “I made a mistake. But we can move past this.”
“No, we can’t.” I shook my head.
“Because it wasn’t just one mistake. It was a pattern. And I can’t keep pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.”
I held up the ring one last time, letting the diamond catch the light.
Then, with a calmness I didn’t feel, I dumped the salad — and the ring — into his lap.
Gasps echoed through the restaurant, followed by applause. The sound washed over me, a strange blend of humiliation and validation.
James sat frozen, salad dressing soaking into his lap. I looked around at the faces watching us, then back at the waiter.
“You deserved to know,” he whispered, his eyes full of regret.
I managed a small smile.
“Yeah, I did.”
And with that, I walked out of the restaurant, leaving James behind.
The cool night air hit me like a slap, but I welcomed it. For the first time in years, I felt free. Broken, yes.
But also strong.
I thought about all the years I might have spent living a lie as I walked down the street. Whether this was James’ first betrayal or one of many, it didn’t matter anymore.
What mattered was that I knew the truth.
And I was finally honest with myself.
What would you have done in my place?
