My Mother's Ring Paid for His Mistress

After five years with Ethan Crawford, I couldn't even afford rent. I pawned the ring my mom left me for five hundred dollars. Later, I found out it was for Vivian Winters' fourth "heart surgery." Over five years, our anniversary was canceled four times. When I had a fever of 103 degrees and went to the ER, he said on the phone that Vivian was getting a follow-up exam and he couldn't leave. My friends all said Ethan was a good guy, loyal and devoted, and told me not to be petty. I believed them. I even felt ashamed of my occasional jealousy. Until yesterday, when I scrolled past a video of a trail marathon. The girl in the lead had a killer body and had just broken the women's division record. At the finish line, she jumped up and hung around Ethan's neck, laughing. "Ethan, I told you I'm perfectly healthy! You're just too worried!" Those limited-edition running shoes on her feet cost five hundred dollars. Ethan smiled as he tied her shoelaces. "See? I told you it was worth the money." Looking at those shoes, I suddenly didn't want to ask anymore. Turns out the moon wasn't dim---it just never shone on my side.

"Didn't I tell you Vivian had an EKG scheduled today? You still called three times in a row. Do you have to make a scene at a time like this?" Ethan pushed open the door, bringing in the chill of early autumn. He tossed his car keys onto the shoe cabinet by the entrance with a clatter. I sat on the sofa, my phone screen already dark. The image from that marathon video was still burned into my mind. "Why aren't you saying anything? What are you sulking about now?" Ethan changed his shoes and walked over. He sat down beside me. There was a faint smell of sweat and earth clinging to him. It wasn't the scent of hospital disinfectant. It was the scent of mountain air. He placed a plastic bag on the coffee table. "Picked up some tacos from a food cart on the way back. Eat while they're hot." I glanced down at the tacos. Sauce was seeping through the paper bag, and they were loaded with crushed peanuts. "I don't eat peanuts," I said quietly. Ethan froze for a moment, then frowned. "Lily, when did you become so difficult?" "Vivian had three vials of blood drawn today. I spent all day running around the hospital with her, and I still thought to bring you dinner on the way home." "Just pick them out. Is that so hard?" He looked at me as if I were an unreasonable child. I stared at the mud stains on his sweatpants. The color of that mud matched the mud by the finish line in the marathon video. "She had blood drawn today?" I asked. Ethan sighed and reached out to ruffle my hair. I tilted my head slightly, dodging his hand. His hand hung awkwardly in midair. His expression darkened. "What exactly do you want?" "I already told you the doctor said her heart isn't getting enough blood. She needs rest." "You think I want to spend every day at the hospital? It's my responsibility." "If her brother hadn't gotten into that car accident saving me, would she be like this now?" He'd repeated this speech countless times over the past five years. Every time I showed even a hint of dissatisfaction, he'd place this moral crown on my head. Making me feel like a cold, selfish, unreasonable woman. I lowered my eyes to my bare ring finger. There used to be a silver ring there---the only thing my mom left me. Two days ago, the landlord had demanded rent. Ethan said he'd used all his money on Vivian's hospital bills. Running a fever, I'd pawned the ring for five hundred dollars. "Do the shoes you bought her fit well?" I heard my own calm voice. Ethan's hand froze as he was pouring water. Water sloshed out of the glass and spilled onto the coffee table. He turned around. His eyes flickered, but he quickly regained his composure. "Did you go through my phone?" His tone turned cold. "Lily, I hate it when people invade my privacy." I didn't explain that I'd seen it in a marathon video. It didn't matter anymore. "The shoes were recommended by her doctor." Ethan set the glass down heavily on the table. "Vivian has a heart condition. The doctor said she needs shoes with excellent shock absorption for her rehab exercises." "They're just shoes. Do you have to be so petty?" He looked at me with disappointment in his eyes, as if I were a vicious woman who would even begrudge someone shoes for medical treatment. I looked at that familiar face and suddenly felt like I was looking at a stranger. Rehab exercises. The kind that break women's division marathon records. I didn't call him out on it. I just stood up and threw the peanut-laden tacos into the trash. Ethan took a deep breath, suppressing his temper. "Fine. If you don't want them, forget it." "I'll return the shoes tomorrow, okay? I'll transfer you the money for rent." He was certain I was just jealous. Certain that if he backed down just a little, I'd forgive him like I always had. "No need," I said. Ethan watched me walk back to the bedroom, his voice tinged with irritation. "Lily, you'd better know when to stop."

The next morning, I went to the pawn shop in the old district. I wanted to get my mom's ring back. Last night I'd sold some coats and bags on Poshmark and barely scraped together five hundred dollars. The owner sat behind the counter and pushed up his reading glasses. "Young lady, you're too late." "That silver ring was bought half an hour ago." I froze in place, my fingers tightening on my canvas bag strap. "Sir, the redemption period hasn't ended yet, has it? Could you help me contact the buyer?" My voice trembled. "I can pay more." The owner shook his head. "The young couple seemed to really like it. They paid in full and left wearing it." I was about to plead further when the glass door of the pawn shop swung open. The wind chime rang with a crisp sound. Ethan pushed through the door, carefully shielding the girl behind him. "Vivian, slow down. The doctor said you can't walk too fast." Vivian Winters was wearing those five-hundred-dollar limited-edition running shoes, holding a cup of hot milk tea. She smiled sweetly. "Ethan, I'm not that fragile." She raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. On her ring finger, that familiar silver ring caught the harsh sunlight. My breath stopped. Ethan looked up and saw me standing by the counter. Shock flashed across his face, followed by a frown. "Lily? What are you doing here?" Vivian saw me too. She shrank back behind Ethan, looking nervous. "Hi, Lily," she said timidly. I ignored her, staring straight at the ring. "That's my ring." I looked at Ethan. Ethan glanced at the ring on Vivian's hand, his frown deepening. "Lily, stop making a scene." "I just bought this from this shop. How is it yours?" The pawn shop owner coughed behind the counter but said nothing. I looked at Ethan's self-righteous face and found it absurd. "I pawned it two days ago," I said, word by word. Ethan froze. He seemed to remember something. His expression changed. Vivian's eyes immediately reddened. She hurried to take off the ring. "I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't know it was yours." "Ethan saw I was feeling down lately and said he'd buy me a little gift to cheer me up." "I'll give it back. Please don't be mad at Ethan." The more anxious she got, the harder it was to remove the ring stuck at her knuckle. A red mark formed on her pale finger. Ethan grabbed her hand. "Stop. You're hurting yourself." He turned to me, his voice filled with impatience and accusation. "Lily, if you needed money, why didn't you tell me? Why come here and pawn things?" "I already bought the ring and gave it to Vivian. She really likes it." "It's just an old ring. I'll take you to buy a new diamond ring later." He spoke in the most rational tone while making the cruelest decision. In his world, my keepsake wasn't worth Vivian's momentary happiness. I watched him shield Vivian behind him. "No need," I said quietly. Ethan thought I'd given in. He relaxed. He pulled a card from his wallet and held it out to me. "There's a thousand dollars on this. Pay your rent and buy yourself something nice with what's left." "Stop acting like I've mistreated you." I didn't take the card. I turned and walked toward the glass door of the pawn shop. As I pushed it open, I heard Vivian whisper, "Ethan, is Lily really mad?" Ethan's voice was flat.

"That's just how she is. She'll get over it in a couple days." Ethan's words blew into my ears on the wind. I didn't look back. I kept walking along the cobblestone street. When I got back to the apartment, a WhatsApp voice message from the landlord was waiting. "Lily, when are you paying rent? You're three days late." "If you don't pay today, you'll have to move out tomorrow. I won't have any trouble renting this place out." I listened to the message and replied: "Mrs. Green, I won't be renewing. I'll move out tomorrow." After sending that message, I pulled out the dust-covered suitcase from under the bed. After five years, I didn't actually have much. A few seasonal clothes, some old books, and various odds and ends. I folded them one by one and packed them into the suitcase. At seven that evening, Ethan came home. He was carrying two large pink storage bins. When he saw the suitcase in the living room, he paused. "What are you doing?" He set the bins on the floor and frowned. I was putting my last few books into a cardboard box. "Packing," I said without looking up. Ethan walked over and kicked my suitcase. "Lily, are you seriously throwing a tantrum? Running away from home over a broken ring?" "I already said I'd buy you a new one. What more do you want?" I straightened up and looked at him. "The landlord's demanding rent. I can't afford it." Ethan relaxed, his tone softening. "That's all?" He walked over to the sofa and lit a cigarette. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about something." "Vivian's roommate plays video games until the middle of the night. It's seriously affecting her rest." "The doctor said with her heart condition, she can't handle late nights and noise." He exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at me through the blue-white haze. "I'm planning to have her move in here for a while." I looked at him quietly, saying nothing. Ethan thought I was hesitating and continued: "You can move into the small room and give her the master bedroom." "Vivian's health is fragile. The master gets better light." This apartment only had one bedroom and a living room. The so-called "small room" was actually a storage closet less than fifty square feet. It could barely fit a single bed and didn't even have a window. "Don't worry, I'll cover the rent from now on." "Once Vivian's feeling better, I'll have her move out." He spoke in a consultative tone while issuing a non-negotiable order. In his view, since I couldn't pay rent, I had to accept his charity and arrangements. I looked at his self-assured face. "Okay." I nodded. Ethan clearly hadn't expected me to agree so readily. The hand holding his cigarette paused. Surprise flickered in his eyes. "You're okay with it?" "Yeah." I sealed the cardboard box with tape. Ethan smiled. He walked over and reached out to hug me. "I knew you were the most understanding." "I know this is hard on you for a while. Next month when I get my bonus, I'll take you to the Maldives." I stepped back, avoiding his embrace. "I'm a little tired. Going to sleep." I turned and walked into the master bedroom, closing the door. Through the door, I heard Ethan on the phone with Vivian. "Vivian, it's all arranged. You can move in tomorrow." "Yeah, the master bedroom's yours." His voice was tender enough to drip honey. I sat on the edge of the bed, took out my phone, and bought a ticket home for tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow was our fifth anniversary. I woke up at six a.m. sharp. Ethan was still asleep on the sofa. He'd stayed up late last night helping Vivian pack. I didn't wake him. I wheeled my suitcase to the entrance. At ten a.m., Ethan woke up. He saw me sitting in the living room and walked over, running his hand through his hair. "You didn't go to work today?" "Took the day off," I said. He seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead. "Right, it's our fifth anniversary." He walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, twisting it open and taking a sip. "Where do you want to eat tonight? I'll book a steakhouse." I looked at his perfunctory expression. Over five years, our anniversary had been canceled four times. The first time, he had to accompany Vivian to see a doctor in another city. The second time, Vivian was feeling down, so he took her to see the ocean. The third time, it conflicted with Vivian's birthday. The fourth time---last year---he was at the hospital with Vivian while she got an IV. "No need," I said. Ethan frowned. "What now? I'm the one who brought it up, and you still want to ruin it?" Just then, his phone rang. The name "Vivian" flashed on the screen. Ethan immediately answered, his tone instantly anxious. "What's wrong, Vivian?" "What? You twisted your ankle? How could you be so careless!" "Where are you? I'll be right there!" He hung up and grabbed his car keys from the coffee table. "Lily, Vivian missed a step going down the stairs. Her ankle's really bad. I need to take her to the hospital." "Go to the restaurant tonight without me. I'll meet you there when I'm done." He didn't even wait for my answer before rushing out the door. The door slammed shut with a loud echo. I sat on the sofa, watching the clock on the wall tick away. At noon, I stood up. I put everything Ethan had bought me over the past five years into a black trash bag. There wasn't much---a few clearance clothes, a lipstick that smudged, and some cheap earrings. I placed the trash bag by the door, then took out my keys and set them in the center of the coffee table. I pulled my suitcase out of the apartment I'd lived in for five years. At three p.m., I was sitting on a train heading home. The scenery outside the window flew past in reverse. My phone vibrated. A message from the landlord: "Lily, I'm going to collect the keys. The door's unlocked, so I'll just take them, okay?" I replied with "Okay." Then Ethan's message popped up. "Vivian broke a bone in her foot. She needs a cast. I can't make it tonight." "Get yourself something good to eat. I owe you one." "Oh, and did you clear out the storage room? Vivian's stuff is being delivered tonight." I looked at the words on the screen and typed out a response. "All cleared out." "Keys are on the coffee table." After sending those two sentences, I clicked on his profile picture. Delete. Block. Done. The train entered a tunnel. The cabin went dark. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes.

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