My voice was calm but edged with sarcasm as I said, “Yeah, I’m very understanding. So, I’ve decided I’m done with Joel. He’s yours now.”
“Shirley!” Joel yelled, drawing the attention of the surrounding crowd.
He quickly regained his composure, his voice dropping to a gentle murmur as he leaned in. “Let’s not make a scene, alright? You know Esther has depression, so stop being so aggressive.”
The screen behind us was still showing close-ups of their faces, and the crowd was buzzing with chatter. My coworker, standing below the stage, was desperately signaling for me to wrap things up.
For the sake of the mall’s reputation, I bit back my anger and handed them the prize voucher. “Congratulations to the happy couple. What a ‘perfect match’.”
Joel reached out as if to grab me, but Esther pulled him back, rising on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his lips.
“Thank you, Joel,” she whispered sweetly.
The event had officially ended, and by the time I finished packing up, it was nearly two in the morning. However, as I walked out of the mall, I saw Joel and Ester still lingering by their car.
Esther was sitting in the passenger seat, her eyes red and puffy, clearly having cried recently. When she saw me, she made a move to get out of the car.
“Shirley, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made Joel… I thought we were all just joking around.”
Joel quickly pulled her back.
“Shirley will understand,” he said, giving me a look of false sympathy.
I stood there, staring at Joel, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “A joke? Who French kisses as a joke?”
I pointed at the ring on Esther’s hand. “You can keep Joel, but that ring? Give it back.”
As soon as I said it, Ester ripped the ring off her finger and threw it into the bushes. “If you’re jealous, then I don’t want it anymore! Happy now?”
I watched, stunned, as the diamond ring tumbled into the dark grass.
My anger flared up. “Ester! Are you crazy?! That ring is worth more than your entire family!”
Hearing me shout at her, Joel jumped out of the car and stormed toward me, pointing an accusing finger in my face. “What’s your problem? That ring is a cheap knockoff from a street vendor! You’re only happy if you make Esther cry, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. My hand flew up, and I slapped Joel hard across the face.
“That ring is mine! You have no right to talk about it!”
Joel stood there, frozen in shock. Esther, still sobbing, rushed out of the car to cling to him.
She screamed at me, “Shirley! Hate me all you want, but how could you hit Joel? This is too much! Do you know the kind of pressure he’s under because of you? He’s been so patient with you all this time!”
I laughed bitterly, pointing at Joel. “Pressure? I buy him designer clothes and luxury cars. What kind of pressure would he have?”
Joel’s face turned red, veins bulging at his temples as he spat, “Don’t think I don’t know you bought all those things on loans to keep up appearances, and you’ve been trying to tie me down with them!”
…
He paused, his voice filled with disdain. “You’re nothing more than the charity case Esther’s family sponsored. She told me everything. I just didn’t want to embarrass you.”
I lifted my head, staring at Esther in disbelief, and asked slowly, “Are you sure I’m the one on a scholarship that your family funded?”
