Page 93 of Don't Date Your Nemesis

Ring resizing and authenticity certification - $7,000

I stared at it.

Why would he spend seven thousand dollars on a fake engagement ring?

The receipt was old, and my hands trembled as I picked it up, reading it again, trying to make sense of⁠—

No.

I couldn’t think about this now and let myself hope or question or doubt.

I had heard it from his own mouth.

Mission accomplished.

I know what this is.

I shoved the ring into my bag, grabbed my keys, and left.

The house that had felt like home thirty minutes ago now felt like a cage.

My chest felt tight as I called my parents, who lived in San Diego. Tears streamed down my face, but I forced myself to sound happy on the call.

I glanced over my shoulder one last time at his place and drove away.

29

POSITIVE

LIAM

Something was wrong.

Deepika had suddenly left two days ago, texting me that she was staying with her parents in San Diego for some wedding thing. And she wasn’t answering my calls.

Well, she did eventually answer. But after the fifth or sixth attempt.

Her voice seemed flat and emotionless as if she were reading from a script.

“I’m fine. Just busy with family stuff.”

What the fuck?

“When are you coming home?”

“I don’t know. I’ll let you know.”

And she hung up. She didn’t even give me a chance to ask her if everything was okay. No ‘I love you,’ and not ‘I miss you.’ There was no warmth in her voice.

I stared at my phone, confusion twisting in my gut.

We had been perfect two days ago. We were in love, happy, and I was going to talk to her about our future that night. But she had disappeared on me.

What the hell had changed?

I sent her texts.

Everything okay?