I Found His Mistress... Wearing My Ring - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

"Susan, you're finally willing to see me—"
Ray's voice hung between us, but I didn't let him finish. In one swift motion, I upended the paint bucket I'd been holding, sending a cascade of white liquid splashing over him. The paint soaked into his designer suit, dripping down his chest in thick globs before pooling at his polished shoes—a stark contrast against the sleek concrete. For a heartbeat, he just stood there, frozen, blinking at the mess like his brain couldn't process what had just happened. His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air.
A petty thrill shot through me as I watched him flounder. Ray finally shook himself, paint flecking off his hair as he managed a weak, pathetic smile.
"Feel better now?" His voice was laced with something between resignation and sadness. He lifted a hand like he might wipe his face, then thought better of it, letting it drop back to his side. "If not, go ahead—hit me, scream at me, whatever you need. Just don't walk away."
I didn't move. Arms crossed, I stared him down with a coldness I didn't know I possessed. Every word out of his mouth was an insult. Did he really think a bucket of paint and a half-assed apology could undo years of betrayal?
But then—the final straw. He reached into his bag and pulled out a velvet pouch, fingers fumbling like this was some grand gesture. When he finally extracted the jade bracelet, holding it toward me with that hopeful, puppy-dog look, I nearly laughed.
"This is what I owed you," he said, voice softer now. "I searched everywhere, Susan. This one's close—70, maybe 80% as good as yours."
I didn't even glance at it. My eyes stayed locked on his as I delivered the words like a judge handing down a sentence:
"Keep it. I don't want anything from you." I took a sharp breath. "Let me make this clear one last time, Ray—I don't love you anymore. You're my past. I've moved on."
His flinch was almost satisfying. The mask of confidence cracked, just for a second, before he rallied. "No, we can still—"
"I'm not going back," I cut in, voice like steel.
Something desperate flickered across his face. "We still have a chance if you'd just—"
Exhaustion hit me like a wave. Without another word, I lifted my left hand, letting the massive diamond on my ring finger catch the light. His gaze snapped to it, disbelief twisting his features.
"I'm married," I said, sharper than I meant to. "To a man who actually respects me. What exactly do you have to offer him?"
Silence. Ray's eyes darted between my hand and my face, searching for some crack in my armor. But there was nothing left for him to find.
His mouth curled into a bitter smirk. "Come on, Susan. You'd never marry anyone but me. You swore you'd only ever be my bride."
A dry laugh escaped me. "Believe whatever helps you sleep at night." I turned to leave—done with this conversation, done with him.
Then a shadow fell over us. Ray stiffened as a deep, familiar voice cut through the tension:
"Susan, everything okay?"
Gabriel.
Ray barely had time to register before Gabriel closed the distance in three strides, grabbed him by the collar, and landed a punch square on his jaw. The crack of impact echoed as Ray staggered, shoes scraping against pavement before he crumpled to the ground.
I stepped over him without a second glance and threw myself into Gabriel's arms. His hold was solid, warm—a shelter no storm could breach.
"See that, Ray?" I said coolly over my shoulder. "My husband's home. Pester me again, and next time he'll knock your teeth out."
Gabriel's grip tightened slightly as he leveled Ray with a look that was equal parts amusement and warning. Ray, still sprawled on the ground, wiped blood from his lip, humiliation burning in his eyes.
Not a shred of pity stirred in me. The realization hit like sunlight breaking through clouds: Ray had no power here. My past was exactly where it belonged—behind me.
The first time I saw Gabriel again, it was an ordinary Tuesday. I'd been sketching in the park, people-watching, when a voice from my past drifted over my shoulder:
"Long time no see, Susan."
It took me a second to place him. Gabriel—my childhood neighbor, the boy my parents had always joked I'd marry someday. Back then, it'd felt like a vague, distant possibility, especially when I'd been too wrapped up in first love to notice much else.
But Gabriel had never pushed. When I'd chosen Ray, he'd stepped aside without a word, even left the country to give me space. Now, years later, he stood before me—taller, broader, with a quiet confidence that made my breath catch.
We ended up at dinner, laughing over shared memories and childhood favorites. By the time we stumbled back to my place, tipsy and nostalgic, the years between us had melted away.
Later, curled on the couch, I glanced up as Gabriel emerged from the bathroom, hair damp and messy, wearing one of my oversized shirts. He looked younger like this—more like the boy I'd grown up with.
"Find a winning lottery ticket in there?" I teased.
His grin was lazy, warm. "Better. I found treasure."
The couch dipped as he sat, nearly sending me tumbling, but his arm shot out to steady me, pulling me close. And in that quiet moment, something clicked into place—no grand confession, just the quiet certainty that this was where I was meant to be all along.
Gabriel had been my anchor long before I'd realized I was adrift. And maybe, just maybe, I'd been looking for him without even knowing it.