Lately, something felt off about my husband, Patrick. He had always been

open, but now he was distant, glued to his phone,

hiding behind closed doors. It started small—his phone was never out of

sight, and he’d retreat to his study for late nights, cutting off contact.

At first, I tried to brush it off as work stress, but the distance between

us grew. One night, after another lonely dinner, I confronted him.

“Patrick, what’s going on?” “Work is demanding, Jane. It’ll settle down

soon,” he assured me. I wanted to believe him, but his response didn’t feel right.

Then, one morning, as I rushed out, Patrick offered me his car, saying

he’d filled it up. Grateful yet suspicious, I drove off, only to find a velvet box under the seat.

Inside was a beautiful ring—a ring I had never seen before. My heart raced.

Was this for another woman? The rest of the day, doubts and fears flooded my mind.

Patrick had mentioned a surprise for my 30th birthday, but now I wondered

if he was planning to leave me. I concocted a plan to get back at him,

coating the ring in habanero sauce before slipping it back where I found it.

That evening, Patrick left to see his mom. As I contemplated calling her to check,

my phone rang. It was Monica, my best friend. “Monica, what’s wrong?”

“I put on a ring, and my hand is on fire!” she cried. I froze. “Monica, what ring?”

I asked, my voice cold. “Patrick’s. He showed it to me, and I tried it

on.” A chill ran through me. “Monica, why are you with Patrick? Just tell me the truth.”

There was a long silence before she whispered, “It’s not what you think,

Jane. We’ve been planning your surprise party. The ring is for you. It’s a family heirloom.”

Relief and shame hit me all at once. I apologized to both Monica and

Patrick when they arrived. Patrick chuckled, shaking his head. “You always did have a fiery streak.”

Monica laughed, her hand still burning from the hot sauce. “It’s okay,

but this will be a funny story someday.” Patrick pulled out the velvet box again, this time for me.

I saw the ring for what it truly was—a symbol of love. “Thank you,

Patrick,” I whispered, tears in my eyes. Our trust had been tested,

but it had only grown stronger. And best of all, I still had my birthday party to look forward to