Was it true that men could separate love from desire?
Isabella gently touched the wedding ring on her finger before taking it off. She walked past a disabled beggar sitting by the roadside, his empty tin cup containing only a few coins.
Isabella approached him and dropped the ring into his cup.
“Sell this. The money from it will be enough to buy a house and start a small business.”
The beggar thanked her repeatedly.
In truth, Isabella had put it rather mildly.
The ring was a custom design by a foreign jeweler, and the diamonds alone were worth millions.
But now, she didn’t want it anymore.
If a wedding ring symbolized love and loyalty, then her wedding ring was worth nothing right now.
Her phone rang—it was Samuel.
“Bella, where are you? The person with the ginger tea and honey came to the house, but you weren’t there.”
His voice was urgent, like he was genuinely worried about her.
Isabella replied flatly, “I just stepped out for a walk.”
“Where are you now? I’ll come pick you up right away.”
“No need, I’ll be home soon.”
“No, you’re on your period. I can’t just leave you alone.”
Samuel arrived within five minutes.
He rushed out of the car, quickly removed his coat, and draped it over her shoulders before pulling her into his arms. “Why are you dressed so lightly? You can’t get cold when you’re on your period.”
As Isabella looked up at him in his embrace, she noticed several fresh, red marks around his throat.
They were recent.
There were also teeth imprints.
His clothes smelled faintly of a woman’s perfume.
So, he had just left Jennifer Lewis’s bed before heading to the interview.
As Samuel gently rubbed her fingers, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Bella, where’s your wedding ring?”
