The Ring

ONE

[INGRID'S POV]

[PRESENT DAY]

[NEW JERSEY, USA]

I look over at Susan and Harris as they kiss each other passionately and I can't help but smile. Everyone in the club turns to clap profusely for the newly engaged couple. I'm really happy that Harris asked Susan to marry him; at least she is now rest assured that he's serious about her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her only. We then make a toast to the couple and cheer like we never have. By 'we', I mean me, Adrian, my boyfriend and Sophie, my mutual friend.

Susan, Sophie and I have been best friends since high school until Susan and I fell for both Harris and Adrian respectively, and both boys joined our friendship squad. Sophie, being the most beautiful cheerleader and every guy's dream girl, lusted after a number of boys back in school, so we don't really know who she actually dated or fell for. Harris was a nerdy science freak and his best friend Adrian, who is now my boyfriend, was in the football team.

Sometimes, I feel lucky to have him, sometimes I don't. Adrian is almost perfect, the dream of every girl. He's breathtakingly hot, well-built and athletic, green eyes, dark hair, eight pack abs and huge biceps. He had all the looks. He could cook, paint, dance and even sing. He was the most popular and most wanted guy in the whole of the school. Girls worshipped and fell at his feet. He dated like six of them. And those girls matched his caliber; hot, sexy and popular. I can't count the number of times girls who gushed all over him and told me I didn't deserve him. And honestly, I didn't, in every which way. The only reason why I was still with him was because I still loved him, with everything I had. But on his side, I was skeptical about his feelings for me.

Susan would tell me; "He saw all the hot girls back in school, but he stooped low from his popularity and went for a dorky redhead like you. Are you still skeptical?"

Of course, I was still skeptical. He was handsome; there were other gorgeous girls who could snatch him from me. I had nothing to give. They had everything to give. I wasn't so pretty, not so sexy, not so fashionable and not so good in bed. The only thing I was good at was writing books. And that wasn't enough.

Due to that, I could notice some problems with Adrian's commitment to me. It looked like he was tired of coping with me. We've been dating for four years and now it's pretty obvious. He was tired of me. I could always see the look he gave the beautiful and sexy girls whenever they passed by and I knew he wished he wasn't with me, so that he'd go for them instead. I also see that look on his face anytime he looked at Sophie. I don't want to doubt him, but sometimes, I just have a feeling that something is going on between them. I felt like hindrance. This was why I felt unlucky.

I wished that just like Susan, I wouldn't have gone for a hunky guy, so that he could love me for who I am and be committed to me. Look how happy Susan is. She's gonna get married to her childhood sweetheart. What have I done?

"Um, guys, I need to go make this phone call. I'll be right back." Adrian says, and excuses himself. I nod at him and slouch in my love seat.

"Ingrid, are you alright? You look gloomy." Susan sits next to me and strokes my hair. Harris is yelling and dancing with some other guys in the club, celebrating his engagement. Sophie is rather busy with her phone.

"I'm fine; I just got emotional because I am happy for you. Congratulations."

"Hey, you do know that you can tell me anything." Susan tells me.
I nod. The music in the club is too loud, adding to my anxiety. I put the champagne glass between my lips and take a sip. I dislike the flavor. It has an unusual aftertaste.

"That's Vodka" Susan says, noticing the expression on my face.

"Oh." I say, putting the glass down. "I'm not doing alcohol today."

"If there's anything wrong with you, you can trust me. But I think I know how you feel. I'm sorry that you had to see Harris propose to me and all that...it must be torture."

"What, no! I really don't mind. I'm fine. I'm really happy for you, Susan. This was your dream." I say, trying to sound alright.

"I know it's your dream too." Susan takes my hand. "And I trust Adrian to make your dream come true. So relax, okay? Maybe he has something up his sleeve. You should be expecting it."

I force a smile. "Thank you. I, uh, I think I need to go and puke. I think I unconsciously took a lot of Vodka." I laugh.

"Will you be fine? Can I go with you?"

"No, I don't suck my thumb, Susan. I'll be okay."

"Okay. I'll be waiting. We'll be in the car."

I escape into the bathroom, bury my face in the WC and puke. I cup my face in my palms and wail. I feel like my head is being hammered with a mallet. I let myself collapse to the floor before taking heavy breaths.

Why am I getting a fever all of sudden? I shouldn't be anxious over anything on my best friend's engagement day. So I try to lift myself up when I hear some moaning sounds from the cubicle beside mine. I walk out of my cubicle and stand there quietly for a while to listen. Is everything alright there? I shrug and decide to walk away when I hear a familiar voice; "Sophie..."

"Shut up, Adrian. Just relax." Says another voice, and then I stand there frozen on the spot. Is that...Adrian? And Sophie? In the ladies' room?

Furiously, I stomp towards the cubicle and kick the door open. There I see shit face Adrian, with his shirt open and his hair in a mess, holding Sophie tightly, who is pinned to the wall, with her dress halfway up. Adrian lets go off her and chases after me as I begin to walk away without saying a word.

"Ingy! Ingy! Hold up! Please wait! I can explain. It's not what you think."
I spin around furiously and face him.

"Oh really? What do you want me to think after seeing you kissing my best friend very passionately in the ladies' room?"

"She kissed me." Adrian says.

I fold my hands at him. "She kissed you? In the ladies' room? What was your business there?"

"I..."he paused, fumbling for words. "I... came looking for you. Susan told me you were feeling nauseous."

"Oh stop it! I've had enough of you already. I have nothing to say to you right now, let's just head back home in peace. I already had a feeling that this was going to happen."

"Ingy..." Adrian calls, but I walk away and join the others in the limo. I don't say a word to Adrian till we get home. I then grab a blanket and a pillow and go and sleep by the pool, leaving the bedroom all to him. After all, he was tired of me.

❇

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