Truman rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Just hope you can understand."

"Understand?" Terese admitted. "I've had plenty of clients, but fewer than you see my updates. You were one of them. I misjudged you. It was my fault for being so trusting and sharing—"

"Idiot," she muttered, finishing the sentence.

Guilt flickered in Truman's eyes. He said, "I'm sorry. I don't know who to turn to. I've told Simons countless times to move on, but now she's fixated on your…ex-husband."

"I owe her," Truman continued, "so if this is what she wants, I have to go along with it."

Teresa listened quietly, a sudden chill creeping over her. He has to go along with it if this is what she wants? What if Simons asked him to commit murder? Would he go along with that too?

Teresa declared, "I must have been crazy to come to you for therapy. Honesty, I wrote there's no…" She trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Truman's previously calm expression darkened instantly, as if her words had struck a nerve.

Teresa drove off, far, far away, until she reached the company. An employee greeted her, met with a faint smile from Teresa, which vanished the moment she reached her desk. She opened a drawer, revealing a ring that gleamed under the light.

Her mind drifted back to a fight with Jonathan. She had grabbed his hand, yanked off his wedding ring, and thrown it into the river. "Jonathan, marrying you was my biggest regret," she had screamed. The ring hit the water and disappeared. Jonathan, eyes burning with anger, clenched his fists but said nothing, eventually storming off.

The moment she threw the ring, Teresa regretted it. She waded into the icy water, searching for hours. Her legs and hands numb from the cold, she finally found it.

That night, Jonathan called. "Where are you? Why aren't you home yet?"

"I'm at Miriam's. I don't want to see you. Go spend time with Yvonne and your mother," Teresa snapped.

"You're out of all reason. Fine. You just stay at Miriam's forever," Jonathan retorted.

Actually, Teresa hadn't gone to Miriam's. Soaked to the bone from retrieving the ring, she didn't want Miriam to worry or mock her. She stayed at a nearby motel.

The next morning, Teresa removed her own wedding ring and placed it beside his. She even considered selling them. After all, diamonds held little value these days; gold would be a smarter choice.

When she returned home, Jonathan's face was pale. He stared at her and asked, "Where's your wedding ring?"

She stubbornly lied, saying she had thrown hers away too.

"Teresa, you're so ruthless," Jonathan said, coughing as he left.

That night, Jonathan didn't come home, and Teresa didn't care. She curled up at home with a cold, unconcerned about his whereabouts.

After that, she never wore her wedding ring again. Nor did she tell Jonathan she had retrieved his ring from the river long ago. When they divorced, she took nothing. Nevertheless, she kept both rings, symbols of their failed marriage, a constant reminder of love's unreliability.

Teresa's thoughts snapped back to the present, and she collapsed onto her desk, sobs wracking her body. Jennifer had been searching for her everywhere. Pushing open the office door and seeing Teresa, Jennifer sighed in relief. But the sight of Teresa crying tightened her chest with guilt and unease. Is it because I pressured her into an abortion? she wondered.

Teresa looked up, frowning, clearly uncomfortable with being caught in such a vulnerable moment. She hastily wiped away her tears, trying to compose herself.

"Jennifer, why didn't you knock before entering my office?" Teresa asked.

"I was worried sick. Didn't we agree you'd go to Miriam's to deal with your friend? You never went, and you weren't answering your phone," Jennifer said.

"I had my phone muted," Teresa muttered, clearly uninterested in going to Miriam's because of what had happened. "So, what did you tell Benny?"

"I had Miriam and Sherry put on an act. Sherry pretended to be Miriam's cousin, and Mike was introduced as her son," Jennifer explained.

"Did he buy it?" Teresa asked. "Benny is sharp. He might not believe it."

"What else can we do? We're leaving anyway. I've started wrapping up my work at the hospital. Let's leave by the end of the month," Jennifer said.

"Alright," Teresa agreed. "I was just about to tell you the same thing."

With over a week until the end of the month, Teresa considered finishing her work. She wondered if Jonathan would return from his business trip by then, but she wouldn't ask. She guessed he'd figure it out when he realized she was gone.

Seeing Jennifer still standing there, Teresa stood up. "I'll book the air tickets now. Is there anything else?"

Jennifer pressed her lips together. "We need to talk calmly, about the baby you're carrying."