Lost Me Gained Regret

Then the both gave me their gifts.

Mark handed me a beautifully wrapped gift box with a warm smile, saying, "Hope you like it."

"Thanks, Mark," I responded with a grin, genuinely touched by the gesture.

My surprise was evident when I discovered a dress of such unique design inside. "Did I you design this yourself?"

"Yeah, it's one of a kind," he replied with a proud chuckle.

"Mark, you're so thoughtful!" Christine complimented, before playfully challenging Bryant, "Mr. Ferguson, since you're here for the housewarming party, I assume you've brought a gift as well?"

I wanted to intervene, knowing that Christine had caught Bryant off guard, but she silenced me with a glance.

Bryant locked eyes with me, his gaze intense, before he reached into his suit jacket and presented me with a small velvet box. "I hadn't found the right moment to give this to you- until now," he said, his voice barely concealing the emotion beneath.

"What is it?" Christine leaned over, her curiosity piqued.

Upon opening the box, I was stunned to find a pair of ruby earrings. "You were the one who bid on these?" I asked, incredulously.

The earrings, a much-coveted item from a recent auction, known for their unpar color and clarity, had fetched a staggering price, bought by a mysterious bidder. I admired them online, never imagining they would end up as a gift from Bryant.

"Do you like them?" Bryant asked, his smile deepening.

"They're too expensive," I protested. While the gifts from Mark and Christine were generous, they were within my comfort zone. These earrings, however, were beyond my wildest expectations. The thought of accepting such a lavish gift from Bryant, especially when we were on the verge of divorcing, made me hesitate.

"Love them!" Christine intervened before I could refuse, offering Bryant a sincere smile. "Mr. Ferguson, you're the most generous ex-husband ever!"

I choked on my drink, coughing as Christine's words took me by surprise.

"Mr. Ferguson, cheers! Holding up her glass, she toasted Bryant and then proceeded to down several more in his honor.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

After the party, as I was getting ready for bed, Christine, a bit tipsy, made a point. "You were being silly not accepting it. After the divorce settlement you've agreed to, you should

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take whatever you can get."

"This apartment itself is worth a fortune," I laughed off her concern.

"But can you easily turn it into cash? Keep the jewelry. It'll serve as both a statement piece and a rainy day fund," she advised, reminding me that to someone like Bryant, the cost was trivial. "Besides, if you don't take it, who knows who will? Why let someone else benefit?"

As the evening wound down, Steven and Christine, clearly having enjoyed the wine, were sprawled on the couch, barely moving.

While they were sleeping, Steven tried to curl up with Christine, whoo m half-asleep, kicked him off the bed with a grumbled "Get lost!"

Shaking my head in amusement, I covered them with blankets.

Looking up, I accidentally met Bryant's gaze. He appeared om unexpectedly vulnerable, his eyes slightly glazed and his posture relaxed in a way that seemed out of character.

Approaching him, I softly offered, "Let me drive you home."

But he just glanced towards Mark, who was tidying up the kitchen, and replied in a husky voice, "

His words, tinged with a hint of hurt, caught me off guard.