When it came time for gifts, my heart raced with the same excitement I felt as a kid. My parents handed me an envelope with money, saying it was for \u201cwhatever dream I hadn\u2019t chased yet.\u201d Mark\u2019s sister gave me a set of skincare products, thoughtful and sweet. His mom, Linda, offered me a soft towel\u2014practical, just like everything she chose.<\/p>\n
Then Mark stood up and handed me a small, velvet box. My palms grew damp. I opened it slowly, and there it was\u2014a delicate gold ring with a diamond that shimmered under the light. It was the exact ring I had admired so many times but never dared to ask for.<\/p>\n
\u201cMark\u2026 this must have cost a fortune,\u201d I whispered, my voice shaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor you? Nothing is too much,\u201d he said, smiling with that look that makes my heart melt.<\/p>\n
I hugged him, kissed his cheek, and for a moment I was on cloud nine.<\/p>\n
But then, the air shifted.<\/p>\n
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