The Gloves That Ended Us

Betty's words jogged my memory. This necklace was a birthday gift from my son last year.

To surprise me, they'd gone to the auction incognito. That was why no one knew who bought it.

Alex bought her story, frowning. "I thought you were just materialistic. Didn't figure you'd stoop to being a side piece for cash."

I stayed silent, unwilling to waste my breath on people like them.

But my silence made Alex think he'd hit the nail on the head. He pulled out his phone, sanctimonious. "How much do you need? I'll give it to you. Consider it compensation for your necklace."

"No need. It isn't expensive," I said coldly.

The necklace might be pricey for them, but even my son's allowance could cover that.

I didn't need his money, nor did I want any connection with him. My husband would be mad.

Alex paused, then chuckled, "Don't get me wrong. I simply can't stand seeing you like this. This is a charity gala. Helping an ex out with some living money is just humane. Don't worry. I've got zero other intentions toward you."

Betty stepped out from behind him and linked arms with him, trying to pull him away. "Let's just ignore her. She is in that trade. Who knows what germs she's carrying? We can't risk catching anything. Besides, she graduated from a top college. Even at her lowest, she could wait tables and eat. But no, she chases guys. It's all because she's lazy and won't hustle."

"Watch your mouth!" I cut her off. "Slander is a crime, you know."

She flinched, hiding behind Alex. She glared. "What, you can do it but can't own it?"

I grew anxious. The sun was setting, and my son's project wasn't done yet.

I had no time to waste on these two.

I bent down to pick up a bottle when Alex roughly grabbed my arm and yanked me up.

"You sneered at the gloves I gave you. Now you're out here picking trash?" he spat. "Even if you begged me now, I wouldn't look back at you."

I was speechless.

It was just ridiculous for him to think that I broke up with him over some gloves.

Back then, Betty wanted to leave Alex for a married old guy. Alex got so down that he tried to jump off a bridge.

I bumped into it and saved him. To stop him from trying suicide again, I stuck with him through that tough time.

Maybe my presence filled the gap Betty left. Alex grew fond of me and chased me.

I agreed to date him, but everything changed with Betty's return.

That old guy had scammed her out of everything and dumped her.

That same day, Alex started distancing himself. He stopped answering my calls or replying to my texts.

On my birthday, he used his supermarket points for a pair of dishwashing gloves as a gift. That was like an implication that I was just a maid to him.

The irony? I still held out hope for him then.

Then the media blasted that Alex had spent five million dollars on a gem for Betty. That was when my heart shattered.

Now he still didn't get it. The gloves didn't matter.

I shook him off and rubbed my sore wrist. "I'm doing great now. Mind your own business."

He eyed me suspiciously, and I sighed, "Plus, I'm married. If my husband saw you grabbing me like this, he'd flip."

Alex stepped back. Shock was written all over his face. "You got married behind my back?"