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For five years, Mark and I were the perfect couple, or so I thought. He was the promising artist, and I, the talented interior designer. But for five years, he had never once talked about marrying me. His reason? His deceased brother' s widow, Olivia. He claimed his "duty" was to fulfill his brother' s dying wish: to have a child with Olivia. So, I endured, counting the nights he spent in her bed, the scent of her perfume clinging to him when he returned. On the sixtieth day, Olivia announced her pregnancy. Mark was ecstatic, promising me a wedding in one week. That same night, at a massive party to celebrate the pregnancy, I stood in the crowd, waiting for him to announce our engagement. Instead, he got down on one knee, pulled out a diamond ring, and proposed to Olivia. My heart shattered. He had publicly humiliated me. Later, the stinging reality of my betrayal was cemented by a text from Olivia: "He was never yours." I was no more than a placeholder, a fool warming his bed while he pursued his true agenda. The pain was unbearable, but a cold resolve flickered within me. When Mark, oblivious, later tried to gaslight me with more lies, I saw a hickey on his neck. He then ran off to Olivia, leaving me in the car to get a cab. Back at the apartment, he even offered me a smaller ring and then audaciously asked if Olivia, his pregnant fiancée, could move in with us, citing a high-risk pregnancy. He wanted me to care for her. The audacity was astounding. Yet, a strange calm washed over me. "Okay," I said, my voice steady. "She can move in." The next evening, Olivia faked a fall down the stairs, accusing me of trying to harm her baby. Mark' s face, contorted with rage, snarled at me: "If anything happens to this baby, I will destroy you. I swear to God, I will ruin your life." The last thread snapped. No anger, no sadness. Just peace. I was free. I walked to our bedroom, took my packed suitcase, and dropped the engagement ring into the trash. Then, I walked out.