"What are you doing here, silly girl?" Diane asked as soon as she opened the door of her house for me. She let me in and told me to sit.

Her house was like the average house here in Misilly. I was glad that I knew her first before I came to James' household. In this house, even just for a few weeks stay, I got a taste of a mother's care.

She came back with a glass of orange juice and placed it down in front of me on the coffee table.

"I wanted to visit you and wish you to get well soon. The work at the house must be tiring you out and then you fell sick. I'm really sorry that I couldn't help much like I used to." I apologized on our behalf. It was James' decision to not employed another worker to help with Diane's work.

"Don't be silly, I was just not feeling well. The work at the household is nothing." She dismissed the topic. "Tell me, what's wrong with James?"

I felt like she knew why I came here and not just empty-headed. Because I got a lot of thinking on my mind right now.

"I don't know, Diane. Today, his parents came and things happened. Veronica asked if I am married because she saw the ring," I begin to speak and as I mentioned my ring, her eyes cast down to where it was supposed to be.

"Where is it?" She asked in curiosity.

"I left it."

"You never take it off. What did they say about you to upset you to this point?" She moved closer and tried to comfort me like I wished James did.

"Why would he marry a lower-class maid like me, Diane?" I asked just like what Blake said earlier. She frowned at my question.

"You both fell in love and no classes matter to him. He loves you, he fell in love with you. It was pure love between the two of you. There's no reason as to why he married you," Diane said, bringing me to the brim of tears.

"He denied me in front of his parents, Diane. Blake said that." I sobbed and she quickly brought me into her embrace.

"Help me, please," I begged her.

"Of course, I will help you. Whatever you need, just tell me." She rubbed my back in a comforting way.

-

"Why do I smell something is not right?" Nicholas asked as we arrived home. I had bought food for dinner on the way home, just like I promised.

"What are you talking about, Nicholas? Please, take your time to eat dinner," I said to him before getting out of the car with a bag of food in my hand.

I walked into the house and found James already walking towards me. He welcomed me with a hug and kisses. He always did that and it felt like a ritual to me now and I get used to it. One of many reasons why I loved him.

"I thought you'll be late. You haven't had dinner, have you?" He asked. He took the food bag out of my hand and carried it himself.

"No," I replied to him.

"Let's eat." He said, grabbing my hand and dragging me to the dining room.

He placed the food on the table and took the boxes out of the bag. So, I walked to the cupboard to get plates for us and other essentials.

He had seated on the chair, waiting for the plate. Putting the plates down, I grabbed the food box to put the contents out. But my hand was grabbed before I could do so. I turned to look at him and I saw where he was looking.

He took my hand, my left hand, and brought it closer to him. I looked at him while his eyes stared down at my hand. I knew he was looking at my ring finger which was bare now. I could feel his hand tighten around mine.

"Where's your ring?" He asked, his voice came out deep, and then he looked up at me. I avoided that question and tried to take my hand off his grip.

He got up from the chair and grabbed my shoulders to make me look at him.

"Jamee, where is your ring?" He knew the fact that no matter what, I never took off my ring. He emphasized the question was to intimidate me.

My eyes moved down to his pocket and he immediately got what I was trying to point out. With his eyes still on me, his hand dipped into his pocket. It wouldn't take him a while to find it. Once his hand was in, he would immediately feel the cold metal.

I could see the sadness in his eyes even though he was trying not to show it. He gripped my forearm with his other hand while his hand was still inside his pocket.

"Give me your hand," he commanded. I kept still while still looking into his eyes. I didn't give in, I on stood my ground.

"I said give me your hand!" He shouted. I saw him shout and scream, but this time was different. He was shouting in helplessness. He held me, but on my right hand, what he needed was my left hand.

"Who told you to take it off?" He asked darkly.

"Time. Maybe it was time for me to take it off," I replied.

"There's no definite time to tell you to take your wedding ring off. It was not for you to decide when, because there's no when. It is a symbol of our marriage, you as my wife," he said out loud.

"I never asked you to introduce me to your parents. But when they asked, I thought you will tell them the truth. But James, you broke the only trust I have. I trust you to take care of me and I believe you only want to protect me from your father's life." I pointed my forefinger to his chest. My eyes got blurry. "You denied me as your wife. So yes, James, it was time who told me to take it off."

"No, it's not," he objected. "I told you to listen to me first."

"What could you possibly say to heal my open wound, James? I wished you would comfort me, but no, you acted as if nothing happened." I finally got to say that to him. I just want him to know how I felt then.

"It hurts, James," I confessed and he pulled me into his arms right away. But he was too late, I had found my comfort.

Once again, I sobbed on his chest. I let everything out on him as he held me tight.

"You need to be safe, Jamee. For us," he murmured very quietly and I almost didn't catch that. But, I was too tired to react.