Chapter 170
“How about it? Do you like it?” Melvin asked with his voice remarkably steady.
Jocelyn gazed at the ring on her finger, feeling neither the rush of excitement nor the flutter of joy that she had expected.
She should have felt happy.
After all, this was something she had been waiting for, a token she had longed for.
And now, as he sipped the ring onto her finger himself, it was supposed to be a dream come true.
But the joy just wasn’t there.
“What are you doing?” Jocelyn looked up at him, utterly confused.
Melvin took a deep breath and caressed the diamond ring. “I’ve never given you a ring before. This is the first time.”
She looked down; the diamond was massive and sparkled brilliantly.
Yes, it was the first time he had given her a ring.
“This is how I feel.” Melvin said, holding her hand a little tighter with a trace of uncertainty in his eyes. “Do you accept?”
There was no proposal, just a man desperately trying to convey his attitude.
But somehow, it felt more significant than the traditional “will you marry me”.
Jocelyn had never imagined him getting down on one knee; it just didn’t seem like something he would do.
He probably was the only man in the world who could slip a ring on a woman’s finger with such urgency and a hint of dominance.
Jocelyn took a deep breath and met his gaze. “I accept.”
Melvin’s tense expression relaxed at her words.
After paying for the ring, they walked hand in hand into the bright sunshine outside. It was a beautiful day.
finger caught the light and
felt a sense
icing on
they didn’t notice the car parking across the street.
emerge from the jewelry store hand in hand. Her eyes were filled with envy
understood the situation, dashed into the shop, and
diamond ring.” the
her fists. Her pretty eyes were swirling
had bought Jocelyn
going
let’s go. Kellan is waiting for you.”
used to be fawned over and courted for her perceived future
had to regain her footing, climb higher, and show
money and status, she couldn’t let go of Melvin’s good looks and physique. He was the man
and she was left out in the cold when everything was supposed to go well
couldn’t have Melvin herself, she wouldn’t let Jocelyn have an
and then left
a bit sheepish; the more she tried to hide, the more
the size of that diamond!” Quinta was the first to notice, grabbing her hand in awe. “How many carats is that?”
bit her lip and was embarrassed. “I’m not
the ring. “Did he just buy
Jocelyn admitted with
a playful nudge. “He proposed?”
a tough one for Jocelyn
Sort of.
it didn’t exactly seem
hugging Jocelyn’s shoulder reassuringly and turning to the still stunned Calvin and Daisy, “Aunt, Uncle, you can rest
looked down. The joys she had been suppressing now burst
beaming smile. “Jocelyn
it’s not certain yet.” Jocelyn interjected, happy but not wanting to make
confirmed, and Melvin’s family hadn’t even
arranged marriages, it was still important to know
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!