He Gave My Sister My Engagement Ring

My boyfriend, Carter, was a man obsessed with "milestones." During our three years in a longdistance relationship, he would always prepare two surprise gifts for every birthday and anniversary.

One was for me, and the other was for my sister, Lily. I used to think he was just being sweet, loving my family because he loved me.

But over those three years, the gifts I unwrapped were always cheap, tendollar plush keychains. Meanwhile, Lily always got designer handbags and luxury jewelry.

Every time I saw Lily showing off her gifts on Instagram, I would make excuses for him. Maybe the courier mixed up the packages.

Maybe he just packed them in the wrong boxes by accident. I never even confronted him about it.

That was until yesterday, when I saw a Snapchat notification pop up on Lily's phone from Carter. "Remember to pick the smallest box." "There’s a special surprise in there for you." My breath caught in my throat.

I scrolled up through their chat history. For three whole years, on every single anniversary, Carter had told Lily beforehand which box size to choose.

He did it so she would always unwrap the expensive, thoughtful gifts he had prepared for her. Finally, the truth stared me in the face. The courier didn't mess up.

And he wasn't careless. He had simply, time and time again, taken the gifts meant for me and handed them to Lily.

It turned out that I was the only one who took his three years of "milestones" seriously. Fine. From now on, I didn't need his anniversaries anymore. And I didn't need him.

Carter sent another package of "surprises." The moment Lily got the delivery, she immediately FaceTimed him.

Once the call connected, Carter’s face appeared on the screen. "Got the packages?" he asked with a grin. "You know the drill.

Chloe gets to choose first." Lily sat down next to me on the couch and said casually, "I'll take the smallest one." Her words were identical to the Snapchat message I had seen on her phone the night before.

I bit my lip, feeling a sharp sting in my nose. No wonder.

Every time we opened gifts, Lily would act so sweet and considerate, pretending to do me a favor by taking the smaller box.

She was just terrified I would accidentally choose the surprise Carter had packaged for her. Lily couldn't wait to rip her box open.

This time, inside the blue box was a classic Tiffany & Co. engagement ring. I froze. Looking at that ring, my heart stopped.

When I was eighteen and Carter confessed his love to me, he had used a soda can pulltab he had ripped off on a whim.

Back then, his eyes were full of guilt as he promised me. "One day, I’ll buy you the most expensive diamond ring." I had laughed and replied, "Then I want you to propose to me with a classic Tiffany ring." "Deal.

I promise." I had waited ten years for that ring. Yet, Carter had given it to someone else as a "surprise." I lowered my gaze.

I reached out, picked up the remaining box, and slowly opened it. Looking at the cheap plush keychain inside, I let out a selfdeprecating laugh. What was I even hoping for?

Did I actually expect Carter to give me a real surprise?

Seeing another cheap toy in my hands, Lily let out a giggle. "Chloe, how is your luck always so terrible?" "It’s been three years, and you always get these cheap keychains." I didn't answer her.

Instead, I looked straight at Carter on the screen. "Carter, didn't you promise you would buy me a Tiffany ring?" Carter gave a helpless, casual laugh. "Chloe, I did buy it.

But you were the one with bad luck today. Lily was the one who drew the ring. You can't really blame me for that, can you?" I went completely silent.

I just stared at him coldly through the screen. Sensing the tension, Lily quickly took off the ring and tried to hand it to me. "Chloe, take the ring back. Don't fight with Carter.

He just didn't expect your luck to be this bad." "Give it back for what?" Carter’s voice on FaceTime turned impatient. "Chloe, since Lily drew it, it belongs to Lily.

Are you really going to throw a tantrum and steal from Lily just because you had bad luck?" "Can you stop being so spoiled?

Lily only spoils you because you're her sister, but you're taking it too far." I let out a soft scoff.

If I hadn't seen their Snapchat messages, I really would have believed I just had bad luck. But the truth was painful. It wasn't that my luck was bad.

It was that Carter had given all of my luck to Lily.

I looked down at the diamond ring Lily was holding out to me. I didn't take it. "Forget it. I don't want it anymore." With that, I stood up and walked away.

It wasn't meant for me anyway. Taking it would just make me feel pathetic. Back in my apartment.

I looked at the glass display cabinet filled with cheap plush keychains, and my eyes welled up with tears.

From age eighteen to twentyeight, my feelings for Carter had never wavered. I had kept every single thing he gave me. Even if they were just a pile of worthless toys.

But now I realized. In Carter’s eyes, I was probably just like these keychains—cheap and disposable. I took a deep breath, refusing to hesitate any longer.

I pulled every single keychain out of the cabinet and threw them straight into the trash can. Just as I finished, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Carter. "I’m back in town.

Come downstairs. I’m taking you to see our new house." Only then did I remember. The house we bought was finally ready for movein.

Carter had booked a flight back to inspect the house and take me to meet his parents to discuss our wedding date. I had helped him pay off the mortgage for five years.

That house was supposed to be mine too. After a moment of thought, I decided to go. When I got downstairs, I opened the passenger door out of habit.

But Lily was already sitting in the passenger seat. I looked up at Carter. He smiled and said, "Forgot the rules?" "First come, first served.

Whoever gets downstairs first gets the front seat." I clenched my jaw. In the five years since Carter bought this car, I had never sat in the passenger seat once.

Lily and I lived in the same apartment complex. Every time we went out, Carter would text us both at the exact same time. Whoever got to the car first sat in the front.

But in five years, no matter how fast I ran downstairs, I never won. I used to think I was just too slow. Now I realized.

Carter probably texted Lily five minutes before he texted me. Just like he always told her which gift to pick. I didn't get into the car.

Instead, I stared directly at Carter. "I thought you were taking me to see our new house." "Why is she here?" Carter laughed helplessly. "Lily has the keys to the house.

If we don't bring her, how are we supposed to get in?" I froze, completely stunned. Lily, acting as if she didn't notice my expression, teased him. "Carter, you should be ashamed.

You lost the keys only two weeks after you got them.

When are you going to fix your messy habits?" Carter looked at her with an incredibly tender smile. "All my stuff is kept safe with you anyway.

Why would I need to change when I have you?" The two of them laughed and bickered, totally in their own world. My heart turned icecold.

When the house was ready, since only Carter’s name was on the deed, the agent had mailed the keys to him. I had asked him for a spare set back then. But he had said, "It’s my house.

Why do you need the keys?" Only now did I know. The keys I had begged for but never received had been given to Lily all along.

I got into the back seat anyway. I watched them chat the entire ride. They talked about the football game Lily had watched with him, and the online video games they played together.

It was a world I could not enter. When we got out of the car, Lily whined that she was thirsty. Carter smiled helplessly. "Fine, fine, I get it.

I’ll go buy you a drink, okay?" "Iced matcha latte, thirty percent sweet, right?" "You've had it a million times, aren't you sick of it yet?" He sounded annoyed, but he remembered her exact order perfectly.

When he came back, he handed me a mango smoothie. "Here, bought this for you." I didn't take it.

Instead, I looked up at him. "I'm allergic to mangoes." Carter looked a bit embarrassed. "Oh... Sorry, Chloe. I forgot." "Just drink water then.

I'll drink this." With that, he walked ahead with Lily, sidebyside, heading up the stairs. I stared at his back for a long time before slowly following them.

When we reached the apartment, Carter pushed the door open. The floor was covered in rose petals and candlelights. All of Carter’s friends were standing there.

Before I could react, someone ran up, pulled me into the center of the heartshaped rose petals, and placed a white bridal veil on my head. My heart leaped.

I realized Carter was proposing. But before the joy could even register, Carter reached out and snatched the veil off my head.

He laughed and looked at the friend who had put it on me. "Wrong girl.

She’s not the main character today." The friend blinked, confused. "Wait... isn't Chloe your girlfriend?" "Yeah," Carter laughed. "Chloe is my girlfriend, but the one I’m proposing to today is Lily." With that, he placed the veil onto Lily’s head.

Then he turned to me. "Chloe, don't blame me for this.

You had bad luck and Lily drew the engagement ring." "Since Lily got the ring, she has to be the one I propose to today." I stood there like a statue, my mind going completely blank.

Right in front of me, Carter dropped to one knee before Lily.

He held up the Tiffany ring, his eyes filled with pure devotion. "Lily, will you marry me?" Tears welled up in Lily’s eyes. "Yes!

I do!" To anyone watching, they looked like the perfect, beautiful couple. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

I watched Carter pull Lily into his arms and kiss her forehead with absolute reverence. The room erupted into cheers, and confetti rained down.

I stood in the middle of the celebration, watching my boyfriend propose to my sister. Whispers from his friends began to drift into my ears. "Damn, Carter is bold.

Proposing to another girl right in front of his girlfriend, and Chloe doesn't even dare to say a word." "Girlfriend? I bet Chloe is getting replaced soon.

Didn't you see the way Carter looks at Lily?" "Poor Chloe, though.

She wasted ten years with him, and she didn't even get a real proposal in the end..." I couldn't stand it for another second. I turned around to leave. But Carter grabbed my wrist.

He looked at me with a careless smirk. "Come on, Chloe. It was just a joke. You're not actually mad, are you?" I said nothing, just staring at him in silence.

Seeing this, Lily hurriedly took off the ring and tried to push it into my hand. "Chloe, don't be mad. I’ll give the ring back.

Just pretend Carter was using me to practice his proposal..." Her eyes turned red as she looked down at the ring, her face filled with reluctance.

Carter frowned. "Chloe, since Lily likes the ring, let her keep it. I’ll buy you another one later." "There are so many people here today.

Don't make things difficult for her." I looked at him and said softly, "Okay." Carter blinked, clearly surprised that I was being so cooperative this time.

He smiled and reached out to ruffle my hair. "My girl is so good today." "Tell you what.

As a reward, I’ll stay in town and spend a few extra days with you before I leave." "Haven't you always hated longdistance and wanted me to stay longer?" "I’ll make your wish come true this time." I shook my head. "No need." "I don't need you to stay with me anymore, Carter." I looked down at the ring on Lily’s finger and said calmly, "Since you’ve already proposed to Lily, let’s break up." "From now on, I don't need you in my life anymore."

The smile instantly froze on Carter’s face. "Chloe, are you seriously doing this right now?" "It’s just a ring.

Do you really have to throw a tantrum and talk about breaking up?" "Yes," I said. Lily suddenly burst into tears. "Chloe, please don't fight with Carter. This is all my fault.

You two have been together for ten years and were about to get married. You shouldn't break up over something so trivial..." "If you're really that angry, I’ll apologize to you.

I'm sor—" Before she could finish, Carter pulled her into his arms. "Why are you apologizing to her?" "You've coddled her too much over the years." He glared at me, his brows knitted together in anger. "Chloe, if you keep being this childish and selfish, it only proves you're not fit for marriage." "Then we won't get married," I replied coldly. "Carter, the engagement is off." "We are done." I turned and walked away with long strides.

Behind me, Carter’s friends tried to urge him. "Bro, aren't you going to go after her?" "Aren't you afraid Chloe is actually breaking up with you this time?" Carter snorted. "She’s been with me since she was eighteen.

She’s threatened to break up with me at least eighty times." "When has she ever meant it?" "Don't worry.

In a few days, I’ll just say a couple of sweet words and she’ll come crawling back to me." Walking out of the building, I stood on the sidewalk, taking a deep breath to force back the tears stinging my eyes.

Just as I calmed my racing heart, my phone rang.

It was my boss, Sarah. "Chloe, there’s an opening for a Director position at our European branch." "The board reviewed your performance and thinks you're the best fit.

Would you be interested in taking the transfer?" I clutched my phone tightly. The image of Carter proposing to Lily flashed in my mind, causing a sharp pang in my chest.

Without a second of hesitation, I answered. "Yes. I’ll take it."