3
458words
I ignored her,warning,"Let me go.Your boyfriend's waiting for surgery."
She grabbed my hand,fixating on my ring.
Screaming,"You dare threaten me?This ring—Ethan bought it,didn't he?Expensive,huh?"
"Like it?Answer me,do you like it?"
"Seven years with him,and he never got me one.Why you?"
The misunderstanding deepened.She wouldn't hear that it was my wedding ring.
I explained,"It's my husband's.Not Ethan's."
She didn't care,yanking at it.
The ring was my husband's only keepsake.
Two years ago,he was in a car crash,barely alive when brought in.
I wasn't the lead surgeon then—I could only watch helplessly as he died on the operating table.
Since that day,I had worn the ring every day,removing it only during surgeries.
Olivia tugged,but my clenched fist stopped her.
The livestream erupted in anger, the crowd furious that a supposed "mistress" had a ring while the "girlfriend" didn't.
"My God,the girlfriend gets nothing,but the bitch gets a ring?That guy's trash."
"Help her take it!Rip it off!"
A user,"HateMistresses",pledged ten grand in gifts to see the ring removed.
The mob pounced,prying my hand open.Olivia snatched the ring,twirling it smugly.
"What should I do with it?"she asked the stream.
Suggestions poured in—sell it,smash it.
The top-voted idea:toss it in the hospital's back dumpster.
"She's so vain,she'll dig for it.Trash looking for trash in the trash—hilarious!"
The mob cheered.Olivia smirked.
She tapped my face with the ring."Agree to toss it?"
I shook my head."No.It's my husband's keepsake.Please don't."
Tears mixed with the pepper spray,stinging worse.
The comments flooded in,demanding she throw it away,with viewers sending more gifts to egg her on.
The mob cheered her on.
I watched in terror,afraid she'd actually do it.
Olivia smiled."You don't want it thrown?Fine."
Relief hit—then her voice turned sickly sweet.
"But you'll call yourself a filthy tramp who loves being one on the livestream,or I toss it now."
I froze.She wanted to humiliate me like that?
Seeing my hesitation,she strode to the window.
I screamed,"I'll say it!Don't throw it!"
My husband's memory meant more to me than my pride.
Olivia sauntered back,aiming her phone at my face,grinning."Go on."
I tried to speak but choked.
The stream,now at a million viewers,roared with jeers.
"Hurry up!I've got popcorn ready."
"Threatening to do surgery earlier,and now look at her.Pathetic."
"Just say it!"
Everyone waited for my shame.I had no choice.
Olivia slapped me twice."Speak,you bitch!Loud and proud."
I took a breath and faced the camera.
"I'm a filthy tramp who loves being one."
I bowed my head,avoiding the screen,knowing they were laughing.
The mob jeered.An older woman smirked."Bet she enjoyed saying it."
Shocked,I glared.She kicked me.
"What're you looking at,tramp?Got the nerve to look up?"
Their gazes turned colder.
I faced Olivia,firm."I said it.Give me the ring."
