Chapter 51: A Ring of Truth


    Trent watched Bree walk down the aisle. He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t stop at her seat. It had


    been a shock that she’d stayed as long as she did. The fact that she had actually sang that song at his


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    wedding, while staring into his eyes, let him know how much he meant to her--she really did love him,


    still.


    And here he was, holding the hands of a woman he knew had cheated on him with his best friend,


    getting ready to say, “I do.” I do--what? Want to be with you? Want to spend the rest of my life with


    you? Treasure you? Trust you? Love you? Were any of those things true?


    Trent thought about that picture he’d been staring at all morning. What was it screaming out at him that


    Monica was still lying? He couldn’t quite ce it, but he knew it was there. If only he could put his finger


    on it, maybe it would be enough for him to realize he was making a mistake.


    “Have you the ring?” the pastor asked, and by his tone, it seemed like maybe it wasn’t the first time


    he’d said it.


    “The ring?” Trent repeated.


    “Yes, the ring.”


    He turned to Hank, and he dropped the wedding band into his hand. Monica stuck her left hand out, her


    engagement ring in ce, twinkling at him.


    And it hit him--right then and there--like a ton of bricks. Like a punch to the gut. “The ring,” he said,


    even though the pastor was telling him to say something else, to repeat, “With this ring I thee wed.” He


    couldn’t repeat that phrase, though. Not to Monica. “The ring….” Trent said again.


    Monica had an awkward smile stered to her face. Her eyes darted from Trent to the crowd and then


    back again. “Trent?” she asked. “Put the ring on… my finger.”


    “The ring was on your finger.” It was almost to himself, not to her, but then he looked up, looked her


    straight in the eyes. “You said it was a long time ago, but it wasn’t. You were wearing your ring.”


    “No, I wasn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “It was a different ring.”


    “No, I could see the diamond in the picture.” He let go of her hand, took a step back. “You did that after


    we bought the ring.”


    “No, I didn’t, Trent. Please.” Her eyes fixed on the crowd for a moment. Then, she turned back to him.


    With her teeth gritted together, Monica said, “Don’t do this now.”


    He studied her for a moment. She was trying so hard to save face, to not be embarrassed in front of


    this entire chapel full of people. Not being embarrassed was far more important to her than making a


    mistake. “How can you say you love me when you would do something like that?”


    “Trent--stop!” It was a threat. He knew that look, that tone. She’d used it lots of times before when she


    wanted him to do something he wasn’tfortable with or let her buy something he thought was a


    waste of money. “Knock it off. Put. That. Ring. On. My. Finger.”


    Murmurs from the crowd reached his ear now, and he realized they were all trying to figure out what


    was happening. Why were they arguing? Was he really contemting not putting the ring on her


    finger? Was there a chance the wedding wasn’t going to happen?


    Trent took another step back. “I can’t do that, Monica. I can’t put this ring on your finger. I can’t stand


    up here in front of all of these people that I love and respect, people who love and respect us, and tell a


    lie. I can’t love you, Monica, not when you’ve made it painfully obvious that you don’t love me.”


    “Trent--you’re being ridiculous! Of course I love you! Sleeping with Hank was a mistake, okay? I admit


    that! It was one mistake!”


    Gasps echoed through the chapel. The pastor took a big step back, as if he would no longer condone


    this wedding himself even if Trent decided he did want to go through with it.


    “It wasn’t one mistake. It wasn’t one time. It wasn’t even just Hank, I have no doubt. I’m sorry, Monica.


    But I don’t love you anymore, not when you care so little for me. I can’t give you this ring. And I can’t


    make you my wife.”


    Monica mmed her hands down to her thighs. “What? You can’t be serious! You asshole! You know


    you’ll never find anyone as good as me. What are you nning to do? Run off after that little bitch


    country singer? You think that song was about you, don’t you? Well, it wasn’t! She doesn’t love you!”


    “I don’t know whether she does or not,” Trent said, ignoring her angry words and doing his best to keep


    his cool, “but Bree would never, ever treat anyone the way that you’ve treated me--or the way that


    you’ve treated Hank for that matter. You’re not the type of woman I want to be with Monica. You can be


    angry. You can yell in front of all of these nice people, if you want to, but I won’t be here to listen to it.


    I’ve gotta go.”


    With that, Trent turned and headed out through the same side door he’d entered through. Monica was


    shouting his name after him, but he didn’t stop. His walk turned into a run as he thought about where


    he needed to go and what he needed to do. He knew he wasn’t thinking clearly at the moment, but


    deep down inside, it was clear what needed to happen next, and even if it was just as painful as


    making a scene at his almost-wedding in front of hundreds of people, it needed to happen, and it


    needed to happen now.