Chapter 5 Wedding Ring

• Nevertheless, Enrique was puzzled. He had never seen the little girl before and had no idea why she was calling him her father. Turning, he glanced at the woman who drove the BMW, only to see her eyes shimmering with tears as she stood at the side.
• "You must have mistaken me for someone else, little girl. I'm not—" He began to clarify things to the little girl, but the woman interrupted him before he could finish.
• "Your daddy came back just to see you, Annie. How could he ever get tired of you? He loves you the most. Anyway... he just returned. I need to talk to him, so why don't you wait here by yourself for a moment while we step out? Okay, Annie?" the woman cut him off and said to her daughter, smiling as she discreetly wiped away her tears.
• "Okay. I'll be a good girl and wait for Daddy to come back." The little girl, Annie, nodded obediently before saying to Enrique, "I love you, Daddy."
• "I... You... What..." Enrique was completely confused, both by the little girl and the woman.
• "Come outside for a moment. I'll explain to you," the woman whispered. Then, she left the hospital room with him.
• Once outside, she closed the hospital room door behind them and led him to the emergency exit at the end of the corridor.
• "I'm sorry about earlier." She apologized to Enrique before explaining, "That was my daughter. Her father passed away in an accident less than six months after she was born, so she has never seen him. At least, not since she could understand the world around her. She's still young, and I'm afraid it would traumatize her, so I never told her about her father's death. I've been lying to her, saying that he's working abroad and doesn't have time to come back. She has always wanted to see him. Last night, she had a relapse and had to undergo surgery, so I told her that her father would visit her after the operation to keep her strong. That's why she mistook you, who suddenly came in, as her father earlier. She's sick now, and I don't want to upset her. So... So, I didn't correct her just now. Please don't take offense."
• Enrique was momentarily stunned. It was only then that he understood the whole situation. He felt pity for the beautiful little girl.
• "What illness does she have? I hope it's not serious?" he asked casually.
• At that question, he noticed a slight change in her expression, particularly her gaze. He felt as though tears might escape her eyes at any moment.
• "No, it's just a common cold and fever. She'll be fine after a few days in the hospital," the woman answered with a smile. Then, she asked cheerfully, "Where's the ring? I'm sorry you had to come here in person when it was my fault for bumping into you. I apologize."
• As she said that, she opened her bag, took out a stack of bills, and counted them. It was clear that the money was meant for him.
• Enrique suddenly felt awkward, and he remained silent for a long moment.
• "Here's five hundred to compensate for your losses. And here's another two hundred for the transportation cost of your trip. Lastly, here's three hundred to make up for your time and income today. It's a total of one thousand. Here you go." The woman handed him the money stack by stack.
• "There's... There's no rush for this," Enrique murmured awkwardly.
• "What's wrong?" The woman studied him. Then, she asked, "Do you find it too little? Name your price, then. As long as it's reasonable, I'll agree. After all, it was my mistake that caused you to suffer losses, and I even made you come here today."
• "No, it's enough. The money is more than sufficient," Enrique hastily clarified.
• "What's the problem, then?" the woman pressed curiously.
• "I... I... I lost... your ring." Enrique fixed his gaze on her and finally mustered his courage to admit it after much stammering and hesitation. He knew that some matters could never be avoided forever. It was his mistake, and he would not be able to evade responsibility for it.
• The woman stared at him wide-eyed. Her face flushed bright red with anger, and she said to him icily, "I didn't hear that correctly. Repeat that, please."
• "I'm sorry. I accidentally lost your ring," Enrique repeated.
• The woman stared at him. With a cold chuckle, she sneered, "Do you expect me to believe that? Is there such a coincidence in this world? If you want to keep my ring for yourself, just say so. There's no need to come up with an excuse to test my intelligence."
• "You've misunderstood. I never had such an intention. It never crossed my mind. Otherwise, why would I still come here today? If I wanted to keep your ring, I wouldn't have called you. Then, you wouldn't have been able to find me," Enrique countered angrily.
• "Alright, then tell me where my ring is right now," the woman demanded with a sneer.
• "I... Would you believe me if I said that I lost the ring when I ran into a fire to save someone last night?" Enrique ventured.
• "If it were you, do you think you would believe that?" the woman retorted with a snort.
• "Well... no," Enrique murmured dejectedly.
• "Give me back my ring. It means a lot to me. If you want money, that's fine. As I said, it was my fault for hitting you and causing you not only losses but also a fall. I can give you five thousand, or even eight to ten thousand. But you must return my ring. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to report it to the police," the woman said coldly, her tone firm.
• "I really lost the ring. I've searched everywhere possible, but I simply couldn't find it. How much was the ring? I'll compensate you for it," Enrique said despondently.
• "How are you going to compensate me?" the woman scoffed coldly. She added, "That ring is the symbol of our love, my husband and I. Now, it's the only thing he left me. Can you afford to compensate me?"
• Tears were now streaming down her face.
• Enrique was completely at a loss, as he had never considered this before.
• "I never realized how important the ring was to you. But it was truly an accident on my part. Losing the ring doesn't benefit me either," he guiltily lamented.
• He then continued, "It's truly lost, and there's no way to find it again. That building has already turned into ruins. I... can only offer you compensation."