The Night I Thought He’d Propose… He Played a Joke Instead—So I Gave Him One Back

but one of Ryan’s friends, Zach, stayed behind.

He handed me a drink and said, “That was the best comeback I’ve seen in a long time.”

Then he paused, met my eyes, and added, “For what it’s worth… I always thought you deserved better.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Better than a fake career celebration followed by gaslighting and ego?”

He grinned. “Better than continue reading …