Logan
For several seconds after Allie walked away, I remained on one knee.
The ring box was still open in my hand.
The diamond caught the stage lights while cameras flashed from every direction, preserving the exact moment my plan collapsed. Photographers moved closer. Reporters shouted questions from below the stage. Hundreds of guests stared at me with expressions that ranged from pity to discomfort.
Some looked entertained.
That was the worst part.
They had watched me arrive confidently, interrupt the event, fill the stage with flowers, and offer Allie the future she had once begged me to protect.
Then they had watched her say no.
Not quietly.
Not with tears that could be mistaken for hesitation.
Clearly.
Publicly.
Repeatedly.
She had refused the ring, rejected the apology,
