Linda\u2019s eyes widened as she saw the ring, her face lighting up with surprise. For a moment, she seemed genuinely stunned, and Andrew\u2019s heart soared. But then, she looked around the shabby living room, her smile faltering as she took in the peeling paint and creaky furniture.\n\n\n\n

\u201cAndrew\u2026\u201d she said slowly, still staring at the ring. \u201cThis\u2026 this is beautiful. But what are we doing here? Why did you bring me to this place?\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew tried to keep his voice steady, his heart pounding in his chest. \u201cThis is my home, Linda,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t have much right now, but I love you, and I want us to build a life together. It might not be fancy, but it\u2019ll be real, and it\u2019ll be ours. So\u2026 will you marry me?\u201d\n\n\n\n

For a moment, Linda was silent, her eyes flicking between Andrew and the ring. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, as if trying to choose her words carefully. Andrew could see the wheels turning in her head, and he held his breath, waiting for her response.\n\n\n\n

Finally, she forced a smile, but it didn\u2019t reach her eyes. \u201cAndrew, I\u2026 I\u2019m just a little confused,\u201d she said, her voice wavering. \u201cI mean, I thought\u2026 you always talked about having big dreams and being ambitious. I never imagined\u2026 this.\u201d She gestured around the room, her lips pressed into a thin line.\n\n\n\n

Andrew\u2019s stomach sank. \u201cI do have big dreams, Linda,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cBut right now, this is where I\u2019m at. I wanted to be honest with you about who I am. This is me, and I hope that\u2019s enough.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda\u2019s eyes flickered, and she let out a soft, nervous laugh. \u201cBut Andrew, how can you afford this ring if this is all you have?\u201d she asked, her tone skeptical. \u201cThis ring must have cost a fortune. Are you in debt or something?\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew hesitated, carefully considering his next words. \u201cI saved up for it,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause I wanted to give you something special, something to show you how much you mean to me.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda\u2019s face softened, but there was still uncertainty in her eyes. She looked down at the ring again, her fingers brushing against the diamond. \u201cI just\u2026 I thought we\u2019d be starting our life together in a different place,\u201d she murmured. \u201cI mean, this isn\u2019t exactly what I imagined.\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did you imagine?\u201d Andrew asked, his voice gentle but probing. \u201cWas it the ring? The house? Or was it me?\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda hesitated, biting her lip. \u201cAndrew, I love you,\u201d she said, but there was a faint tremor in her voice. \u201cBut\u2026 I\u2019ve worked really hard to get where I am, and I want a certain kind of life. I want stability, comfort\u2026 and I thought you did too.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew\u2019s heart ached at her words, but he nodded, understanding what she was really saying. \u201cI do want those things, Linda,\u201d he said softly. \u201cBut more than that, I want someone who loves me for who I am, not just what I can give them. I needed to know if you were that person.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda\u2019s face flushed, and she stiffened slightly. \u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d she asked, her voice sharper now. \u201cThat I\u2019m some kind of gold digger? That I don\u2019t love you?\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew shook his head, trying to keep his tone calm and even. \u201cNo, that\u2019s not what I\u2019m saying,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I wanted to make sure that your love for me wasn\u2019t dependent on things like money or status. That\u2019s why I brought you here today, to see if you\u2019d still want to be with me if this was our life.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda was silent for a long moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as she processed his words. Then, she let out a frustrated sigh, her shoulders slumping. \u201cI just\u2026 I can\u2019t believe you\u2019d do this, Andrew,\u201d she said, her voice bitter. \u201cI thought we were on the same page, but it\u2019s like you\u2019re testing me, trying to catch me out. That\u2019s not fair.\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Andrew said softly. \u201cI just needed to know.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda looked at him, her eyes cold and guarded. \u201cWell, now you know,\u201d she said flatly. \u201cI\u2019m not interested in living like this. I thought we were building a future together, not scraping by.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew\u2019s heart broke at her words, but he nodded, finally seeing the truth that he had been too afraid to face. \u201cI understand,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cAnd I wish you all the best.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda blinked, as if she hadn\u2019t expected him to let go so easily. \u201cWhat\u2026 what do you mean?\u201d she asked, her voice faltering.\n\n\n\n

\u201cI mean, I won\u2019t stand in your way,\u201d Andrew said, his voice calm and resolute. \u201cIf this isn\u2019t the life you want, then you\u2019re free to walk away. No hard feelings.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda hesitated, her eyes darting around the room, as if she was searching for something to anchor her. \u201cSo\u2026 that\u2019s it?\u201d she said, her voice barely above a whisper. \u201cYou\u2019re just letting me go?\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew nodded. \u201cYes,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause I need to be with someone who loves me, not my lifestyle.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Linda stared at him for a long moment, her face a mix of shock, anger, and something that almost looked like regret. But then she straightened up, her expression hardening. \u201cFine,\u201d she said, her voice cold. \u201cI guess it\u2019s better that I found out now.\u201d\n\n\n\n

With that, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Andrew standing in the middle of the rundown living room, the diamond ring still clutched in his hand. He felt a wave of sadness wash over him, but also a strange sense of relief. It hurt to let her go, but at least now he knew the truth.\n\n\n\n

The next day, Andrew returned to his real home \u2014 a sprawling estate on the outskirts of the city, far from the modest neighborhood where he had staged his test. As he walked through the grand foyer, his grandmother was waiting for him, her eyes searching his face.\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell?\u201d she asked, her voice gentle. \u201cHow did it go?\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew gave her a sad smile, holding up the ring. \u201cShe left,\u201d he said simply. \u201cShe couldn\u2019t handle the idea of a life without luxury.\u201d\n\n\n\n

His grandmother sighed, her expression both sympathetic and relieved. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sweetheart,\u201d she said softly. \u201cBut I\u2019m glad you found out now. You deserve someone who will love you for who you are, not for what you have.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew nodded, slipping the ring back into its box. \u201cI know,\u201d he said. \u201cIt hurts, but I\u2019d rather face this now than live a lie.\u201d\n\n\n\n

As the days passed, Andrew focused on his work, throwing himself into his projects at Hardy Industries, the company he had built from the ground up. But he couldn\u2019t help but feel a sense of closure, a chapter that had ended, even if it didn\u2019t have the happy ending he had hoped for.\n\n\n\n

A few weeks later, as he was leaving his office, he ran into someone he hadn\u2019t seen in a long time \u2014 a former colleague, Emma, who had always been kind and genuine, even when he was just starting out. They chatted for a while, and to his surprise, Andrew found himself enjoying her company more than he expected. There was no pretense, no hidden agenda, just two people catching up after a long time apart.\n\n\n\n

As they said goodbye, Emma hesitated, then smiled. \u201cYou know, Andrew, I\u2019ve always admired how down-to-earth you are,\u201d she said, her eyes bright. \u201cIt\u2019s rare to find someone like that in your position.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Andrew smiled, feeling a warmth he hadn\u2019t felt in a while. \u201cThank you, Emma,\u201d he said softly. \u201cMaybe we should catch up more often.\u201d\n\n\n\n

And for the first time in a long time, Andrew felt a flicker of hope \u2014 that maybe, just maybe, he would find someone who loved him for the man he truly was, not the millionaire everyone else saw.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"