Since Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their long-rumored divorce on June 30th, 2015, the world has been fixated on a singular issue: the Greek debt crisis. Also: whether, at any given moment, Ben Affleck is wearing his wedding ring or not. Let’s take a closer look at Ben’s tortuous love affair—with his ring.

June 28 - July 3rd, Abaco Islands, Bahamas: RINGED

At the time of their divorce announcement, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were miles away from the uproar it wrought, vacationing with their children in the Abaco Islands, where they own a home. The family arrived in the Bahamas the day before the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary, June 28th; Garner and Affleck’s divorce was announced the day after their anniversary, on the 30th; Affleck left alone on July 3rd; Garner, who has yet to be photographed without her wedding ring, left with their kids on July 5th. Throughout the vacation, Affleck’s ring remained on.

July 5th, Los Angeles, CA: RINGLESS

Two days after he returned to Los Angeles from his family vacation in the Bahamas, Ben Affleck stopped at Starbucks for a drink or maybe something else, like a cake pop or a mug or half a sandwich. One thing he certainly did not stop at Starbucks for: his wedding ring. He entered and exited the Seattle-based coffee chain with his ring off.

July 9th, Atlanta, GA: RINGED

While stories of Affleck’s affairs covered the pages of gossip magazines and Blake Lively’s private journals, Ben was in Atlanta, Georgia, with Garner and their children. He was photographed with his daughter while visiting the Center for Civil and Human Rights—certainly not the kind of place a cheater would ever go to; more like a place for heroes; is Ben Affleck a hero?—and also spotted strolling alone. On both occasions with his wedding ring was on.

July 11th, Comic-Con: RINGED and then RINGLESS

Oh, now this is something—while participating in a Batman v. Superman panel at Comic-Con on July 11th, Ben Affleck began the event with his ring on, but by the end of the event, had taken his ring off. Batman v. Superman. Wedding Ring v. Has Taken Off His Wedding Ring. This man is a mystery, as is what he does with his wedding ring.

July 13th, Santa Monica, CA: RINGLESS

Finally, just yesterday, Monday, July 13th, 2015, Ben Affleck was spotted in Santa Monica, California, just walking around, lalala, with his wedding ring off.

What will happen next? Only Hymenaios knows. Ben Affleck’s wedding ring is a modern day Schrödinger’s cat paradox: Until we look, the ring is both on and not on; the romance between Garner and Affleck is both salvageable and beyond repair; the cat is both alive and dead.

And yet we cannot stop ourselves from looking.

GIF by Jim Cooke, image via Getty. Headline images via Daily Mail, Us Weekly, People, NY Daily News. Contact the author at kelly.conaboy@gawker.com.