30April
Im still trembling, though the house is quiet now. Earlier today I turned the entire bedroom upsidedown, shouting for Andrew, Wheres my emeraldset ring?! My voice echoed off the wardrobes and the open drawers of the old oak chest. That ring was more than jewelleryit was the token I bought with the bonus from the firms first big award, a reminder that Id finally earned my place in the company. And now it was gone.
Andrew sighed wearily, finally putting his phone down.
Em, it cant have vanished, he said. You must have misplaced it. Youll remember where you left it once you sit down and think.
I know exactly where I put it, I snapped, eyes flashing. Only in the velvet box on the dresser. I never leave it anywhere else.
He waved his hand dismissively.
Itll turn up. Dont get worked up over nothing.
Nothing? My voice rose, sharp. Its not nothing, Andrew. That ring is priceless to me It was Charlotte who took it, wasnt it? Theres no one else who could have done it!
Andrews brow furrowed. He set his phone aside and looked at me with thinlyveiled irritation.
Stop blaming Charlotte. She wouldnt do that.
Really? I crossed my arms. Who else has been in our flat the past three months, rummaging around while were at work? Im demanding that she return the ring this very instant. Lets go to her place now.
Andrews face went pale. I saw his shoulders tense, his lips compress into a thin line. He clearly didnt want this trip, didnt want a scene, but I wasnt about to back down.
Emily, maybe we shouldnt, he whispered. Why would she need my ring?
Its beautiful and expensive. Lets go. Now.
With a reluctant sigh, we packed the car and left for the village of Little Wych, a few miles outside Oxford. I sat in the passenger seat, phone clenched in my hand, my stomach churning with each kilometre. Andrew kept his silence, only casting occasional sharp glances at me, his eyes full of unspoken reproach.
We arrived after about an hour. The Thompson family home greeted us with a heavy silence. I was the first out of the car, striding straight to the front door.
Mrs. Thompson opened it, frozen on the threshold, her face a mixture of surprise and alarm.
Andrew? Emily? Whats happened? We werent expecting you.
Wheres Charlotte? I demanded, barely pausing for niceties.
Shes at home, of course, Mrs. Thompson replied, stepping aside to let us in. She just arrived from yours yesterday. Is everything all right?
I entered the sitting room where Mr. Thompson and Charlotte were seated at the table. Charlotte looked up, her eyes widening at the sight of us.
Charlotte, you must give my ring back properly, or things will get ugly for everyone, I said, planting my feet in the centre of the room.
A heavy silence fell. Mr. Thompson rose slowly from his seat.
Who gave you permission to cause a scene in someone elses house? he asked, his voice low and threatening. Are you accusing our daughter of theft?
Im stating a fact, I replied, my throat tight. My emerald ring has disappeared. It vanished after Charlotte left. No one else was in the flat.
Mrs. Thompson shouted, My daughter would never steal! Youre insulting our whole family!
And you should explain where my ring is, I pressed, my patience wearing thin. Explain quickly, because Im about to lose my temper.
Andrew stood by the doorway, pale and silent, shifting his gaze between his wife and his sister. He didnt intervene, only watching the tension rise and fall.
Suddenly, Charlotte burst into tears, her lower lip trembling. I I just wanted to try it on for a moment. Its so beautiful. I thought you wouldnt notice if I put it back I was scared.
I was stunned. I had expected denial, anger, perhaps a dramatic outburst, but not this honest confession as if I were the one at fault.
Scared? I exhaled, feeling a wave of fury rise. I spent three months overtime, cashing in a big bonus, just to buy that ring! And you just took it without asking! Thats absurd!
Emily, calm down, Mr. Thompson finally said. Youre making a mountain out of a molehill. Shes a young woman who loves pretty things. You have everything alreadygood job, a nice house, a husband. Let her keep the ring; shell think of you when she wears it. You can buy another one.
Did they seriously think I should surrender something Id earned because a sisterinlaw wanted it?
Charlotte, be reasonable, Mrs. Thompson added, wrapping an arm around her daughters shoulders. She didnt mean any harm. She admires your ring, dreamed of having one. You have a stable life, a good career, a loving husband. Shes just starting out. Dont be selfish; its not the end of the world.
I turned to Andrew, searching his eyes for any sign of support. He merely shook his head, avoiding my gaze.
Youre overreacting, Emily, he said finally. Its just a ring, not the apocalypse.
Just a ringmy achievement, my joy, my propertyjust a ring. Standing amid the people Id considered family for three years, I realised how mistaken I had been.
My hands stopped shaking. A cold calm settled over me. I fished my phone from my coat pocket, tapped three digits, and held it up to Mrs. Thompsons face.
Im giving you two minutes, I said, voice steady and cold. Either return the ring now, or Ill call the police. Your choice.
You cant be serious! Mr. Thompson lunged forward, his face flushing.
Well see, I replied, unmoving.
Charlotte wailed, clutching at her mother. Mrs. Thompson shot me venomous looks but said nothing.
The clock is ticking, I reminded them.
Andrew! Mrs. Thompson begged, Say something to your wife! Stop her!
Andrew remained silent, eyes fixed on the floor. I smiled bitterly, then pressed the call button.
Enough! Charlotte shrieked, darting to her room and returning a minute later with a familiar velvet box. She slammed it onto the coffee table.
Take your precious ring, you greedy, selfish woman! she spat.
I opened the boxinside, the ring lay exactly where it belonged, the emerald catching the light. I slipped it back into the box, closed it, and tucked it into my coat pocket.
You were supposed to be a decent person, Charlotte sniffed, wiping tears from her cheeks. Now youre a miser.
I headed for the door, then turned back, my voice sharp.
If Im so bad, why did I live in your flat for three months? I paid the rent, used your internet, your hot water. If Im that terrible, why did you ask me to cover your courses?
Charlotte scowled, unable to answer.
Andrew stood there, hunched, still looking down. The sight was pathetic.
I never expected this from you, Andrew, I said with contempt. Given your family, Im not surprised.
I reached for the car keys.
Andrew, hand them over.
He looked up, confused.
What?
The car is mine too. I bought it with my own money. Give me the keys.
Emily
Keys! I snapped, pulling his hand. He placed the keys on my palm without a word. I clenched them tight, then turned to the door one last time.
Ill collect my things tomorrow and file for divorce.
I walked out without waiting for a reply.
A month later the divorce was finalized. I stared at the dresser; the velvet box was back in its usual spot, the emerald ring gleaming on its cushion. My phone buzzed on the table with another notification. Former inlaws were blasting me as coldhearted, selfish, the cause of a broken family. I didnt bother to reply; I simply added their numbers to my block list, as I had done with dozens of others.
Life without Andrew feels strangely light. Their family drama no longer seeps into my days. Whether Charlotte finds a job or not, whether the Thompson house survives the winternone of that matters to me now. Im focused on myself, planning holidays with the people who truly love me.
Emily.
