Before discovering one day that the box containing the heritage jewels her late mother left her is empty, Rachel treasures it. After hearing her husband’s confession, Rachel learns that’s only half the story. Everything comes together when she sees her mother’s earrings on someone else.
Now
That morning, I bought milk, chicken, and raspberries from the grocery. It was a strange combination, but I needed it. The milk for cereal and coffee, the chicken for dinner today, and the raspberries for my husband’s favorite white chocolate and raspberry muffins.
I left the shop with a reality I didn’t know needed to be shared, even though I had gone there to buy groceries.
Our neighbor was standing in the dairy aisle. Blond, young, and just out of a divorce. She was grinning as if nothing were wrong as she perused the assortment of yogurt selections. And she probably didn’t care, if I’m being honest.
My mother’s earrings were also dangling from her ears.
My throat tightened each breath. My gut churned with nausea. I was certain that my hands were white from clenching around the shopping basket so hard.
No. No way, no blood.
I walked up to her, trying to keep my voice light and airy.
“Mel, hi! Lovely earrings!”
She smiled and caressed them as though they were the most precious objects in the world. Indeed, they were.
“Oh, thank you, Rachel! They’re a gift from someone special, you know.”
A present. from a unique individual. Has anyone gotten married?
The earth swayed a little. The blazing anger that sprang in my throat was smothered. Mel gave me a long look, and I pondered whether or not she was suffering from guilt. Although she didn’t show it, something had made her shine less brightly in that particular moment.
“Oh, they’re simply beautiful,” I asserted, grinning despite my clenched teeth. “But didn’t it come with a pendant and a bracelet? What a stunning set that would be…”
Her expression was filled with confusion as she blinked at me.
“I definitely would if I had those pieces. But I don’t. It’s just the earrings. But maybe my special someone can gift me the whole set.”
Under me, the ground steadied.
It was there.
My mother’s jewelry wasn’t the only item Derek had pawned. He had given his mistress a portion of it.
It was a well-planned, self-serving scheme.
He hadn’t planned on anything, though.
Me.
Next,
When I noticed the box, I was cleaning beneath the bed, engrossed in the routine of housework and a persistent nursery rhyme that kept repeating in my mind.
I hesitated for a moment. Perhaps it was instinct. Or perhaps my perceptions had been heightened by mourning.
I knelt, lifted it, and flipped the lid open.
empty. My most valuable belongings were in an empty box.
I exhaled the air. The grating nursery rhyme was quickly forgotten. Suddenly, the shock struck me in the face.
I got to my feet, knees shaky, hands shaking. I looked about my bedroom as if the bracelet, pendant, and earrings would suddenly materialize.
However, they didn’t. Naturally, they didn’t. That was not the way wishful thinking operated.
I showed the box and the valuable items inside to just one person. However, would Derek… Could he really have taken my belongings? Perhaps he had stored them, understanding their significance.
Perhaps he had placed them in our bank’s safe deposit box. But why in the world wouldn’t he tell me even if he did?
“Derek!” I said as I barged into the living room, where he was using his laptop to relax.
He hardly looked up.
“What, Rachel? It’s too early for this noise.”
“My mother’s jewelry. Did you take it?”
He scowled as if he was actually thinking.
Midjourney – A man using his laptop
Midjourney – A man using his laptop
“No, maybe the kids took it. You know they’re into dressing up now.”
Once more, my gut twisted. Why would my kids steal items from my room? Most likely, they were unaware of the existence of the box. In any case, I intended to give the girls the jewelry.
Children still have sharp eyes, though. One of them might have noticed anything.
My three children were lying on the floor, engrossed in their toys, when I turned and marched directly to the playroom.
“Nora, Eli, Ava,” I gasped, nearly out of breath. “Did any of you take the box from under my bed?”
Three innocent, wide-eyed pairs looked up at me.
“No, Mommy.”
Nora, however, paused. My oldest child, who is eight years old. The most likely to offer you a hug when you need one, and the most perceptive and truthful of the three.
She would share her knowledge with me.
She remarked, “I saw Daddy with it,” “He said it was a secret. And that he would buy me a new dollhouse if I didn’t say anything.”
I felt a searing anger cut through me.
I had been robbed.
My husband was that person.
As the children played, I spent a lot of time attempting to understand my own feelings and thoughts. I was forced to face him at some point.
“Derek, I know you took it. Where is it?” I inquired.
He sighed deeply and rubbed his temples as if I were the issue.
“Fine, Rachel. I took them.”
I blinked slowly.
“Why?” I inquired plainly.
He started talking in that tone of his that I detested. My skin had always crawled at the sluggish, patronizing tone.
He picked up his beer can and took a big gulp, saying, “I thought that a vacation would cheer you up, Rachel. You were so sad after your mom died.” “So, I pawned them and bought us a trip.”
I balled my fists. My vision became hazy. I was… utterly stunned.
“You pawned my mother’s jewelry?! My dead mother’s things!”
“Rachel, we’re struggling! How can you not see it? Or do you choose to ignore it? The mortgage, the bills… I wanted to do something nice for you and the kids.”
I was seized with white-hot wrath. I was about to explode.
I spat out, “Where. Are. They?” “You had no right to do that without asking me, Derek! Return them. Now!”
He let out a big sigh.
“Okay, I’ll return the tickets. I’ll fix it if you want everyone to be as miserable as you are. Seriously, Rachel, the kids see it. It sucks.”
Before I did something I would later regret, I turned away.
Poor? I was obviously miserable. I was hurting. I was in pain. My mind was a cemetery of memories, and my heart felt crushed and trampled underneath.
My mom was dead. And with that, the person who had loved me the most in this world, my best friend, and my staunchest ally.
Only two months have passed since her departure. And this man was giving my sorrow a timeline?
What on earth? Who was I married to?
I really missed her. That’s why I was so terribly upset by Derek’s behavior. The jewelry that my mother left me was like a lifeline. It was a tangible object that I could wear or hold when I needed her touch.
She didn’t want me to be a stay-at-home mother, I recalled.
She had said, “Darling,” while buttering a piece of bread that she had baked herself. “You have so much potential. As rewarding as being a stay-at-home mom is, are you sure it’s for you?”
I said, “I don’t know, Mom,” in response. “But Derek said that we can’t afford a nanny, so it was either I become the nanny or I pay for one.”
“Make a promise to me, Rachel,” she pleaded. “Keep writing your poetry, darling. Keep that side of you alive.”
The thought of her made my heart hurt.
However, you know what?
When I went shopping the following day, I discovered the truth to be even worse.
Now
I pretended to listen to Mel’s raving about Greek yogurt and chia seeds for breakfast while I grinned at her at the grocery store.
She talked quickly, as though she was trying to avoid saying or thinking anything that would reveal her identity. “It really is the best breakfast, Rachel. It cleans out the gut and gives you more protein than eggs. Add some honey or chocolate chips, girl. Trust me,” she said.
I grinned as though I may tear those earrings from her ears at any moment.
She didn’t know. She was completely unaware that she had contributed to my husband’s treachery. Or did she? I didn’t think she understood its importance based on her behavior. She saw herself using the pricey present her lover had given her while standing in front of his wife.
I therefore made a choice.
I was going to reclaim what was rightfully mine.
I also intended to hold Derek accountable.
Hugely.
I pretended to be the forgiving wife the following morning.
I was silent, mentally reciting sonnets by Shakespeare. For the children, I prepared pancakes. For Derek, I prepared French toast. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about my experience with Mel.
He felt smugly relieved. He probably assumed that I had finally let it go after sleeping on it.
“It’s good to see you so chipper, Rach,” he replied. “You know I love that smile.”
I wanted to give him a slap.
“Rach, concentrate on Shakespeare,” I told myself.
I pretended that I only wanted to confirm that everything could be bought back when I said, “Derek, can I see the pawnshop receipt?”
He gave a big sigh and rolled his eyes before passing it on.
I yelled out, “Nora,” as I observed her picking at her pancakes. “Do you want to come with Mommy today? We’re going to look for Grandma’s jewelry.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
To be honest, that young girl was the only thing that could calm me down, therefore I wasn’t sure if I should take my kid to a pawnshop.
After getting ready, we ended up standing outside the pawnshop.
Nora said, “We’re buying the jewelry, Mom?”
“Indeed we are, baby girl,” I responded.
In an instant, I entered and located my mother’s jewelry. I had to persuade the owner that it was mine, but it wasn’t hard.
“It would make a good anniversary present for my wife,” he replied. “But you look like you’re going to cry your little heart out.”
I said, “It’s my mom’s, sir,” “Please.”
He simply handed it over, without even attempting to take advantage of me with the price, and I believe that he was more impressed by being addressed as sir.
I retained the receipt. Later.
Only a single piece remained.
The earring.
Derek’s mistress had been showing them off.
When she opened the door after I knocked, I showed her my mother’s will, which stated that the jewels belonged to me. I also have a photo of her during her wedding, wearing the ensemble.
I then showed her the bracelet and necklace I had taken back.
When I said, “These are part of a set,” “They’re family heirlooms, and I need the earrings back. They were not Derek’s to give.”
Her jaw fell and her face went pale.
Her words, “Rachel… I had no idea,” were halting. “I thought it was a gift from Derek. I didn’t know that it was yours! I had no idea that it was your… mother’s.”
Something changed in her countenance when she looked down. disappointment. Then insight.
She whispered, “I should have known,” She walked away, shaking her head, “I thought he was being sweet and romantic… but,” she said.
She hurried into her house, came back with the earrings, and put them in my outstretched palm without saying anything further.
“Here,” she said. “These don’t belong to me. And honestly, neither does Derek. But he doesn’t belong to you either. Rachel, if it was this easy for him to get with me…”
I understood her words. It was really evident to me.
I said, “Hell hath no fury…” “I know. I’ll deal with him.”
“I’m sorry, Rachel,” she whispered softly. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. It was just that Derek gave me the attention that I craved. This divorce… it took a part of me when it ended. I don’t know who I am without my husband. Ex-husband, I mean. Derek swept me off my feet and made me feel normal again. I’m so sorry.”
I grinned as I glanced at her. I understood what it was like to lose a piece of myself, but my loss was brought on by sadness and death rather than infidelity.
I said, “Thank you for saying that, Mel,” and turned my back.
Afterwards
I waited until the paperwork was completed and he returned to work.
In front of his supervisor and coworkers, I then brought the divorce documents to his office and gave them to him.
My voice was higher than I had anticipated. “Derek, you should not have given away my belongings. I mean, really. You gave my mother’s earrings to your mistress?” “You stole from me. You betrayed me. And that’s your final mistake in our marriage. This cannot be fixed. I don’t want you.”
I turned and left after that.
Of course, he pleaded.
However, I was finished.
I had lost the final remnant of my mother to him. He was lying. He had dismissed my suffering. He had also deceived our family.
And now? There is nothing for such man. He was left with little to nothing after paying child support and alimony.
How would you have responded?
Here’s another story for you if you liked this one.
A request for the identical heart-shaped earrings that her husband reportedly gave their nanny surprises Dorothy when she reads her daughter’s naive letter to Santa. Doubt turns into suspicion, and Dorothy discovers a devastating reality connected to a long-kept secret.
