The jeweler, Mr. Harris, startled as he inspected the ring and quickly backed away with it, leaving Melissa confused at the counter. Questions about his surprising response raced through her head. As the seconds passed, she became increasingly curious about what could be so amazing about the ring she had brought in for sale. She kept thinking that this ring had more to it than she had ever realized.
There was no denying that the ring was stunning, but that was about as important as it got to Melissa. She had no idea that the truth would soon be revealed.
She heard a faint murmuring coming from the back office and assumed Mr. Harris was talking to himself, but she couldn't understand what he was saying.
She had no idea that today would turn out very differently than she had anticipated, and regrettably, not in a positive way.
He sounded anxious. "Is everything all right?" With a note of worry in her voice, she asked, reconsidering her jewelry store selection. “Yes, yes, I’ll be right there,” Mr. Harris replied.
Just making sure! Mr. Harris answered, attempting to hide his anxiety, but Melissa could hear the strain in his voice.
With a sigh, she stayed behind the counter and waited for Mr. Harris to come back. Unbeknownst to her, she was in for a shocking and unexpected news.
A couple more minutes later, Melissa heard Mr. Harris say, "Aha! "There it is," said the voice, and then there were footsteps coming. He eventually came out of the back area and went back to the counter where Melissa was standing.
The truth would be far different from Melissa's original assumption that she could sell the ring and go home.
Melissa concluded that the piece of paper Mr. Harris was holding must be the item he had been looking for. But the link between her ring and the paper was still unclear.
Mr. Harris folded the paper in half and put it in his pocket, preventing her from deciphering its contents.
I have a very personal question for you, Miss Melissa, if you don't mind," Mr. Harris started.
She gave a nod of understanding, and he went on, staring into her eyes with a serious, even harsh, face. "Where did you get this ring from?"
Melissa flushed with shame, but she wasn't sure if it was from Mr. Harris's harsh tone or the thought of her ex. She admitted, "I got it from my ex-boyfriend a few years ago."
Mr. Harris gave his head a contemplative scratch. With cautious word choice, he asked, "Do you know where he got this ring?"
"I always thought he bought it from a jewelry store," Melissa explained, shaking her head.
She hadn't thought to ask where the ring came from. "It would have been odd," she thought in private. Actually, before completing the transaction, I need to speak with a colleague.
They're on their way and will arrive soon. While you wait, would you like a cup of tea or coffee?
There was no hint of the impending pandemonium in the shop's serene ambiance, where clients were shopping and the door chimed softly as people entered and exited.
This effort demonstrated her honesty as well as her regard for the ring's undeniable personal worth to someone. Giving the ring to Mr. Dalton, she waited for his advice in the hopes that they would be able to return the ring to its rightful owner, reclaiming a lost piece of history and possibly making someone happy.
She was shocked by Mr. Dalton's unexpected response when she saw the ring. The experienced jeweler became pale and stammered incredulously, "What… How… Where was this ring found? He was in a panic at Samantha's straightforward response that she had found it on the beach. His answer left her utterly perplexed.
