\nI found out that my mother\u2019s heirloom was missing from its box. My husband finally confessed he was involved, but he kept lying about other things too.\n
Rachel cherishes the jewelry her late mother left her, but one day, she finds the box empty. Her husband confesses, but she soon realizes there\u2019s more to the story. When she sees another woman wearing her mother\u2019s earrings, everything suddenly makes sense.\n
Now\n
That morning, I went to the store for milk, chicken, and raspberries\u2014an unusual mix, but exactly what I needed. The milk was for coffee and cereal, the chicken for dinner, and the raspberries for the muffins my husband loved.\n
I thought I was just running errands, but I walked out with a truth I never expected to uncover.\n
\n
She was in the dairy aisle\u2014our neighbor. Young, blonde, and recently divorced. She was casually browsing the yogurt, smiling like she didn\u2019t have a worry in the world. And honestly, she probably didn\u2019t.\n
But hanging from her ears were my mother\u2019s earrings.\n
My chest tightened. My stomach churned. I gripped my shopping basket so hard my knuckles must have turned white.\n
No. No way.\n
I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to sound calm as I walked up to her.\n
\u201cMel, hi! Love your earrings!\u201d\n
She grinned, gently touching them like they were the most precious things in the world. And they were.\n
\u201cOh, thank you, Rachel! They were a gift from someone special.\u201d\n
A gift. From someone special. Someone who was married?\n
My stomach twisted. I swallowed the anger burning in my throat. Mel met my eyes for a moment, and I wondered if guilt was creeping in. She didn\u2019t show it, but for a second, her glow seemed to fade.\n
\u201cThey\u2019re absolutely gorgeous,\u201d I said, forcing a smile. \u201cBut didn\u2019t they come with a pendant and a bracelet? That would make such a lovely set\u2026\u201d\n
She blinked, confusion written all over her face.\n
\u201cI definitely would if I had those pieces. But I don\u2019t. Just the earrings. Maybe my special someone will get me the whole set someday.\u201d\n
And just like that, everything clicked.\n
Derek hadn\u2019t just pawned my mother\u2019s jewelry. He had given part of it to his mistress.\n
A selfish, carefully planned move.\n
But he had overlooked one thing.\n
Me.\n
Then\n
I was vacuuming under the bed, lost in the routine of housework, my mind looping an annoying nursery rhyme, when I saw the box.\n
Something made me stop. Maybe instinct. Maybe grief had sharpened my senses.\n
I bent down, picked it up, and lifted the lid.\n
Empty.\n
The box that held my most treasured possessions was completely empty.\n
The air rushed from my lungs. The nursery rhyme vanished. And in its place, a cold shock slapped me in the face.\n
My hands shook as I stood, my legs weak. I scanned the room, as if somehow, the earrings, pendant, and bracelet would appear out of thin air.\n
But of course, they didn\u2019t. Wishful thinking didn\u2019t work that way.\n
There was only one person I had ever shown the box to\u2014Derek. But would he really\u2026? Could he have actually taken my things? Maybe he had put them away for safekeeping, knowing how much they meant to me.\n
Maybe he had stored them in our safe deposit box at the bank. But if that were true, why wouldn\u2019t he tell me?\n
\u201cDerek!\u201d I stormed into the living room, where he was stretched out with his laptop.\n
He barely looked up.\n
\u201cWhat, Rachel? It\u2019s too early for this.\u201d\n
\u201cMy mother\u2019s jewelry. Did you take it?\u201d\n
He frowned like he was actually trying to remember.\n
\u201cNo. Maybe the kids took it. You know how they love playing dress-up.\u201d\n
My stomach twisted. Why would my kids take something from my room? They probably didn\u2019t even know the box existed. And besides, I had planned to give them the jewelry one day anyway.\n
But still\u2026 kids notice things. Maybe one of them had seen something.\n
I turned and marched straight to the playroom, where my three kids were sprawled on the floor, busy with their toys.\n
\u201cNora, Eli, Ava,\u201d I said, slightly out of breath. \u201cDid any of you take the box from under my bed?\u201d\n
Three pairs of wide, innocent eyes looked up at me.\n
\u201cNo, Mommy.\u201d\n
But Nora hesitated. My eight-year-old\u2014my oldest, my most sensitive and honest child. The one who always knew when I needed a hug.\n
She would tell me the truth.\n
\u201cI saw Daddy with it,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cHe told me it was a secret. And that he\u2019d buy me a new dollhouse if I didn\u2019t say anything.\u201d\n
A sharp, burning rage shot through me.\n
Someone had stolen from me.\n
And that someone was my husband.\n
I stayed with the kids for a while, trying to gather my thoughts as they played. But in the end, there was no avoiding it. I had to confront him.\n
\u201cDerek, I know you took it. Where is it?\u201d\n
He let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples like I was the one causing trouble.\n
\u201cFine, Rachel. I took them.\u201d\n
I blinked, trying to process his words.\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d I asked, keeping my voice steady.\n
He spoke in that slow, condescending tone that always made my skin crawl.\n
\u201cYou were so sad after your mom died. I thought a vacation would cheer you up, Rachel.\u201d He took a long sip from his beer. \u201cSo, I pawned them and bought us a trip.\u201d\n
My hands clenched into fists. My vision blurred. I was beyond shocked.\n
\u201cYou pawned my mother\u2019s jewelry?! My dead mother\u2019s things?!\u201d\n
\u201cRachel, we\u2019re struggling! How can you not see that? Or do you just ignore it? The mortgage, the bills\u2026 I was trying to do something nice for you and the kids.\u201d\n
A white-hot rage filled me. I was about to explode.\n
\u201cWhere. Are. They?\u201d I forced the words out. \u201cYou had no right to do that without asking me, Derek! Return them. Now!\u201d\n
He let out an exaggerated sigh.\n
\u201cFine, I\u2019ll return the tickets. I\u2019ll fix it if you want everyone to be as miserable as you are. Seriously, Rachel, even the kids see it. It\u2019s exhausting.\u201d\n
I turned away before I did something I\u2019d regret.\n
Miserable? Of course, I was miserable. I was in pain. I was grieving. My heart felt shattered, and my mind was filled with memories that hurt to remember.\n
My mother was gone. My best friend, my biggest supporter\u2014the person who had loved me more than anyone in this world.\n
It had only been two months without her. And now Derek was acting like my grief had an expiration date?\n
Who was this man I had married?\n
I missed her so much. That\u2019s why what Derek did cut so deep. My mother\u2019s jewelry was more than just valuables\u2014it was a piece of her, something real I could touch and hold when I needed to feel close to her.\n
I remembered one of our last conversations, her voice so clear in my mind.\n
She had never wanted me to become a stay-at-home mom.\n
\u201cDarling,\u201d she had said, buttering a slice of homemade bread, \u201cyou have so much potential. Being a stay-at-home mom is rewarding, but are you sure it\u2019s what you want?\u201d\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, Mom,\u201d I admitted. \u201cBut Derek says we can\u2019t afford a nanny. So either I stay home, or we pay for one.\u201d\n
She gave me a soft look. \u201cPromise me one thing, Rachel. Keep writing your poetry. Don\u2019t lose that part of yourself.\u201d\n
Thinking about her now made my chest ache.\n
But you know what?\n
The next day, while I was out shopping, I realized the truth was even worse than I had thought.\n
Now\n
I smiled at Mel in the grocery store, pretending to listen as she went on about Greek yogurt and chia seeds.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s seriously the best breakfast, Rachel. Great for digestion and packed with more protein than eggs. Add some honey or chocolate chips\u2014you\u2019ll love it,\u201d she said quickly, like she was trying to fill the silence, avoiding anything that might slip out.\n
I kept smiling, even though I was seconds away from tearing those earrings right off her ears.\n
She had no idea. No clue that she was tangled up in my husband\u2019s betrayal. Or did she? From the way she acted, I doubted she even knew how much those earrings were worth. To her, she was just standing in front of her boyfriend\u2019s wife, flaunting the fancy gift he had given her.\n
So, I made a decision.\n
I was going to take back what was mine.\n
And Derek? He was going to pay for this.\n
Big time.\n
The next morning, I played the role of the forgiving wife.\n
I stayed quiet, keeping my mind busy by reciting Shakespearean sonnets. I made pancakes for the kids. French toast for Derek. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about Mel and those earrings.\n
Derek looked relieved\u2014smug, even. He probably thought I had calmed down overnight and decided to let it go.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice to see you so happy, Rach,\u201d he said. \u201cI love that smile.\u201d\n
I wanted to slap him.\n
Focus on Shakespeare, Rach.\n
\u201cDerek, can I see the pawnshop receipt?\u201d I asked, pretending I just wanted to make sure we could buy everything back.\n
He sighed dramatically, rolled his eyes, but handed it over.\n
\u201cNora,\u201d I called, watching her push her pancakes around. \u201cDo you want to come with Mommy today? We\u2019re going to look for Grandma\u2019s jewelry.\u201d\n
Her face lit up. \u201cYes!\u201d\n
Taking my daughter to a pawnshop wasn\u2019t ideal, but if I was being honest, she was the only thing keeping me from losing my temper.\n
Soon, we were standing outside the shop.\n
\u201cWe\u2019re buying Grandma\u2019s jewelry back?\u201d Nora asked.\n
\u201cIndeed we are, baby girl.\u201d\n
And just like that, I walked in and found my mother\u2019s jewelry. It wasn\u2019t hard to spot, but convincing the owner it belonged to me was another story.\n
\u201cThis would make a great anniversary gift for my wife,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you look like you\u2019re about to cry your heart out.\u201d\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my mom\u2019s, sir,\u201d I said softly. \u201cPlease.\u201d\n
Maybe he wasn\u2019t used to being called sir, or maybe he just had a heart, because he didn\u2019t even try to raise the price. He just handed it over.\n
I kept the receipt\u2014for later.\n
There was one last piece left.\n
The earrings.\n
The ones Derek\u2019s mistress had been proudly wearing.\n
I knocked on her door. When she opened it, I held up my mother\u2019s will and read the part that stated the jewelry was mine. Then, I showed her a photo of my mom wearing the full set at her wedding. Finally, I pulled out the necklace and bracelet I had already reclaimed.\n
\u201cThese belong together,\u201d I said. \u201cThey\u2019re family heirlooms. I need the earrings back. Derek had no right to give them away.\u201d\n
Her face went pale. Her mouth fell open.\n
\u201cRachel\u2026 I had no idea,\u201d she stammered. \u201cI thought they were a gift from Derek. I didn\u2019t know they were yours. I didn\u2019t know they were your\u2026 mother\u2019s.\u201d\n
She looked down, and I saw something shift in her expression\u2014first disappointment, then realization.\n
\u201cI should have known,\u201d she murmured. \u201cI thought he was being sweet, that it was romantic\u2026 but,\u201d she trailed off, shaking her head.\n
Then, without another word, she rushed inside, came back with the earrings, and placed them in my hand.\n
\u201cHere,\u201d she said. \u201cThese don\u2019t belong to me. And honestly, neither does Derek. But he doesn\u2019t belong to you either. Rachel, if it was this easy for him to cheat with me\u2026\u201d\n
I understood exactly what she was saying.\n
\u201cHell hath no fury\u2026\u201d I said. \u201cI know. I\u2019ll handle it.\u201d\n
She sighed. \u201cRachel, I\u2019m sorry. I never meant for this to happen. It\u2019s just\u2026 when Derek gave me attention, I needed it. My divorce\u2014it took a part of me. I don\u2019t even know who I am without my husband. Ex-husband, I mean. Derek made me feel normal again. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d\n
I looked at her and smiled sadly. I knew what it was like to feel like a piece of you was missing. But my loss came from death and grief, not betrayal.\n
\u201cThank you for saying that, Mel,\u201d I said, turning to leave.\n
Later.\n
I waited until the paperwork was finalized and he was at work.\n
Then, I walked into his office and handed him the divorce papers\u2014right in front of his boss and coworkers.\n
\u201cYou really thought you could get away with this, Derek?\u201d My voice was louder than I expected. \u201cYou stole from me. You gave my mother\u2019s earrings to your mistress. You lied. You betrayed me. And that was your last mistake. I\u2019m done. I don\u2019t want you.\u201d\n
Then, I turned and walked away.\n
He begged, of course.\n
But I was done.\n
He had taken the last piece of my mother that I had left. He had dismissed my pain. He had betrayed our family.\n
And now? He has nothing. Between alimony and child support, there\u2019s barely anything left to his name.\n
What would you have done?\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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