“It was three dollars,” Sarah whispered, looking at her shoes. Her boots had a hole in the sole that she had tried to patch with duct tape.
“It’s the principle!” Linda slammed her hand on the table. “You’re bleeding us dry, Sarah! Mark works hard for his money. He breaks his back at that dealership, and you throw it away on… garnish!”
“Mark,” Sarah turned to her husband, desperate for a lifeline. “Please. It was for her cake.”
Mark didn’t look up from his wrist, admiring the glow of the $500 smartwatch. “Mom’s right, babe. We’re trying to save for a down payment on a better house. You need to be more frugal. You know how tight things are.”
Tight. The word echoed in Sarah’s mind. Things were “tight” for her. Things were “tight” when she needed a winter coat or dental work. But things were decidedly loose when Mark needed new golf clubs, or when Linda needed her weekly salon appointment.
Sarah looked at Mark. He was wearing a designer hoodie she had seen him buy last week for $150. She was wearing a sweater she had found at a thrift store.
“I’m sorry, Linda,” Sarah said, her voice hollow. “I’ll return them tomorrow.”
“You can’t return fruit!” Linda scoffed. “Just… deduct it from next week’s grocery money. We’ll eat pasta for a few nights to make up for it.”
Sarah walked back to the sink. She plunged her hands into the cold water, fighting back tears. She touched the diamond stud earrings she wore—small, simple, elegant. Linda and Mark assumed they were cubic zirconia, cheap knockoffs Sarah had bought at a mall kiosk.
They weren’t. They were four-carat, flawless, D-color diamonds, worth more than this entire house and everything in it. They were a gift from her father for her 21st birthday.
Sarah closed her eyes. One more month, she told herself. I promised myself I’d give it two years. If he doesn’t defend me by Christmas, I’m done.w
