The stress of Vanessa’s past slowly faded away with each passing day of her stay in town. She had been grateful for Nicholas’s companionship, his friendly and supportive nature making her feel at ease. Surprisingly, his mother, too, had been a source of comfort, offering kind words and understanding smiles whenever Vanessa needed them.
Her mother, Clara, had been on her best behavior since Vanessa came back. She had been tiptoeing around the subject of her wedding and everything that related to it.
Tanisha, her half-sister, while sometimes annoying, had also shown a kinder side to herself, and Vanessa was starting to see her in a new light.
But today, Vanessa’s excitement was focused on Nicholas’s news. Nicholas had found a place that could unlock her ring and she was ready to give it a shot.
“Sell the ring off if you get the chance to unlock it.” Tanisha said as Vanessa got ready to meet Nicholas.
Vanessa felt a sense of guilt building up inside her as she heard her sister’s opinion. She couldn’t just sell the ring off because she was no longer in need of it. It is best to return the ring to Darryl whenever she gets the chance to meet him again.
“Won’t it be better to give it back to Darryl?” She answered Tanisha with another question.
” Do whatever pleases you. It is not like you would even listen to me and do what I say.” Tanisha dismissed her.
Without responding, Vanessa grabbed her bag and headed out, feeling a sense of hope and renewal that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Her smile faded away as she saw Nicholas standing in front of her house, holding another woman in his hand.
Who is this woman? Vanessa wondered as she walked towards them.
“Hey.” Vanessa greeted, flashing a nervous smile at Nicholas and the woman beside him.
“Hi, Vanessa. The woman said to her with a smile on her face.
Confused that the woman knows her name, he flashes Nicholas a questioning look.
“This is Chloe, my girlfriend,” Nicholas introduced.
The word girlfriend made Vanessa’s heart drop for a moment. She had never thought Nicholas would have a girlfriend. It was not like she was interested in him, but he could have prepared her for the surprise.
“Are you ready?” Nicholas asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yes.” Vanessa answered. “Are you coming with us, Chloe?” Vanessa asked politely, trying to start a friendly conversation.
“Yes,” Nicholas answered. ” Chloe here was the one who told me how we could get the ring off your finger,” Nicholas added.
“Ohh,” I said as I nodded my head in realization.
“I’ve stayed in the city for a while now, and I’ve heard a lot about customized rings and how they are made. If we get to one of the manufacturers, they can help us out one way or the other.” Chloe explained to me and I nodded at every word she said.
Vanessa had stayed in the city for a while but this was the first time she had heard about locking rings on someone. She thought. Thanks to Darryl for making her go through such an experience.
“Get in so we can make it to the city on time.” Nicholas said to her and Chloe as he got into his truck.
“How did you get the ring locked on your finger?” Chloe asked as the ride started.
“Someone gave it to me.” Vanessa gave her a simple answer, hoping she wouldn’t press further.
“Why didn’t you ask the person for the key?” Chloe asked.
Vanessa’s eyes met Nicholas’s eyes in the rare mirror, silently begging him to get involved in the conversation. She had no interest in sharing her story with anyone, not to spread rumors around town.
“I think the person lost the key, right?” Nicholas chirped in, saving me from Chloe’s interrogation.
“Oh, that’s bad.” Chloe muttered, pity laced in her voice.
“Back then, I knew someone who liked the idea of locking a ring on his woman’s finger when he gets married. I wonder what type of idea that was?” Chloe chatted.
“Some people can go through different lengths to prove their love,” Nicholas said as he focused on the road.
“I don’t see that as love. I feel like the man is trying to dominate the woman by all means. Why would he have to lock a ring on his woman’s finger if he loved her?” Chloe countered.
“What do you think, Vanessa?” She turned her head to the back of the car, flashing me a questioning look.
“Mmmmm…” I stuttered as I fumbled for the right words to say. “I don’t know.” I answered frankly.
To be honest, I don’t know what Darryl was thinking when he gave me a customized ring. Was it his idea of locking me to him until he was willing to let me go?
The conversation changes from the ring subject to everything and anything Chloe should chat about. She was really a chatty person. Now I know how Nicholas got his chatty behavior.
“Finally, we are here.” Chloe said as Nicholas pulled over into the parking space in front of the jeweler’s shop.
We walked into the shop, my eyes moved around the contents of the shop and I couldn’t help but admire the glittering jewels I saw.
“My friend here got a customized ring as a gift, but she misplaced the key, making it impossible to take the ring. Can you help us with a spare key? Chloe talked to the attendant. She was so fluent that you would think she had been doing this for a long time.
“Can I take a look?” The attendant said, causing me to stretch out my hand towards her.
After checking the ring for a while, she paused and glared at me like she knew something.
“This is a limited edition and only a few bought it when it was launched. We will have to go through some procedures before we can hand over a spare key.” The attendant said, flashing me a suspicious look.
“I know what you are thinking, but you are wrong. I got this ring from Darryl Peter, you can look it up yourself and confirm.”
“Give me a minute,” the attendant said before clicking on her computer.
“The only way you can get a spare key is if you get the permission of the person who purchased the ring.” The attendant said.
“Are you saying you can’t help us unlock the ring?” Nicholas asked.
“I’m sorry, you have to follow procedures if you want to unlock the ring. It is either you come to her with the person that purchased the ring, or you come to her with the receipt of payment.”
Vanessa’s hope was ruined, and her heart broke as she gazed from the attendant at the ring on her hand. There was no way for her to stay completely away from Darryl.