The Ring’s Untold Warning

My heart thudded in my chest. It was supposed to be a simple cleaning and nothing more. But the jeweler’s odd question and then his silence left me with doubts and questions. I glanced down at my wedding ring, a part of me for forty years, now seemingly unfamiliar.

The jeweler’s furrowed brow and hesitation planted a growing unease. “Can you please clean it?” I blurted, my voice cracking with desperation. He didn’t answer, his gaze darting from the ring to me. When he finally slid it across the counter, his hesitation spoke louder than words. My hand shook as I picked it up, the unanswered questions pressing down hard.