Ruby Ring

Chapter 1: SOLD

JUSTIN

Out of all the jewelry in the store, this ruby ring was the only one that caught Justin's eye. He picked up the ring and examined it from all angles. It was a beautiful ring, alright. Justin was sure his girlfriend would love it.

"Interested in that ring?" a voice called out. A woman with glossy pearly whites had her eyes on the ring.

"Yeah. I'm getting it for my girlfriend," Justin smiled at the woman. "We've been together for a year now. I'm getting it as an anniversary gift,"

"Oh, what a sweet boy you are! So that ring is your choice?"

"Yeah,"

"Great! Why don't you come over to the checkout counter and you can pay for it there," the woman turned around and went behind the checkout counter. Justin followed her and placed the ring on the counter.

"Thanks a ton, ma'am," Justin grinned.

"You're welcome. That will be a million dollars, sir,"

"Alright," Justin paid for the ring with cash.

"The ring is all yours. Take care,"

"Thank you, ma'am," Justin waved goodbye as he exited the store. There was a thick blanket of clouds obscuring the moon that night. Yep, it was still raining cats and dogs. The sound of rain pounding on the sidewalk would normally soothe Justin's nerves, but tonight, it did not. He felt as though someone was watching him.

As Justin headed to his car, he heard someone's shoes click-clacking behind him. He tried to ignore it, but it was no use.

Finally, Justin turned around and said, "Who's there?"

"You bought a ruby ring," a female voice called out.

"Is it any of your business?"

"Yes. You see, the ring doesn't belong to you," a male voice followed up.

"Yes it does! I bought it with my own million bucks! Leave me alone!"

"You see, that ring belongs to someone else. You shouldn't claim someone else's property as yours, Justin," the female stated.

"How do you know my name?"

"We've had our eyes on you ever since you were born. But never mind that. Thing is, you better return the ring to its rightful owner or else..."

"Or else what?! Tell me!" Justin rushed towards the two figures, but one of them snapped and they were gone in an instant.

This has gotta be a prank, right? Justin bought the ring with his own money so technically, it was his. At least, until he gave it to his girlfriend. Why should he return the ring to its rightful owner? An even better question...does it even have a rightful owner? Justin shook his head. Why were those people watching him? What did they want from him?

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"I'm home!" Justin opened the door to his house. At school, he was known as the rich kid, so people expected him to live in a fancy mansion. His parents had their heads on straight so they bought a modest house. Plus, it would save up for Justin's college education. Ever since he was young, Justin had always wanted to go to Brown University in Rhode Island.

"Hey, Justin," Justin's father was drinking coffee at the kitchen table. "Did you buy something for Bridget?"

"Yeah, I bought an expensive ruby ring for her. She loves those kinda things," Justin took out the ring.

"It's pretty, alright," Justin's father nodded. The expression on his face changed from one of delight to one of concern. Surely, what those two strangers said to Justin was still on his mind. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," Justin shrugged. "Just tired, that's all,"

"Oh, alright. If you need anything, my door is always open,"

"Alright," Justin made his way to his bedroom, which was quite sparse like the rest of his home, and flopped himself on his bed. What else do those two strangers know about him? Justin couldn't shake the fact that he might have stalkers out of his head. Why would they stalk him? For his money? Surely, taking his family's money would be hard. It was stored in a very secret safe.

Justin sighed as he looked outside the window. The rain had cleared up and a rainbow was in sight. A smile crept its way onto Justin's face. He couldn't wait to see the look of surprise on his girlfriend's face when he gave her the ring. Little did he know what that would lead to...

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Author's Note: Why do you think the strangers know Justin? What's up with the ruby ring? Is there something special about it? Is that why Justin chose to buy it for his girlfriend? So many questions and it's only the beginning!