Chapter 2 The Diamond

Ivy’s POV

The next morning, I walked into the office with a slight spring in my step, despite my lack of sleep. Julian had left early in the morning, claiming he had an early shift at his work.

I sat down at my cubicle and tried to keep my left hand hidden under my desk. I didn't want everyone asking questions, especially since I knew the ring was just a cheap imitation. I didn't want people making fun of the ring orJulian behind his back.

Unfortunately, the blue stone had a mind of its own. Every time the overhead lights hit my hand while I typed on the keyboard, it flashed like a blue strobe light.

"Oh my god, Ivy!"

I winced. Tessa had just walked into the cubicle bay, holding a stack of files. Her eyes were glued to my left hand. She dropped her files onto my desk with a loud thud.

"Is that what I think it is?!" Tessa squealed, grabbing my wrist. "Did Julian propose?!"

Within five seconds, three other coworkers gathered around my desk.

"Let me see!" called out Karen, an arrogant senior accountant who always wore designer shoes and looked down on everyone. She leaned in, squinting at the glowing blue stone. "Holy cow. Look at the size of that thing."

"Is that a blue diamond?!" another girl asked, covering her mouth. "Ivy, is it real?!"

Panic flared in my chest. Five pairs of eyes were staring at me, waiting for an answer. I couldn't bring myself to say 'No, it's fake.' I knew how toxic this office could be. If I admitted it was a decoy, Karen would spread rumors across the entire floor by lunchtime, making Julian look like a broke joke.

"Y-yes," I lied, my voice trembling slightly. "It's real."

"Oh, please." Karen snorted, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. "Real? Give me a break, Ivy! Isn't your boyfriend that guy who always drops off your lunches? He doesn’t even have a car, how could he possibly afford a five-carat blue diamond? That stone would cost at least a million bucks!"

Tessa stepped up, glaring at Karen. "Hey! Mind your own business, Karen! Julian works hard."

"Oh please," Karen scoffed. "It's obviously a cheap stone from a mall kiosk. Or worse, it's stolen!"

My blood boiled. I knew the ring was fake, but hearing Karen insult Julian in front of everyone pushed me over the edge.

"It's not stolen, and it's not cheap!" I snapped, standing up from my chair. "If you're so sure it's a fake, why don't you test it?"

I knew there was no way to prove if it’s fake, I might as well shut her down.

Seeing her face twisted with nothing to say, I gave her glare, preparing to sit down, but then a voice spoke up from the cubicle behind us.

"I can test it."

My heart dropped immediately.

Owen, a quiet guy from logistics who usually kept to himself, reached into his bag and pulled out a black handheld device with a thin metal probe on top.

I stared at him in utter horror. "Owen... why on earth do you have a diamond tester at your desk?"

Owen gave a playful smirk, his eyes sliding over to Tessa. “You know... side hustle. I buy and resell jewelry sometimes. I know my stones.” He gave a wink at Tessa, who just rolled her eyes. "Not many people know that."

Karen’s eyes lit up. “Perfect. Test it.”

Cold sweat broke out on my neck. I felt a drop sweat slide down my face.

“No.” I immediately pulled my hand toward my chest.

Karen smirked, noticing my reaction. "Why not? You just told us it’s real. Why are you sweating so hard if it's real?"

"I... I'm just hot." I lied, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. "It's warm in here today!"

"Right, warm," Karen laughed. "Come on, Owen. Test it. Let's see if Julian's a big spender or a fraud."

"Wait, no!" I stammered. "We don't need to do this! It's private! It's a personal gift!"

"If you won't let him test it, that means you admit it's fake!" Karen taunted. "Come on, Ivy! Put your money where your mouth is! I'll bet you five hundred dollars right now that it's glass!"

"Leave her alone, Karen!" Tessa snapped, stepping between us. "She doesn't have to prove anything to you!"

"I'll take that bet for her!" Owen chuckled, stepping closer. He turned to me with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Ivy. It won't hurt. If it's real, you walk away five hundred dollars richer."

"No, Owen, stop—"

Before I could pull my hand away completely, Owen reached out and grabbed my left wrist. His grip was surprisingly firm and steady.

"Hey! Let go of me!" I yelled, trying to yank my arm back. My heart was pounding like a jackhammer against my ribs. "Owen, let go!"

"Owen, seriously, let her hand go. This isn’t funny!" Tessa warned, grabbing his shoulder.

"Just a quick touch, promise." Owen said, holding my wrist still despite my desperate pulling.

My mind went blank. ‘This is it,’ I thought in panic. ‘Everyone is going to laugh at me now.‘

Owen brought the metal tip of the black device down and pressed it against the blue surface of the stone.

The device hummed silently for two second.

Karen sneered. "See? Nothing. It's a fake—"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEEP!

A piercing alarm shrieked from the machine. The red bar indicator scaled all the way to the top, locking onto the solid green light at the peak.

Owen’s eyes went wide as saucers. His jaw dropped low.

"HOLY SHIT!" Owen screamed, his voice echoing across the entire floor. "IT'S REAL! IT'S 100% GENUINE BLUE DIAMOND!"

My heart stopped beating. The world around me went silent.

I stared down at the glowing ring on my finger, stunned for a moment. ‘Real?’