**The Other Ring**
Work piled up today, so Emily decided to skip lunch. Then her mum called.
*”Mum? Make it quick, Im swamped,”* she answered impatiently.
*”Love”* Her mums voice was faint, distant. *”I dont feel well”*
Emily waited, thinking the line had cut outbut all she heard was a weak groan.
*”Mum? I can barely hear youMum! Im coming now!”* She grabbed her coat and dashed past her colleague. *”Cover for me, yeah?”*
Only outside did she realise she was still in her office heels. No time to changeshe sprinted to the car park. Her mums spare keys were in the glovebox. The phones ring startled her, and she sped, ignoring traffic rules. A fine didnt matterjust getting there in time did.
When she burst into the flat, her mum was curled on the sofa, clutching her chest.
*”Your heart?”* Emily gasped.
Her mum winced, barely opening her eyes.
*”Hold on.”* Emily fished her phone from her coat pocket and dialled 999.
Driving her to hospital mightve been faster, but could her mum even make it downstairs? No lift, and the neighbours? All elderlyno help mid-workday.
Waiting for the ambulance, Emily rubbed her mums shoulder, murmuring reassurances. Shed left the door open. When the paramedics in blue uniforms arrived, Emily stood, flustered, explaining between shaky breaths.
The doctor checked her pulse and blood pressure. *”Were taking her in. Youfind her documents.”*
*”Whats wrong?”* Emilys voice trembled.
*”Likely a heart attack.”* He shook his head.
Soon, the stretcher came. Emily followed to the ambulance, begging to ride alongbut the doctor refused. *”Call the hospital for updates.”*
Back at work, lunch break was long over. Shed be in trouble if anyone noticed shed slipped out. Cutting through side streets to avoid traffic, she felt the car tug sideways. A flat tyre. Perfect.
She pulled over. No way she could change it in heels. Tears pricked her eyesuntil a bloke in a Range Rover stopped.
*”Spare tyre?”*
Relief flooded her. He got to work, telling her to wait in the car*”Youll freeze.”* She did, ringing her boyfriend, James. No answer.
The stranger took his time. Eventually, he tapped her window. *”Sorted. Get that tyre patched soon.”*
*”Thank you. How much do I owe you?”*
*”Where were you rushing in those shoes?”* He smirked.
*”Mum calledemergency. Here.”* She handed him wet wipes.
*”She alright?”*
*”Ambulance took her. Heart. Thank you.”*
*”No bother. Hope she recovers.”* He left.
Back at the office, her boss caught her by the lift.
*”Late from lunch again, Emily Carter? One more strike, and its a warning.”*
Emily exhaled shakily.
First, she rang her friend Sarah, who worked at the hospital. Half an hour lateran eternitySarah called back. *”Stable. No heart attack. ICU tonight, ward tomorrow.”*
*”You holding up?”*
*”Blew off work, flat tyre, James wont answer”*
*”Hang in there.”*
James never called back. At home, he was on his laptop.
*”Where were you? I rang a hundred times!”*
*”Work. Meeting. Phone was on silent.”*
*”All day? Mum was in hospital!”*
*”Drive carefully next time. Hows your mum?”*
They made up, but unease clung to her.
***
Two years ago, shed met James in a café. Sarah had nudged her*”That blokes staring. Could bore holes through you.”*
Hed approached, smiling. *”Mind if I join you?”*
Sarah left. They talked for hours, wandered London. Emily fell hard. Two weeks later, he moved in.
Shed waited for a proposal, hintedbut James insisted living together wasnt marriage. *”Once I buy a flat”* Two years passed.
Her mum nagged*”If he hasnt proposed yet, he wont.”*
Weekends, James played tennis with mates while Emily cleaned. He had a habit of hanging dirty shirts in the wardrobe.
Thena bulge in his jacket pocket. A red velvet box. Hands shaking, she opened it. A diamond ring glinted. She slipped it onperfect fit. Giddy, she returned it. *”Soon,”* she told herself.
Next daygone. Maybe hed hidden it.
Her birthday came. James toasted her, handed her a box. Her heart racedbut no proposal.
*”Open it!”* Sarah urged.
Gold earrings. Not the ring.
James faltered at her expression.
Later, she confronted him. *”Whos the ring for?”*
*”My mates. His girl wouldve found it.”*
She didnt believe him.
*”Didnt know you snooped. Dont like the earrings? Fine, well get a ring tomorrow.”*
*”Lets go.”*
James blinkedbut a promise was a promise.
At the jewellers, Emily picked the priciest ringrevenge.
*”Hello! Looking for something?”* the assistant chirped. *”Another ring? Didnt she like the first one?”* She glanced at James.
*”You bought a ring?”*
The assistant backpedalled*”Sorry, wrong customer!”*
*”Ill explain”* James whispered.
*”Dont.”* Emily bolted.
In the car, she shook.
Convenient, wasnt it? Living with her, ring for someone else. The flat excusejust stalling.
James called. She turned off her phone. Tears streamed. How stupid shed been.
A knock on the window. The same bloke from beforeDaniel. *”Flat again?”* Then he saw her face.
They sat in a café. She spilled everything.
*”Maybe youre wrong?”* Daniel offered. *”His mate really lent it?”*
*”Doesnt matter. He didnt want to marry me.”*
Daniel brought her ice cream. *”Mum gave me this when I cried as a kid.”*
***
She left James. Daniel kept “accidentally” bumping into her. Thencinema dates, weekends in Bath, York Sometimes he stayed over, but she refused to move in together. Slowly, she thawed.
Four months later, he proposeda small diamond, but sincere. She never took it off.
Sometimes she wonderedhow long would James have lied if she hadnt found that ring?
Maybe some cupboards are better left unopened. And pockets unsearched.
