Chapter 2 - The Sparkle in the Wreckage
To her right, tiny silver sequins shook violently.
A five-year-old girl took a step back, her patent leather shoes slipping on a blob of pink cream.
Her small hands balled into tight fists.
Her chest heaved, pulling the sparkly fabric of her dress tight.
Tears pooled in her wide, panicked eyes, spilling over her flushed cheeks.
In her mind, the rules of the world were simple.
Birthdays meant singing.
Cakes meant happiness.
You do not push people. You do not destroy sweet things.
Bad people break things.
She pointed a trembling finger at the ruined dessert.
"You broke it."
Her voice cracked, high and piercing.
"Mommy..."
The man in the navy suit didn't even look at the child.
"He ruined your gift!"
Her tiny voice shattered the remaining silence in the room.
The jazz music seemed to fade away entirely.
Inside the crater of mashed pink cake, something dark caught the light.
A square, velvet box. Deep navy blue.
The lid had popped open upon impact.
May you like
Inside, sitting on a bed of white silk, a massive diamond ring gleamed.
It sat perfectly intact, surrounded by the wreckage of pink sugar.
