Earrings

Rebecca looked out over the room full of people and put a smile on her face although she felt a little uncomfortable with all of the eyes staring at her. The auctioning began on the diamond earrings and it soon climbed into thousands of dollars – a sum that would've been unfathomable to her in her previous life. The bidding ended and she heard the auctioneer say, "Mr. Anderson would you like to come up and retrieve your new earrings?" A gray-haired older man stood and began walking forward as Rebecca began to unlatch the earring from her left ear. "Ah, Mrs. Compton let the bidder do that please," Thompson said. "Your husband's wishes." Rebecca let her arms drop to her sides as the man approached.

"Lovely, just lovely," the man said looking everywhere but the earrings. Rebecca just smiled as the man leaned near her and began unfastening them. She could detect the smell of bourbon on his breath. "Thank you Mrs. Compton, I'm sure my wife will love these."

"You're welcome," she replied as she watched the man retreat to his seat next to a woman who looked like anything but his wife.