I FOUND A WOMAN’S DIAMOND EARRING STUCK INSIDE JOSH’S WORK BOOT
The clink of something hard inside his worn-out boot made my stomach drop, even before I pulled it out.
It sparkled, impossibly bright, on my palm. Not costume jewelry, a real diamond. My hands shook as I paced the cold kitchen tiles, the earring burning a hole in my skin. He was still asleep, oblivious, but a scream built in my chest.
When he stumbled out, I shoved the glittering thing at him. ‘What is this, Josh? Tell me *right now*.’ His face went white, blood draining instantly. He tried to grab my wrist, his fingers clammy and cold against my skin.
He muttered about finding it on a job site, a pathetic, obvious lie. But his eyes darted to *her* side of the closet, giving him away. ‘You think lying makes it better?’ I choked out, tears blurring my vision. He just stared at the floor, silent.
The bitter taste of betrayal filled my mouth. I wanted to scream, to tear everything apart, but I just dropped the earring back into the boot. My hand reached for my suitcase, already planning to leave this mess, this life, behind forever.
Then my phone lit up — a text message from an unknown number: *‘You found it.’*
👇 *Full story continued in the comments…*The text message burned on the screen, replacing the image of the earring with a fresh wave of dread. *‘You found it.’* My eyes snapped to Josh, who was still frozen, staring at the floor. Who sent this? How did they know I had found it?
“What is this?” I whispered, holding up the phone now. “Who is ‘You found it’?”
Josh’s head shot up, his eyes widening further in genuine panic this time. He didn’t just look guilty of cheating; he looked *terrified*. “Give me that,” he said, his voice hoarse, reaching for the phone.
I pulled it back. “Not until you tell me what’s going on! First the earring, now this text? Who sent it? Who is ‘she’?”
He closed his eyes for a second, a muscle twitching in his jaw. When he opened them, the lie was gone, replaced by a look of desperate resignation. “It’s… it’s not what you think,” he said, running a hand through his messy hair. “The earring… it’s hers. But she’s not…” He trailed off, looking towards the closet again, a different kind of fear in his eyes.
Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed from the front door. We both froze. Josh’s face drained white again. “Go to the bedroom,” he urged, pushing me gently towards the hall. “Just… stay there. Don’t open the door.”
Before I could argue, he was gone, hurrying to the front. My heart hammered against my ribs. I didn’t go to the bedroom. I crept to the edge of the living room, hidden by the wall, listening.
I heard the door creak open, then a woman’s voice, low and urgent. “Did she find it?”
It wasn’t a voice I recognised. It was tense, sharp.
“Yes,” Josh’s voice replied, equally tense. “She found it. And the text… she got your text.”
A sharp intake of breath from the woman. “Damn it, I told you to handle it before she did! Where is she?”
“She’s… she’s okay,” Josh stammered. “Look, Sarah, we need to fix this. She thinks I’m having an affair.”
“Let her!” the woman, Sarah, snapped. “It’s better than her knowing the truth, isn’t it? Did she give it back?”
“It’s in my boot,” Josh said.
Footsteps, heading towards the kitchen. My blood ran cold. I heard the rustle of fabric, the clink again as she presumably retrieved the earring from the boot.
“Okay,” Sarah said, her voice a little calmer now that she had it. “Okay. Just… keep her thinking that. It’s safer for everyone. I’ll be in touch about the rest.”
“Sarah, wait,” Josh pleaded. “This is destroying us. She’s about to leave.”
“Your problems,” Sarah said, dismissively. “My problems are bigger. Just make sure she doesn’t talk to anyone. Especially not the police.”
Police. My legs felt weak. I leaned against the wall for support. This wasn’t an affair. It was something much worse.
I heard the front door close again. Silence. Then Josh sighed, a heavy, broken sound, before slowly walking back towards the kitchen.