Gemotions

The smell of stale coffee and desperation hung thick in the air. Sarah didn't care. She was hunting. The ring, her Aunt Eleanor's, was displayed right next to a broken toy car. She pictured her aunt's face, the smug smile she wore when she spoke about the family wealth.

"How much for that one?" Her voice was devoid of inflection.

The owner, a heavy-set woman, took her time, polishing her nails with a rag before answering. "Twenty bucks."

Sarah paid without a word. She walked out, the ring a cold weight in her pocket. She knew where she was going. Her aunt's favourite restaurant, a place Sarah couldn't afford on her own, and she was bringing the ring, and she was ordering the most expensive thing on the menu.