30 years ago a woman in London bought an enormous piece of jewelry at a flea market. Little did she know the true value of her purchase when she finally decides to get it appraised.
She looked at the woman, and couldn’t believe what just had been said. She thought the appraiser had probably made a mistake. The woman had never been in a situation like that and suspected that neither did the appraiser. She had no idea where to turn, but what she was told next made her instant royalty.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Petticoat Lane Market
An unidentified Londoner was on her weekly stroll of the Middlesex Hospital flea market (west of the city) gliding past different stands. Everything looked pretty old and worn out, and with only a couple of bucks in her pocket, she wanted her purchase to be worth every penny.
As she was eyeing a necklace on one of the stands she couldn’t help but notice a huge ring sparkle in the corner of her eye, she turned to the ring and knew that fate had brought her to it.
MORE THAN JUST JUNK
ITV / Sotheby’s
The woman, who remains anonymous as per request, wanted to get herself something beautiful and luxurious. While she knew it looked like something she could never afford, she wanted it because it meant more to her than just some pile of junk.
She picked up the ring and looked at it for a moment as it resonated with her, but something seemed off. Nevertheless, she felt inexplicably drawn to it.
MAYBE ONE DAY
ITV / Sotheby’s
The ring sat on a mount that was of incredible size, the crystal too. The whole piece looked like jewelry from a fairy-tale, and the woman knew that she had to have it.
A piece of jewelry that not only she loved with all her heart but would serve as a talisman to remind herself that one day, if she worked hard enough, she would buy a real diamond. Little did she know that everything was about to change.
STRANGE TRIP
Petticoat Lane Market
She completed her purchase and spent her last remaining £10 ($13) on the incredible piece. From then on she wore the ring every day, everywhere. Years passed, and her talisman was still by her side.
Being of humble backgrounds she didn’t need much else, so she kept this piece close to her; it made her feel like a princess, even 30 years later. But one day, a strange trip to the grocery store turned her life upside down.
MYSTERY MAN
WFLA / News
On a beautiful afternoon, on her way home from work, the Londoner stopped at a nearby grocery store. She grabbed all the stuff she needed and headed to the check-out line. While waiting, she could not help but notice a stranger ogling at her hand. She thought this was very peculiar but she brushed off her train of thought and continued waiting for her turn.
What she didn’t know was that the stranger, a mysterious man, was not going to let her out of his sight.
FOLLOWED
The man wouldn’t stop gazing at her ring, and the woman was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Her turn finally came up, and she quickly paid for her products and headed for the door, still noticing the gaze of the man following her every move.
She quickly became suspicious and feared for the worst. And that’s when she noticed that he was still following her. What did this man want? And how could she get rid of him?
QUESTIONING EVERYTHING
Twitter / DailyLONDON
The woman quickly walked toward her car, aware that the man was still trailing her. She tried to keep him in her peripheral vision as she tried to lose him in the crowd, but he seemed unshakeable.
She wondered what he wanted from her… or was she just being paranoid? Then, the gap between her and him closed and she felt him right behind her. She spun around to confront him, and then he said something that completely blindsided her.
NOWHERE TO TURN
Medical News Today
The mystery man had followed her because something about her costume jewelry had caught his eye. And then he asked her something that left her questioning everything. Seeing the panic on her face, and with his greedy eyes never leaving her hand, he quickly asked her if she minded giving him closer look at her ring. Not appreciating being approached so brazenly by a stranger and suspecting a scam, she rudely brushed him off and hurried away.
As she turned to leave, she heard the man yell “…it doesn’t belong to you!” But she just wanted to get home, so she didn’t give the strange encounter another thought… until later.
ALWAYS, BUT NOT THAT DAY
Sotheby’s
The woman always had her talisman by her side, but one day she was in such a hurry that she forgot to put it on. It had become a ritual for her; wake up and put the ring on her finger. But that day, she was frazzled. She was going to be late, and as she hurried to get dressed and out the door, the ring was not on her finger.
She didn’t think much of it, but as she hopped on the subway and her hand held on to the pole in front of her to steady her balance, fear pulsed through her body with such force she thought she was having an anxiety attack. She needed to do something, but whatever she did, she needed to do it fast.
FAST ACTION
The Independent
The ring was so incredibly valuable to her that she got off on the next stop and headed back to her house. “I can’t believe I left it at home,” she thought, and more so, after being so paranoid about the man at the grocery store. As she rounded the corner to her house, dread engulfed her. She saw a car speed away which seemed like it was parked right in front of her drive. She felt immense pressure in her chest and immediately ran through her front door.
As she gasped for air in her entrance she looked back at the door; she had run through it with such force she didn’t even think twice about the fact that it was unlocked. That was it, her talisman was gone, and now she would never know the real value it had. Still, she needed to check to make sure and what she found made her blood boil even more.