Olivia was clearly aware of the unpleasant odor accompanying her task.
The basin was soon half-filled with the unpleasant result of her actions.
Mark, Cecilia, and Edwin watched, their expressions intense with anticipation.
Once done, a bashful Olivia sought refuge in her father’s arms.
Mark, breaking his usual fastidious habits, donned gloves and, with a metal fork, began his unenviable task of searching through the contents of the basin.
His efforts were rewarded about ten minutes later when he unearthed the pink diamond ring, which he thoroughly washed under a faucet.
Angela’s Library
Despite the cleanliness, a lingering odor seemed to stick.
After cleaning up, Mark removed his gloves, yearning for a cigarette as a form of relief.
As the smoke curled upwards, his eyes moistened upon gazing at the diamond.
Cecilia, entering the room and immediately recoiling from the smell, saw the clean ring in Mark’s hand.
“I found it,” he said softly.
Cecilia approached, delicately picking up the ring.
“It’s beautiful,” she admired.
Mark said in a hoarse voice, “I’ll buy you a better one.”
Without saying anything and just cleansing the ring further with hand sanitizer, Cecilia then slipped it onto her ring finger.
Despite the day’s chaos, she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness, a testament to Mark’s love and dedication.
Mark, unable to bear the lingering smell, suggested, “Let’s go home.
This is too much.”
He extinguished his cigarette as Cecilia glanced down at her ruined couture dress, yet feeling an unexpected contentment.
“Mark, despite everything, today is really special and I am really happy,” she murmured.
Mark responded with a tender kiss, “I’m glad you’re happy, but we should head home. The kids need a shower. You need one too.”
Mark then made mental notes to also washed his car to help him completely forget about this embarrassing night.
Cecilia’s laughter rang through the room as she playfully wrapped her arms around Mark’s waist.
“I don’t want a shower,” she protested, her eyes sparkling with mirth.