It was a bright, sunny morning. Richard was engrossed in the song playing on his headphones while he mopped the bus station floors. For the last 10 years, the bus station had been his world.\n

Suddenly, a voice distracted him. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d it said.\n

Richard turned around to see a woman, probably 35 years old. She looked frail, and from her red, puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Richard could sense she was crying not long ago. She held a baby in her arms, and two older children stood beside her.\n

\u201cCan I help you with something?\u201d Richard worriedly asked as he removed his headphones.\n

\u201cI-I need to get to New York. Can you please help me buy a ticket?\u201d she asked tremblingly.\n

\u201cIs everything OK? You look tense,\u201d he said.\n

The woman hesitated. \u201cI-I want to escape my husband. I shouldn\u2019t be telling you this, but he\u2019s\u2026 not a good man. I\u2019ve not been able to reach him for days, and the things he\u2019s said and done\u2026 scare me. I just want to go to my sister who lives in New York. I lost my wallet. Please help us.\u201d\n

Noticing her plight, Richard couldn\u2019t refuse her, although he knew he\u2019d have to let go of the last money he had. He went to the counter and bought the ticket.\n

\u201cThank you from the bottom of my heart,\u201d she sniffled as he handed her the ticket.\n

\u201cPlease take care of your children,\u201d he said.\n

\u201cCan you give me your address?\u201d she asked.\n

\u201cWhy would you need that?\u201d\n

\u201cI want to repay you. Please,\u201d she said.\n

Richard relented, and soon, the bus the woman and her children boarded disappeared down the road.\n

Richard finished his shift and went home to his daughter, Amanda. She was all he had after his wife walked out on them. Richard was devastated by his wife\u2019s decision, but he had pulled himself together for his daughter\u2019s sake.\n

By the age of 10, Amanda had taken on responsibilities far beyond her years. After school, she would tie her hair up in a ponytail and dive into household chores, even helping Richard cook.\n

In their tiny kitchen, they danced together and tried new recipes. Then, they settled onto the couch by the evening, sharing the tales of their days. That evening was no different. But the next morning was.\n

Richard was startled awake by Amanda\u2019s voice. \u201cDad! Wake up!\u201d she exclaimed, shaking his shoulders gently.\n

He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. \u201cWhat is it, sweetie?\u201d\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something odd outside! Come with me!\u201d she insisted, pulling him out of the bed.\n

Richard stepped out into the yard to see a dozen boxes. He assumed it was someone\u2019s shipment gone astray, but then he noticed the envelope atop one of the boxes. It had a letter. He ignored that Amanda had already started opening the boxes as he began reading.\n

\u201cHi! It\u2019s me, the woman you helped yesterday. I wanted to express my gratitude for your kindness. These boxes hold the possessions I wanted to bring to New York, but I decided to leave them to you so you could sell them and make some good money. All the best.\u201d\n

Richard was still processing the letter when the sound of shattering porcelain distracted him. He spun around to see Amanda had dropped a vase on the ground. For a moment, he was annoyed at her recklessness. She had broken the woman\u2019s vase!\n

But then he noticed the sparking object among the porcelain shards. He picked it up. Richard had read somewhere that diamond didn\u2019t fog when you breathed on it. He was shocked to realize the shiny stone was a REAL diamond.\n

\u201cOh god! We\u2019re rich!\u201d he exclaimed joyfully, his eyes fixed on the shining gem.\n

\u201cWe need to return it, Dad!\u201d Amanda skimmed the shipping documents and found the sender\u2019s address. \u201cIt\u2019s not ours!\u201d\n

\u201cThink about the bright future, Amanda! We could send you to a good school!\u201d\n

\u201cNo, Dad! What if we are taking away someone\u2019s last hopes?\u201d\n

Richard insisted on keeping the diamond, but Amanda talked him into returning it. Richard told her he would, but he had something else on his mind. On the pretext of returning the diamond, he visited an antique shop.\n

\u201cHow can I help you, sir?\u201d the proprietor, Mr. Lambert, asked as Richard approached the counter.\n

\u201cI wanted to get something appraised,\u201d he replied and placed the diamond on the counter.\n

Mr. Lambert adjusted the focus of his loupe. \u201cThis is a magnificent piece,\u201d he said, examining the stone. \u201cThe clarity, the cut\u2026it\u2019s an exception. I\u2019d estimate its value to be at least $100,000. If I may ask, where did you get it?\u201d\n

Richard\u2019s eyes widened at the estimate, but he quickly composed himself. \u201cUh, it was\u2026 an inheritance,\u201d he said. \u201cSo\u2026can you buy it?\u201d\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll need to consult a colleague. Can you wait a moment?\u201d Mr. Lambert asked. Richard nodded, and Mr. Lambert stepped away for a call.\n

\u201cGood news!\u201d he exclaimed as he returned. \u201cWe can proceed with the purchase! Can I take a look?\u201d He extended his hand so that Richard could hand him the diamond. But there was a moment of negligence, and the diamond landed on the floor. Mr. Lambert quickly bent down and picked it up.\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s one of the strongest substances on Earth. It\u2019s definitely not harmed!\u201d he said, taking a look, and returned the diamond to Richard. \u201cI can offer you $10,000!\u201d he said.\n

\u201cWait, but you just told me it\u2019s worth ten times that!\u201d Richard argued.\n

Mr. Lambert explained that he could only offer Richard a fraction of the market value because Richard didn\u2019t have any documents proving the diamond\u2019s origin. Richard asked Mr. Lambert if there was a way they could work it out, but Mr. Lambert was adamant he would offer at most $10,000.\n

Richard decided he didn\u2019t want the money and drove home with the diamond. But he had a plan. Richard decided to move to another town, make fake documents for the diamond\u2019s origin, and sell it for its full market value. He would need to persuade Amanda, but he\u2019d manage.\n

As he arrived home, Richard sensed an eerie silence. \u201cAmanda?\u201d he called out, but there was no response. Usually, Amanda would come running at one call.\n

Richard sensed something was off. He searched the whole house, but there was no sign of Amanda. He began panicking, wondering where his daughter was, when he noticed a note on the kitchen countertop.\n

\u201cYou have my gem! If you want your daughter back, bring it to the address below.No police or you\u2019ll regret it.\u201d\n

Richard\u2019s heart sank, and his hands shook. Then his mind raced to the woman he\u2019d met at the bus stop. \u201cMy husband isn\u2019t a good man\u2026\u201d Her words kept ringing in his ears. He raced to the kitchen drawer and pulled out the shipping documents. The address mentioned by the kidnapper matched the shipping address.\n

A chill ran down Richard\u2019s spine. He had no time to lose or doubt if the woman was an accomplice in her husband\u2019s nasty schemes. He drove to the address and found himself in front of an old two-story structure.\n

Richard\u2019s heart throbbed in his chest as he approached the entrance. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door, which swung open. A man in a dark overcoat appeared in the doorway, aiming his gun at Richard\u2019s temple. He was probably 40 and bore a scar on his left cheek.\n

\u201cYou\u2026Richard?\u201d he asked in a gruff voice.\n

\u201cYes, I am. Where\u2019s my daughter?\u201d\n

\u201cDid you bring what I asked for?\u201d the man asked.\n

\u201cYes, I did. Where\u2019s Amanda? I need to see her!\u201d\n

\u201cAll in good time!\u201d grinned the man as he leaned closer to Richard. \u201cFirst, the diamond.\u201d\n

Richard pulled it out from his pocket and raised it in the air. The kidnapper asked him to place it on the table. Richard entered the house and did as instructed.\n

The man picked up the diamond and examined it. It wasn\u2019t long before his face contorted with fury. \u201cThis is glass! Where\u2019s the real diamond?\u201d\n

Richard was shocked. Then, he recalled the moment when Mr. Lambert had dropped the diamond. Could he have switched the gem?\n

\u201cYou either bring me $10,000 in a few days, or you\u2019ll never hear your daughter\u2019s voice again!\u201d The kidnapper warned him.\n

Richard had no time to lose and quickly drove to the antique shop.\n

\u201cOh, Mr. Richard! Back so soon?\u201d Mr. Lambert smiled.\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready to sell the diamond for $10,000. I changed my mind!\u201d he said, but Mr. Lambert refused.\n

\u201cHow about $7,000?\u201d Richard further proposed.\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, but the diamond no longer interests me!\u201d said Mr. Lambert.\n

Richard realized Mr. Lambert had indeed switched the diamonds. A strange fury gripped him. He landed a strong punch on the expert\u2019s head, causing him to stumble. Then he grabbed a cord from a nearby table and tied the man.\n

\u201cWHERE IS THE DIAMOND?\u201d he asked angrily. \u201cMy daughter\u2019s life is on the line, and you\u2019re playing games?\u201d He raised his fist, and finally, the expert spilled the truth.\n

The expert revealed he and the kidnapper were in it together. They were planning on extorting $100,000 from Richard for Amanda\u2019s release. And then it dawned on Richard that the \u201ccolleague\u201d the expert had contacted was none other than the kidnapper.\n

\u201cHe lifted the diamond from a billionaire\u2019s mansion! Every cop has been looking for it!\u201d\n

The expert tried to move away from Richard but stumbled and fell, losing consciousness. Richard didn\u2019t know what to do at first, but then he came up with a cunning plan. First, he took a picture of the unconscious expert. Wasting no time, he called the cops and left a note near the expert. Richard then drove back to the kidnapper.\n

As the door of the old house swung open, he approached the kidnapper. \u201cI went to the antique shop, but guess what? Your buddy spilled quite a few beans! I know you plotted the kidnapping together.\n

\u201cAnd well, turns out you\u2019ve been played as much as me. He has the real diamond in a safe at the shop. I tried to get the combination from him, but things got heated, and he\u2019s no more.\u201d\n

Richard then showed him the expert\u2019s photo to ensure the man bought his story.\n

The kidnapper lost his cool. \u201cThat prick!\u201d he yelled.\n

In a rage, the kidnapper stormed out of the house and sped off to the antique shop. Richard took advantage of the situation, found his daughter, and freed her.\n

\u201cDad\u2026I heard the confrontation. Did you really\u2026k-kill someone?\u201d she asked, the tape across her mouth removed.\n

\u201cNo, honey. It was a ruse, a bluff. I had to make him believe it so he\u2019d act recklessly,\u201d Richard said with a smile, trying to comfort her. \u201cBut, knowing him, I\u2019d wager he\u2019s about to walk right into a trap. When I called the police earlier, I alerted them to the expert\u2019s involvement, and they were headed to the antique shop.\u201d\n

Amanda\u2019s eyes widened with realization. \u201cSo, he\u2019s going to be arrested?\u201d\n

\u201cYes, and you are safe,\u201d Richard said, recalling the note he had left for the cops.\n

\u201cIn an hour, the man who stole the diamond you\u2019re looking for will be here,\u201d it read.\n

And Richard\u2019s plan worked. The kidnapper and expert were arrested. But there was a strange fear in his heart because he knew he would get in trouble with the law for not going to the cops immediately when he found the diamond. But at least he saved his daughter.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Richard buys a bus ticket for a desperate mother of three and finds dozens of boxes from her on his doorstep the next day. He has no idea her gift will land him in trouble until his daughter opens one of the boxes. It was a bright, sunny morning. Richard was engrossed in the song […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5947"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5950,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5947\/revisions\/5950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}