UPSET-SET

"You fiend!" Emily cried, her voice shrill with indignation. "Return my trinket at once, or face my wrath!" She demanded, pointing a trembling finger at the grinning Melissa.

The latter stood tall, the purloined ring dangling from her fingers, her eyes ablaze with mischief. "Or what, pray tell, will you do if I refuse?" She taunted, her voice dripping with derision.

"Let me deal with this," Lucy insisted, her voice tight with urgency.

But Emily and Camilla stood firm, arms interlocked in a blockade of resistance, as they held her back.

"No, Lucy," Emily said her tone firm. "Let me handle this."

Both Lucy and Camilla stepped back as they were visibly angry.

"Why did you take it?" Emily demanded, her voice laced with accusation.

"It was so beautiful and it looked precious and expensive," she whispered, "like a priceless gem." Emily's eyes narrowed.

"So you planned to sell it?" Emily asked.

"I would never stoop so low," she answered.

"Then why did you take it? And how?" Emily asked, her voice laced with confusion and disbelief.

"Don't you even know when it happened? My, you're really clueless, aren't you? You still very blind," Melissa taunted, a smirk curling her lips.

Camilla's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you dare speak to her like that!" She snapped.

"What can you do about it?" Another member of Melissa's group jeered, a cruel grin spreading across her face.

"We took it right in front of you, and you were non the wiser!" Melissa sneered.

Emily's mind raced as she recalled the moment. It had been when Melissa came to wish her good luck before the event. Melissa had seemed friendly at the time, but now it all made sense.

"Oh, yeah, when you came to wish us good luck, I remember, I knew you were up to something," Emily replied.

"Hmm, I wonder what the ring is for," Melissa mused, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "It looks like an engagement ring, doesn't it? I recall you mentioning marriage rather embarrassing in class, and now it all make sense. It's quite pathetic that you'd need to fabricate a story like this, and even more pathetic that you don't have a man to show for it. Or is it that you're hiding him because he doesn't measure up to your standard?

Then Lucy darted forward, snatching the ring from Melissa's hand with a ferocious glare. She turned and trust the ring into Emily's hands. "You're welcome," she said softly, before stalking off to stand beside Camilla, her face a mask of righteous fury. The air was heavy with tension, the atmosphere charged with animosity.

"There's no need to explain myself to you, Melissa," Emily said, her voice calm and collected. "As the old saying goes, silence is the best answer to a fool, but I'll make an exception in your case. I won't stoop to your level by making a scene, but let me be clear, I don't need to prove anything to you or anyone else. My action speak for themselves, and my character speaks for itself. "Let's go girls," Emily said and they walked away leaving them all rooted on the spot.

As they walked away from the school gates, the air was electric with Camilla's excitement. "That was the best comeback I've ever seen!" She exclaimed, her words tumbling out in a rush.

"It was epic!" Lucy agreed, her eyes shinning.

The girls exchanged a high five, their energy contagious.

"You showed them who's boss!" Camilla continued, her voice full of admiration. "Without even raising her voice."

"Let's not let her get to us," Emily suggested, her voice soothing and calm.

"Let's focus on the day ahead and enjoy ourselves." Camilla's excitement was undeterred, however.

"You mean the celebration!" She exclaimed, her eyes shinning with anticipation.

Lucy jumped in, eager to move on. "Yeah, let's go!" She said, grabbing Emily's arm and pulling her long. The girls followed, their hearts light and their spirit high, ready to make the most of the day ahead.

The trio piled into a cab, the energy in the air electric with their joy. As they rode through the city streets, they chatted and laughed, sharing stories and jokes.

When they reached Emily's house, they wasted no time in starting the celebration. They talked, ate, danced and played games, their laughter ringing through the house.

As the evening drew to a close, Camilla and Lucy helped Emily tidy up, before bidding her farewell and heading home, their hearts full of happiness and their spirits renewed.

Emily's smile faded as she sat on her bed after taking a bath, her body aching with exhaustion. As she ran her hand over her face, the events of the day replayed in her mind.

She had spent the day with her closest friends, celebrating her big news. She was going to be working with Nicole Novak, her dream was coming into reality. But as she looked down at the ring on her finger, a shadow of sadness crossed her face. She wondered if she was making the right decision, if she was ready for all that lay ahead.

She has not heard anything from her so called fiancée or anyone. Even her parents stopped calling her cause she wasn't returning their calls.

As she drifted off to sleep, Emily took comfort in the knowledge that she would be working with Nicole Novak, one of the most successful models in the industry. It was a dream come true, and she was determined to make the most of the opportunity. In her mind's eye, she could see herself on the runway, her steps confident and her smile radiant. And even though she couldn't shake the nagging doubt in her heart, she allowed herself to smile as she drifted off to sleep, the memory of the day's Joyous events playing like a movie in her mind.

The morning sun streamed through Emily's window, waking her from her slumber, it was on Wednesday. She opened her eyes, a smile spreading across her face. She could feel the excitement of the previous day's event coursing through her body, giving her the energy to start the day.

As she got ready, she hummed to herself, lost in her thoughts. After eating a quick breakfast, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door, ready for class, the spring in her step a reflection of her mood. It was going to be a great day, she could feel it.

In the early evening hours, after a day of classes, Emily settled on her couch with a bowl of snacks in hand. She flicked on the television and lost herself in the bright colors and catchy tunes of her favourite show, the cares of the day slowly melting away.

Just as she relaxed into a state of blissful indulgence, the shrill peal of the doorbell jolted her back to reality. With a sigh of resignation, she set the bowl aside and rose reluctantly from her comfortable neat on the sofa, and padded to the door to answer the summons.

A delivery man stood on the front porch, uniformed and official. He greeted her with a cheerful "Good day!" His voice sounded incongruous in the stillness of the evening.

"Good day to you as well," she responded, taking the proffered package from his hand. She signed it, thanked him, and closed the door on the world outside and settled on the couch.

"What's this again?" Emily said. The envelope was thick and heavy in her hand, like a weighty secret waiting to be revealed.

With trembling fingers, she slid a nail beneath the flap and tore it open. A single sheet of paper slipped into her palm, folded in half and crisp with freshness. She unfolded it with bated breath, her heart racing as she began to read.

"My dearest Emily," the letter began, the words curling across the page in an elegant script.

"Thank you for taking the time to sign the agreement, it is a step in the right direction for us both. Though this may be unconventional, I am eager to meet you and learn more about the woman who has agreed to this arrangement. I look forward to our meeting at the courthouse on Monday. You're expected to be there, where we can finalize the details of our contract marriage. From your fiancé, Robert Rawlings."

With that the letter ended and she hissed. She folded the letter and kept it back in the envelope and placed it on the table, then she continued eating her snacks.

She felt a surge of fury, like a seething pit of molten lava, bubbling and boiling just beneath the surface. But beneath that anger was a flicker of joy, one part of her was happy that she'll finally see who she's getting married to.