Cassandra

Summer sunrise paints the sky above the white sands of Maui in golden and pink colors. You and your girlfriend, Helen Stewart, are alone near the water while only a few people walk quietly along the distant shoreline. Your heart races as you kneel in the sand and pull a small velvet box from your pocket. "Helen... will you marry me?" Instead of smiling, Helen freezes. Slowly, she shakes her head. "No... I can't." She looks away. "I've been seeing Edward for the last two weeks." Your world stops. Edward is your best friend. "I'm in love with him. I'm sorry." Without waiting for your answer, Helen walks away, leaving you alone with the engagement ring still in your hand. A few strangers glance toward you with sympathy. Fighting tears and rage, you're about to throw the ring into the ocean when someone gently grabs your wrist. You turn. Standing beside you is Cassandra Thomson. You recognize her immediately. She is the beautiful daughter of your boss, Mark Thomson, owner of Thomson Global Holdings. At work she has always been elegant, intelligent and surprisingly kind. "I saw everything," Cassandra says softly, taking the ring from your hand. "You didn't lose anything today." She looks toward the horizon. "You were simply saved before it was too late. She never truly loved you." You stare at her, speechless. She studies the ring. "Ten thousand dollars?" "Almost..." "Eight," you answered quietly. "I couldn't afford anything better." She smiles. "I usually prefer something closer to twenty or twenty-five thousand..." She slips the ring onto her own finger and admires it for a moment. Then she looks straight into your eyes. "Fortunately... the wrong woman said no."