Chapter 155: Caroline's TAT Ring
Max stared at the stack of cash for several seconds, looking as though she still couldn't quite believe it was real.
Then she looked up at Ethan.
"Doctor, did you secretly put money in there?"
Ethan smiled.
"I've only ever taken money out of it."
Max rolled her eyes and turned to Caroline.
"At least now we can afford a decent blender."
"Exactly." Ethan nodded in support. "A better blender means better cupcakes. Better cupcakes mean more sales."
"No."
Caroline's expression instantly became serious.
"If this is all the money we have, then the business fund stays untouched."
Her tone was unusually firm.
"We need to find another solution."
"Or..." Max shrugged. "We quit while we're ahead."
"That way, we don't need a blender at all."
"No!"
Ethan and Caroline objected at exactly the same time.
They exchanged a glance, united against a common enemy.
"What kind of attitude is that?" Caroline demanded.
"Life only gets worse," Max replied naturally.
"Or it could get better!" Caroline shot back. "Why are you always so pessimistic?"
"What if cupcake orders keep growing? Maybe demand doubles."
"I feel like you're the one eating most of them," Max said lazily.
"Careful. You're going to get fat."
She leaned back.
"Like I've always said—life is one long downhill slope."
"The only difference is whether you roll down it yourself..."
"...or somebody kicks you."
"Could someone kick you uphill?" Ethan asked seriously.
Max stared at him.
"How would that even work?"
"Max, why do you always assume the worst?" Caroline complained.
"Because that's my specialty."
Max nodded without shame.
"My résumé literally says: Exceptional at imagining worst-case scenarios."
"Can't you be optimistic for once?"
"Optimistic?" Max narrowed her eyes.
"Fine. Let's imagine something optimistic."
"Tomorrow morning, you wake up and magically get your entire fortune back."
"We move happily into your mansion."
A mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"And then I spend all day entertaining myself in your giant bathtub."
"I only did that twice!"
Caroline exploded immediately.
"And that's because you never knocked!"
Seeing disaster approaching, Ethan quickly changed the subject.
"Looks like tonight's cupcake production is officially dead."
"Doesn't matter."
Max looked completely at peace with the situation.
"I'm already used to plans failing, equipment dying, and life continuing anyway."
"Tonight failed," Ethan said.
"But that doesn't mean tomorrow will."
He deliberately tried to encourage her.
"We'll figure something out and buy a better blender."
He paused.
"Maybe this is actually a good thing."
"Who knows? Maybe the new blender will double the quality."
Caroline suddenly snapped her fingers.
"That's it."
She hurried toward a shelf.
"This calls for emergency measures."
She lowered her voice dramatically.
"I've been hiding something for situations exactly like this."
"I knew it."
Max folded her arms.
"You definitely smuggled out part of your father's fortune."
"We're rich."
"Wait."
She hesitated.
"Technically that's somebody else's money."
Then she waved a hand.
"Eh. Not my crime."
"You're right."
Caroline finally pulled an elegant box from the very back of the shelf.
"We are rich."
The box opened.
More than a dozen rings sparkled beneath the apartment lights.
Even Ethan blinked.
No wonder legends claimed both women and dragons lost all reason around shiny objects.
The evidence was compelling.
"Holy—"
Max sucked in a breath.
"These are my valuable rings," Caroline announced proudly.
"If these are your valuable rings," Max said, staring at her, "then what are the ones you normally wear?"
"Cheap replicas."
Caroline looked genuinely confused.
"Who carries the real ones around?"
"Understood."
Max nodded.
"The luxury collection stays safely at home."
"The budget version goes outside and gets beaten up by life."
Caroline had already started displaying them one by one.
"Look how unique they are."
She held up a ring proudly.
"These are all Thomas Aristotle Thomas rings."
She paused dramatically.
"Or, as experts call them—TAT Rings."
Ethan and Max spoke simultaneously.
"What?"
"TAT Rings."
Caroline sounded completely confident.
"You've never heard of them?"
The two exchanged a glance.
"No."
"Not once."
"That makes sense."
Caroline wasn't bothered.
"Only people with refined taste understand them."
She pointed at the collection.
"You don't need to understand. Just accept their greatness."
"We absolutely do not understand."
"Not even a little."
Caroline ignored them.
"Anyway, selling just one of these at a pawn shop would easily buy us a new blender."
Ethan hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"I should probably warn you."
Both women looked at him.
"Pawn shops will probably offer a ridiculously low price."
"They specialize in taking advantage of people who need money quickly."
Caroline nodded slowly.
That sounded reasonable.
"So if your only goal is buying a blender..." Ethan continued.
He paused carefully.
"You could just sell one to me."
Silence.
Then:
"No."
"Absolutely not."
The two women rejected the idea simultaneously.
Caroline immediately closed the box.
"No, Ethan. That's not appropriate."
Max's expression cooled instantly.
"Doctor."
"Did you just try to overpay for a TAT Ring?"
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Then what did you mean?"
Max narrowed her eyes.
"We're poor."
"But not using our friends as pawn shops poor."
Caroline nodded.
"This isn't about money."
She tapped the box gently.
"It's about principles."
"Friends can help each other."
"Friends can owe favors."
"But the moment you put a price tag between friends..."
She shook her head.
"Someone always ends up feeling uncomfortable."
"I don't want to see you later and wonder if I took advantage of you."
Ethan opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
He couldn't really argue with that.
Finally, he sighed and raised both hands.
"Fine. I surrender."
After a moment, he added:
"How about this?"
"You go to the pawn shop first."
"And if—if—their offer is truly insulting..."
"Then I'll pay ten dollars more than whatever they offer."
Max rolled her eyes immediately.
"Wow."
"The conscience of capitalism."
"A whole ten-dollar premium."
"Ten dollars?" Caroline repeated.
"Ten dollars."
Ethan nodded.
"Not because I want a bargain."
"I just don't want to watch you get robbed."
"Better a friend gets the deal than a pawn shop."
Max stared at him for a moment.
"That still sounds terrible."
She paused.
"But somehow it also makes sense."
Caroline laughed.
"Fine."
"We'll keep that option in mind."
Max immediately added:
"But only if the pawn shop starts the fight first."
Ethan nodded.
He had complete confidence in pawn shops.
"Deal."
Helping people really was exhausting.
The moment he relaxed, Ethan realized just how tired he actually was.
He'd been fighting sleep for the past hour while listening to them debate blenders.
"So what kind of blender are we buying?" Caroline asked.
"Oh, I already know."
Max jumped up and marched into the living room.
A moment later, she returned holding a crumpled advertisement she'd apparently hidden beneath the coffee table.
"I'm not the only one with secret stashes."
She slapped the page onto the table and pointed dramatically.
"KitchenAid."
"A stand mixer."
She looked almost reverent.
"This is the TAT Ring of mixers."
Then she paused for emphasis.
"Most importantly—it's purple."
Max looked at Ethan.
His blank expression made it clear he wasn't appreciating the masterpiece properly.
"This thing is the muscle car of kitchen appliances."
"Absolutely majestic."
"Oh."
Ethan nodded immediately.
"Majestic."
"Great." Caroline clapped her hands.
"Then let's buy that one."
"Can't."
Max shook her head instantly.
"Way too expensive."
She sighed dramatically.
"It's kitchen porn."
"Fun to look at."
"Not something normal people actually own."
"Well."
Caroline looked down at the ring collection.
"Then tomorrow we'll sell a ring and buy a normal blender."
Her voice slowed.
"The problem is deciding which one."
She picked up a ring.
"My father bought this one in London."
Another.
"This one came from Paris."
"He gave it to me because I survived my first airplane flight without crying."
Then she picked up a third ring.
"This was my eighteenth birthday gift."
"My very first TAT Ring."
"Stop."
Max finally couldn't take any more.
"We're not selling them."
Caroline blinked.
Max looked away.
Her voice became unexpectedly serious.
"I don't want your memories sacrificed for this."
She folded her arms.
"Do you remember what Gollum did for his ring?"
"He bit off Frodo's finger and fell into a volcano."
"...What?"
Ethan looked completely lost.
How had the conversation suddenly turned into The Lord of the Rings?
Max continued as though everything made perfect sense.
"Because if this business fails someday..."
"I'll be responsible for everything you lost."
Her voice softened.
"The only life I'm willing to ruin is my own."
The room fell silent.
Caroline looked at her steadily.
"Max."
"Business succeeds sometimes."
"Business fails sometimes."
"That's normal."
She gently touched the ring box.
"Right now these rings are just money and memories."
"But they can also become our future."
Max narrowed her eyes.
After two seconds of silence:
"...Are you proposing to me?"
Caroline immediately looked disgusted again.
"Go away."
Since cupcake production had officially been canceled, there was only one activity left for the evening.
Sleep.
Even if tomorrow's cupcakes were gone, Max was still here tonight.
From a total happiness perspective, Ethan considered that a net victory.
The two headed into the bedroom.
Ethan finally relaxed.
He was ready to shut down and sleep.
Unfortunately, Max had just taken a shower and looked more energized than ever.
"All right."
She rolled her shoulders.
"No cupcakes tonight."
Her gaze drifted lazily toward Ethan.
Like a snake observing a frog that hadn't realized it was already in danger.
"We'll find another form of entertainment."
"Wait—"
Ethan instinctively backed toward the bed.
"Didn't we already... finish earlier?"
"That was earlier."
Max cut him off immediately.
"You eat three cupcakes a day."
"..."
…
The next time Ethan opened his eyes, the world had rebooted.
He stared at the ceiling for several seconds before realizing something important.
He had absolutely no memory of falling asleep.
The apartment was quiet.
Once again, everyone was gone except him.
He grabbed his phone and checked the time.
Wonderful.
Not only were there no cupcakes today—
He was also late.
By the time Ethan reached the clinic, it was nearly eleven in the morning.
Over the past few months, Rayne Clinic had built a solid reputation in the neighborhood.
Patients were surprisingly forgiving when the doctor occasionally arrived late.
Everyone except Helen.
When late and no cupcakes happened on the same day, Helen immediately suspected Ethan had somehow caused the disaster.
Ethan felt more wronged than anyone in history.
But when he thought about it...
If he hadn't visited yesterday...
Caroline might not have gone to sleep first.
If Caroline hadn't fallen asleep...
She might not have forgotten the towel.
If she hadn't forgotten the towel...
The blender might still be alive.
The logic was flawless.
The chain of causality was complete.
Somehow...
It really did sound like his fault.
Ethan gave up trying to defend himself.
He was a doctor.
Treating patients was probably a better use of his time.
After a busy morning, the clinic finally settled back into its normal rhythm.
Ethan had just finished with a patient and was washing his hands when Helen knocked on the door.
"There's a woman here named Caroline Channing."
"She says she's your friend."
Helen paused.
"She has been waiting for a while. There aren't any patients outside right now. Would you like to see her?"
"Of course."
Ethan dried his hands.
"And just so you know, she's Max's best friend and roommate."
"Oh."
Helen nodded knowingly.
"I understand."
A moment later, Caroline appeared in the doorway.
Her hair was perfectly styled.
Her makeup flawless.
She looked as though she'd just returned from an important event.
"Can I come in?" she asked politely.
"Of course."
Ethan motioned for her to sit.
"What happened?"
Caroline took a deep breath.
Then she spoke.
"Max is angry with me."
Ethan looked at her.
"That sentence contains a concerning amount of information."
"What stupid thing did you do?"
"Yes."
Caroline nodded immediately.
"And it wasn't a small thing."
"We went to the pawn shop."
Her emotions instantly resurfaced.
"Exactly like you predicted, the offer was ridiculous."
"A ring worth twenty-five hundred dollars."
"The woman behind the counter offered two hundred and seventy-five."
"Legalized robbery."
Ethan shrugged.
His face clearly said:
I told you so.
Caroline continued.
"So we improvised."
"We held a flash auction inside a shopping mall restroom."
"The response was amazing."
"A huge crowd showed up."
"The bidding got competitive."
She forced a smile.
"And then two of my old friends appeared."
Ethan immediately felt a sense of dread.
"They saw me standing in a public restroom."
"Holding jewelry."
"Haggling with strangers."
"I panicked."
She looked down.
"I didn't want them telling everyone that Caroline Channing was selling jewelry in a bathroom."
She paused.
"So I said it was Max's idea."
"I said the whole thing was tacky."
"I claimed I was just passing through."
"And then..."
Her voice dropped.
"I left with them."
The office went silent.
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"Caroline."
"Is today the first day you've ever met Max?"
"You could post her nude photos online and she'd probably forgive you faster than this."
Caroline looked genuinely miserable.
"I apologized afterward."
"She ignored me completely."
Her voice became quieter.
"She said she used to believe we had a future together."
"Now..."
"She thinks the whole thing was a joke."
Caroline swallowed.
"She thinks I never really wanted to move forward with her in the first place."
Caroline reached into her handbag and pulled out a small jewelry box, placing it gently on Ethan's desk.
"That's why I'm here."
"To sell the rings to you."
She looked down at the box.
"Then I'll buy the mixer, get back home, and start baking cupcakes before Max gets off work."
A flicker of hope crossed her face.
"Maybe... she'll forgive me."
She looked up at Ethan.
"I checked every pawn shop in Brooklyn."
"Their offers were all ridiculous."
She shook her head.
"You were right."
"If somebody's going to get a good deal, I'd rather it be a friend than a stranger trying to rip me off."
After a brief pause, she added:
"Highest offer I received for each ring, plus ten dollars."
"No problem."
Ethan nodded immediately.
Then something occurred to him.
"By the way, remember that mixer Max wanted yesterday?"
"The purple one?"
Caroline blinked.
"You want me to buy that?"
"I thought we agreed on something cheaper."
"Plans changed."
Ethan spread his hands.
"Do you remember the oven I bought for you two?"
Caroline nodded.
"That oven was one of Max's dream appliances."
"She'd been saving the advertisement for years."
"..."
Caroline stared at him.
"Max is actually very easy to make happy," Ethan continued.
"You're luckier than you realize."
He pointed at the jewelry box.
"This mixer was always my emergency backup plan."
"Emergency backup?"
"In case I ever made Max angry."
Ethan answered with complete honesty.
"I figured if I really messed up someday, I'd buy it and use it to save my life."
Caroline couldn't help laughing despite herself.
"You're serious?"
"Completely."
"So trust me."
"If you bring that mixer home, she'll absolutely forgive you."
"Really?"
The tension visibly drained from Caroline's shoulders.
"How much was it again?"
Ethan glanced at the price list she'd compiled.
"Three rings would cover it."
"No."
Caroline shook her head.
For the first time that day, her voice carried absolute conviction.
"All of them."
Ethan looked up.
"All?"
"Yes."
She nodded firmly.
"I'll buy the mixer."
"And every dollar left over goes into the bakery fund."
Her eyes were steady now.
"I want Max to see that I'm serious."
"I want her to understand that I'm committed."
"Not just to the business."
"To us."
Ethan studied her for a moment.
Then he stopped trying to persuade her.
Instead, he simply nodded.
"Okay."
He wrote out the check, signed it, and handed it across the desk.
"I'll take good care of these."
He rested a hand on the jewelry box.
"If you ever want them back, you can buy them back from me for exactly what you sold them for today."
Caroline accepted the check.
Then she gently pushed the entire box toward him.
"No."
Ethan frowned.
"No?"
She smiled softly.
"Keep them."
"Sell them."
"Give them away."
"Do whatever you want with them."
Her fingers lingered on the box for a moment before withdrawing.
Then she stood and smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt.
The gesture felt strangely ceremonial, as though she were closing the door on an old chapter of her life.
"I can't keep looking backward."
Her voice was quiet but resolute.
"If I want Max to believe in me..."
"Then I need to start moving forward myself."
She walked to the door.
Just before leaving, she turned back one last time.
"Ethan."
"Thank you."
Ethan waved dismissively.
"Don't mention it."
"Just remember one thing."
"If I ever do something incredibly stupid someday, you're obligated to defend me."
Caroline laughed.
"Deal."
Then she pointed a finger at him.
"But there's a condition."
"Oh?"
"You're not allowed to hurt Max."
Ethan blinked.
Then he smiled.
"Fair enough."
Caroline returned the smile before opening the door and walking out.
The office fell quiet again.
Ethan looked down at the jewelry box sitting on his desk.
Inside were a dozen glittering rings—pieces of Caroline's past, exchanged for a future she was finally willing to bet on.
For a moment, he understood exactly why Max had been so angry.
And why she would probably forgive Caroline the moment she saw that purple mixer sitting on the kitchen counter.
Some apologies were spoken.
Others arrived in a cardboard box with a manufacturer's warranty.