Patricia laughed.
Not a polite chuckle.
A genuine laugh, as if Diana had just told her the funniest joke she had ever heard.
"I'm going to need to see proof of funds first," Patricia had said, still smiling like she had caught Diana in some kind of game.
"Proof of funds?" Diana had asked, genuinely confused.
"Credit cards, bank statements, something that shows you can actually afford this," Patricia had explained, as if she were talking to a child who didn't understand how money worked.
Diana had looked around the store, her mind racing.
"Is this standard policy for all customers?"
Patricia had glanced over at the Blackstones, who were still browsing comfortably without anyone asking them for financial verification.
"For purchases of this magnitude, yes," Patricia had lied smoothly.
But Diana had been watching the Blackstones for the past 15 minutes.
She had seen them handle pieces worth just as much as the Aurora necklace.
She had seen Patricia offer them champagne and treat them like royalty.
And she had noticed that not once had Patricia asked them for proof of funds, credit checks, or any kind of financial verification.
Patricia turned to her.
"Get out of here. You don't even look like someone who can afford the Aurora piece. Probably you're here to steal it, so get out."
Diana had looked Patricia straight in the eye and said, "I won't get out."
The statement had hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode.
Patricia's smile had finally disappeared completely as she realized that Diana wasn't some confused customer who had wandered into the wrong store.
Diana had been someone who understood exactly what was happening and wasn't going to let it slide.
The temperature in the store had seemed to drop 10 degrees as the two women stared at each other.
The Blackstones had stopped browsing and turned to watch.
Ashley had frozen behind the counter.
Kevin had looked up from his paperwork with concern.
Even Marcus, the security guard, had shifted his position to get a better view of what was unfolding.
Diana had given Patricia every opportunity to treat her with basic human dignity.
She had been patient, polite, and professional, even when faced with obvious discrimination.
But Patricia had crossed a line that Diana couldn't ignore.
"Excuse me?"
Patricia's face had hardened like concrete, her fake politeness finally dropping completely.
The mask had been off, and what Diana had seen underneath hadn't been pretty.
"You heard me," Diana had replied, her voice still controlled, but with an edge that hadn't been there before. "You've treated me differently from the moment I walked in."
Patricia's eyes had flashed with indignation.