The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Karen gestured for Donna to unveil the item, and with a flourish, Donna lifted the red velvet cloth, revealing a pair of ivory tusks on the tray beneath. Donna, with utmost care, placed them before Karen. The tusks, a creamy white, stood elegantly. Karen picked up one, her gaze fixed upon it. She inspected it closely, her fingers gently caressing its surface. She then brought it to her nose for a subtle sniff and finally tapped it against the table, producing a faint, resonant sound.

Suddenly, with a swift motion, she hurled the tusk to the floor, where it shattered into two, its pieces scattering.

Donna gasped, her face a mix of shock and anger. "Karen, what are you doing? Do you have any idea how rare these tusks are, how hard I worked to find them for your appraisal?"

Karen waved her off, her tone soft. "Donna, calm down. The tusk I broke is a counterfeit. I've just examined it closely. There are four signs to distinguish the authenticity of ivory."

Donna, still fuming, demanded, "Then explain, give me a reason!"

Karen, unruffled, began, "First, genuine ivory should have bloodlines within it. This piece did indeed have bloodlines, but they were too fresh and red, clearly imitated. Real ivory's bloodlines are more muddied and deepen over time."

Running my fingers over this tusk felt slightly rough, not the smooth, almost silky surface you'd expect from high-quality

of natural grain patterns on

turning into embarrassment as Karen's reasoned explanation made it clear that the broken tusk was indeed a

a piece of the shattered tusk. "Do you understand why I had to break your tusk now?" Donna

hardness. High-quality ivory should be tough and durable. The one I broke shattered too easily, proving

gentle smile, Karen suggested, "Try the other tusk using the criteria I

bloodlines appropriately muddied, the surface smooth and cool to the touch, resembling fine silk, Excitedly, she noted the presence of subtle grain patterns and, with a deep

melodious sound.

into applause, their initial doubts replaced by admiration for Donna's intent and Karen's

to my grandfather for his birthday, as a token of gratitude for all the years he's nurtured me. Thanks to you, I can now

shrugged off the thanks, emphasizing that learning and applying knowledge