A year ago, my Secret Santa coworker Sarah gave me a beautiful silver ring with a tiny emerald, a surprisingly thoughtful gift. We’d always been friendly, so I wore it often, thinking nothing of it. Then, after a year, I noticed a groove around the gem. I finally managed to twist it open. Inside the hidden compartment was a note. Just two words: “Hate you.” I sat there, stunned. All year, I thought Sarah and I were getting along just fine. Now I couldn’t shake the questions: Was it a joke? Some kind of mistake? Or had she hidden this all along?

A year ago, my Secret Santa coworker Sarah gave me a beautiful silver ring with a tiny emerald, a surprisingly thoughtful gift. We’d always been friendly, so I wore it often, thinking nothing of it. Then, after a year, I…