Chapter 2

Susan carried a few shopping bags, her face glowing with satisfaction.

I sat on the armchair in the living room, wiping the gem bracelet with a piece of cloth.

It was the only thing my mom had left for me before she passed.

Susan changed her shoes and walked up to me.

She then dropped the shopping bags near her feet and fixed her eyes on my wrist.

"Jason, Charlotte's bracelet is really pretty. I come from a humble background, so I've never had anything that valuable before."

She turned and clutched her chest.

Jason took off his suit jacket and casually tossed it on the couch.

He glanced at Susan, then at the bracelet on my hand. He walked up to me and held out his hand, his palm facing up. "Give it to me."

He spoke as if I was expected to hand it over.

I shrank back and said, "My mom left this for me."

This was the first time I had ever gone against him.

Jason scoffed and took out a black bank card from his wallet. He held the card between two fingers and handed it to me.

"It's just a bracelet. There is 50 million dollars on this card. The money should be enough for you to buy many new pieces of jewelry."

I didn't accept the bank card.

"This is a keepsake," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

His gaze was instantly filled with annoyance. "You already have everything. Why do you have to fight with Susan over this?"

When I remained still, he stepped forward and seized my wrist.

He gripped it so hard that I was in so much pain.

"Jason! Let go!" I struggled, trying to withdraw my hand.

Susan came up to us and tried to help, but she was actually reaching for my bracelet. "Charlotte, can you let me keep it for a few days? I'll definitely return it to you…"

Three of us were tangled up together.

To protect Susan, Jason pushed her away forcefully.

At the same time, I kept tugging at the bracelet. In the struggle, it slipped from my grasp.

A sharp crack broke the silence in the living room.

The bracelet hit the hard marble floor, and the gem shattered into pieces.

At that instant, everything around me stood still.

I stared at the broken pieces on the floor, my mind going blank.

Susan shrieked and took a step back.

Jason swiftly grabbed Susan's hand and anxiously checked the back of her hand and her calves. "Did you get cut by the shards? Does it hurt?"

He was finally relieved after making sure that Susan wasn't hurt.

He turned around and stared at me, frozen in place, my face pale.

Frowning, he snapped, "Look! Why did you have to keep fighting for it? Take the card and buy a new one tomorrow.

"Clean up the shards on the floor so Susan won't get injured."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Susan's waist and walked upstairs.

Susan leaned against his chest before turning to look at me with a hint of triumph in her eyes.

I slowly crouched. The marble floor was icy-cold.

I picked up a sharp shard and pressed my fingertip against the edge, letting it pierce through my skin.

Bright, vivid blood seeped out. It hurt terribly, but the pain cleared my mind.