Chapter 3

Late that night, the unfamiliar number sent another photo.

Sabrina sat on the bed in nothing but lace lingerie, lazily toying with my necklace. Percy was asleep next to her.

"So this is your mom's necklace? It doesn't look like much. If I threw it away, would you crawl around like a dog to pick it back up?

"See that? This is what happens when you mess with me. Take it as a lesson. Next time, keep your hands to yourself.

"You're still up this late. Waiting for your boyfriend? Don't bother. He's not coming back. You should get some sleep too. Staying up late gives you wrinkles."

My hands were shaking so badly I could barely type.

"I'm warning you. If you don't return my necklace tomorrow, I'm calling the cops."

Sabrina sent back a tongue-out emoji and didn't reply again.

…

The next day, I went to Percy's villa to get my necklace back. I hadn't even made it to the living room when I heard Sabrina's voice, sweet and clingy.

"Percy, haven't I been doing well lately? Why did you only give me a 99?"

Percy ran a hand over her hair indulgently. "That one point is so you don't get too full of yourself. You're young, pretty, and full of energy. What part of you isn't better than Maisie?

"Look at her score. 27. She doesn't stand a chance against you."

Sabrina giggled, then popped another grape into Percy's mouth. "So that means I'm gonna end up your bride, right? If Maisie finds out, do you think she'll lose it? I mean, you two were together for seven years."

Percy answered lightly, almost amused. "Who told her to keep such a tight leash on me? She brought this on herself!"

Their smug laughter drifted through the living room. My whole body started to shake.

The man I'd loved for seven years turned out to be nothing but a complete piece of trash.

I couldn't hold back my anger anymore. I stormed into the living room.

"I told you to return my necklace today."

Percy looked at my outstretched hand and gave a scornful laugh. "Maisie, how long are you going to keep this up? Is this because I didn't chase after you when you left?"

My face stayed cold. I didn't feel anything except rage. "I don't need you to chase me. Give the necklace back. It belonged to my mom. I really regret being blind enough to ever like you!"

He smiled and shook his head. "Fine. I'll give it back. I'll just buy Sabrina a better one later. Don't get jealous!"

Percy gestured for Sabrina to take off the necklace. She put on a show of reluctance and held it out to me with both hands.

Just as I reached for it, she yanked hard. The cord snapped, scattering pearls and diamonds across the floor in every direction.

"Oops, I'm so sorry. Maybe the necklace was just too old. The cord broke the moment it was touched. You'd better pick up every single one. This is your mom's necklace, after all."

In that moment, humiliation and rage swallowed me whole. I watched Mom's keepsake get destroyed by that bitch, my nails digging deep into my palm.

In the end, I forced myself to calm down. With Sabrina watching me like I was a joke, I bent over and picked up the pearls and diamonds one by one.

Some rolled under the couch, so I had to lie flat on the floor to reach them. It wasn't until evening that I finally found every last one.

Percy and Sabrina watched the entire time, like they were enjoying a show, while I crawled around on the floor all afternoon.

That night, I sat on my bed, clutching the broken necklace, tears streaming down my face.

Dad called.

The second I picked up, he lit into me. "This is all because I spoiled you growing up and let you develop such a rotten temper! Someone was kind enough to bring clothes to your door, and you hit her?

"Let me make this clear. If Percy dumps you over this, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

Percy was rich. Dad thought that if I married him, a fortune would follow, so he was delighted. He practically wanted us to get married tomorrow.

Over the years, Percy sent Dad pricey gifts now and then. That only fueled Dad's dreams of striking it rich.

In Dad's eyes, I was nothing more than a commodity that could fetch a good price. He never once cared whether I was happy.

"I've already broken up with him."

Dad went quiet for half a beat, then shouted, "What? Do you know how hard it was for me to finally land a rich son-in-law? You think you can just break up whenever you want? I'm warning you—"

I hung up before he could finish.

Then I turned my phone off. I didn't want to deal with anyone anymore.