Chapter 5

I had no time to argue with Victoria and Simon. With trembling hands, I took a picture of the shattered tiara and sent it to the buyer.

His response was wistful. "It's all shattered now, so it has no collectible value anymore."

I hurriedly tried to call him, but he simply sent me 1,000 dollars. "This is all I can do to help you."

I stared at the shattered tiara in my hands before checking the pitiful balance in my bank account.

When I looked up, Victoria had already walked away with Simon. I heard her gently comforting him.

"It's okay. There's another tiara at next week's auction. I'll bid as much as it takes to win it, and you can give that one to me."

The hospital's payment notices kept coming, and so did the urgent messages from the doctor. I dug my fingernails into my palms so hard that they nearly drew blood.

After much hesitation, I finally made a call.

"I can divorce her and marry you, but… I need money."

…

I stumbled to the hospital and paid the bill. Then I watched as Dad was rushed into surgery. Once I received word that the surgery had been successful, I was completely exhausted and passed out.

When I woke up, I immediately went to check on Dad. Seeing how rosy his complexion was once more, I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"Mr. Jamison, I thought you said your dad needed emergency surgery. He looks fine to me."

I turned around and saw Simon standing behind me, his expression full of displeasure.

"You clearly have enough money, Mr. Jamison, and your dad is obviously fine, so why did you have to snatch what's mine?"

As I frowned, Victoria grabbed my wrist.

"You clearly had enough money to make that outrageous bid at the auction, yet you pretended to be helpless in public and made Simon the target of everyone's criticism!

"Not only did you curse my dad to die, but you even dragged your own dad into this and used him as a pawn in your ridiculous stunts, all because of your jealousy! I told you I was only rewarding an outstanding employee. Do you really have to get jealous over nothing?"

I was utterly confused, but Dad got agitated and tried to stop her.

"Victoria, there must be some kind of misunderstanding. What auction? I—Argh!"

Victoria shoved him aside.

Dad had just undergone surgery. Even that light shove was enough to make him lose his balance and crash heavily to the floor.

"Dad!"

I wanted to help him out, but Victoria's hand clamped down harder. "Stop pretending, both of you. I barely even pushed him. I never thought your dad would turn out to be an even better actor than you, Eli."

In my franticness, I almost cried. "Dad really just came out of surgery. Now let me go!"

Victoria's gaze grew even colder. "What's this, then? Has your story changed? You're no longer claiming that your dad was about to die?"

I was fuming by now. "Your dad's the one who died—Argh!"

I was kicked in the abdomen yet again. This time, Victoria used her full force, and a stinging pain shot up from my tailbone. It was so intense that I broke out in a cold sweat.

But I couldn't dwell on my own pain. I rushed over to check on Dad. "Dad! Are you alright?"

Victoria looked down at me imperiously.

"I've already looked into it. Someone bid 50 million dollars on the tiara at the auction, and it was done in your name!

"You really dropped 50 million just like that, huh? What happened to your claims of not having any money? And what happened to that pathetic display of kneeling in front of all my employees just to humiliate Simon?"

I was dumbfounded. Someone had bid such a ludicrous sum on the tiara in my name?

"Eli, even if my dad tries to stick up for you this time, I won't be indulging in your tantrums anymore," Victoria declared before throwing a divorce agreement at my face. "I want a divorce, and you're leaving with nothing."

On the side, Simon couldn't stop his eyes from gleaming gleefully.

Victoria swiftly called Henry Walker, the butler at the Richards residence. "Don't tell my dad about the divorce. Make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut!"

Henry hesitated for a moment before replying, "But Ms. Richards… Mr. Richards passed away over a month ago…"