Carter’s patience wore thin. His voice was cold and clipped. “That’s enough.”
Nate opened his mouth to speak again, but Kelly held him back, giving a small shake of her head.
“That’s enough, Nate. It’s fulliard’s birthday tonight. Let’s go.”
Nate caught the shift in Carter’s expression–dark and unreadable. He shut up and followed them in silence.
+25 BONUS
Inside the private room, Wendy had been planning to call in a few male escorts for the party. But Sharon firmly refused, leaving her no choice but to give up on the idea, albeit with obvious regret.
“The guys here are top–tier,” Wendy said wistfully. “Incredible bodies, killer abs… the kind that make you never want to let go once you’ve touched them. I’m telling you, it’s addictive.”
Sharon remained calm. “I’m planning to divorce Carter. I need to be careful right now. I don’t want to give them anything they can use against me.”
Wendy tapped her fingers on the table, thoughtful. “Makes sense. Wouldn’t want them flipping the script and playing the victim.
She was never the type to sit still for long. Since the models were out of the picture, she resorted to singing karaoke instead.
Time passed, though neither of them paid much attention to the clock. Sharon’s phone vibrated softly on the table. She glanced down. It was John.
She raised a finger at Wendy, mouthing a quick “hold on,” and stepped outside to take the call.
John wanted to talk about setting up his own studio. His contract with the agency was about to expire, and with Sharon considering a return to work, he figured it was the perfect time to start something new.
Sharon didn’t hesitate. She agreed on the spot.
After hanging up, she headed to the restroom. On her way out, she saw Kelly standing by the sink, touching up her makeup in
the mirror.
Their eyes met briefly. Sharon’s gaze was flat, uninterested, and she looked away.
She turned on the faucet, washed her hands, and was about to leave when Kelly called out.
“Sharon.”
Sharon turned. “What is it?”
Kelly smiled softly, pulling something from her handbag.
“Sharon, do you recognize this?”
She held up a small, worn amulet. The design was old–fashioned.
Sharon’s brow twitched. Her breath caught, just for a second.
Kelly’s tone remained gentle. “Theo told me… this was the charm you prayed for, back when he was sick. Said you stayed knelt a whole day and night just to get it.”
Sharon’s voice was quiet. “What exactly are you trying to say, Kelly?”
Kelly gave the amulet a slight shake. “Theo said that after you brought this back, his fever started to break. He got better. So now, he’s giving it to me–hoping it’ll heal me too.”
Chapter 10
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Theo had been three years old when he suddenly became gravely with a high fever. Nothing worked–no medicine, no physical cooling. The doctors had exhausted every method. They even told the family to prepare for the worst and sent Theo
home.
Someone–Carter’s younger sister, maybe had quietly suggested cuthanasia, just so Theo wouldn’t suffer anymore.
Sharon refused to give up. Desperate, she turned to anything that offered hope, even if it meant placing her faith in the divine.
No one could explain what happened. Whether it was coincidence or fate, when she returned with that charm, Theo’s fever began to fade. Slowly, steadily, his condition improved. His health had only gotten better from there.
When Theo still relied on her for everything, he once told her, “This is the charm Mommy got for me. I’ll wear it every day and keep it safe.”
She never imagined that one day, this same charm would end up in Kelly’s hands.
Kelly raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing the emerald bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet shimmered softly, its pale green glow delicate and serene–yet somehow, it stung the eyes.
Sharon’s papils contracted sharply.
That bracelet was Carter’s family heirloom. It was meant to be passed down to the family’s daughters–in–law.
But Madeline, Carter’s mother, had never liked her. Not even a little. She never even considered giving it to her.
Even after she gave birth to Theo, Madeline remained cold and distant.
Sharon knew Madeline favored refined, high–born women. She didn’t think much of Kelly either.
It was said that Carter’s breakup with Kelly had been orchestrated by Madeline herself.
No one expected Carter would go on to marry someone even less acceptable–Sharon.
No one in Carter’s family had ever truly accepted her. Even the household staff treated her with condescension, convinced she’d schemed her way into a wealthy marriage.
For years after their wedding, Madeline refused to see her. On holidays and family gatherings, she was forbidden from stepping foot into Madeline’s house.
It wasn’t until Theo began to grow up–looking more and more like Carter, smart and charming–that things began to shift.
Madeline slowly began to lower her guard, for Theo’s sake.
Eventually, she even handed the emerald bracelet over–not to Sharon, but to Theo, instructing him to one day pass it on to his
wife.
Sharon had once asked to see it.
Theo had refused.
He’d said seriously, “Grandma said this bracelet is for my future wife. If I lose it or break it, I won’t have a wife anymore.”
His solemn little face had made her laugh at the time.
But now, the joke felt bitter.
Kelly must have noticed her stare. She smiled faintly, a flicker of triumph in her eyes.
“This bracelet,” she said, “was also from Theo. He told me it’s meant to be passed down to the daughter–in–law of the family. His mom asked for it, but he wouldn’t give it up.”
Sharon said nothing. She watched quietly, letting Kelly talk.
Sure enough, Kelly kept going as she smiled sweetly. “He gave it to me because he hopes I’ll be his mom. That I’ll become the
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Chapter 10
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Biggs family’s daughter–in–law.”
“Oh, right,” she added, “Sharon, you probably don’t know–there’s a parent–child event this weekend. Both parents are supposed to go.”
Parent–child event?
Sharon suddenly remembered–just a few days ago, Carter had come home early for once and had dinner with them.
While she was in the kitchen, carrying soup to the table, she’d overheard him and Theo talking. Something about “an event,” and “Kelly.”
The moment she walked in, Theo had gone quiet.
They clearly didn’t want her to hear.
By then, her feelings toward Kelly had already curdled into nausea. She didn’t want to hear that woman’s name from either of them.
It had been a rare moment of family peace, and she hadn’t wanted to ruin it, so she didn’t ask.
So this was what they were talking about.
Kelly’s voice broke into her thoughts again.
Theo also said, all the other moms in his class are socialites, heiresses. Even the least of them are celebrities. But his mom?”
She giggled, leaned in, and whispered, “He said his mom is just a housekeeper. That’s why she delivers his lunch every day and picks him up after school.”
Chapter 11
