Denver's hand froze mid-air and his face twisted into impatience.
“Brielle, what’s wrong with you? You’ve changed. I think it’s because you’ve been hanging around your coworkers too much. Picking up bad habits from them.”
He paused for effect, then added, “You should quit your job as soon as possible and just focus on the wedding. Sabrina just got back from overseas and is looking for a job. She’s in broadcasting too. After you resign, she can take your spot.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could respond, a loud crash echoed from the living room.
Denver’s entire demeanor shifted; he pushed past me and sprinted toward the sound.
His abrupt motion slammed my shoulder into the cabinet. Pain flared and tears pricked my eyes as I stumbled after him.
When I reached the living room, Denver was already crouched beside Sabrina, comforting her like she was made of porcelain. On the floor between them lay my mother’s jade bracelet—shattered into pieces.
“I’m so sorry, Brielle. I just wanted to take a closer look because it was so beautiful. I didn’t mean to break it,” Sabrina said, her voice trembling with fake remorse.
I bent down to pick up the fragments, my hands shaking with fury. I finally snapped and shouted, “That bracelet was my mother’s heirloom!”
Sabrina’s eyes instantly brimmed with tears. She shrank into Denver’s arms, trembling dramatically. “Denver, she’s scaring me. I didn’t mean to—”
Before she could finish, Denver’s face darkened. “Brielle, stop yelling at her! It’s just a bracelet—we can buy a new one.” He pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet and threw it at me, the bills smacking against my face.
“But you’ve made Sabrina upset. You owe her an apology!”
The edge of a bill scraped my cheek, leaving a stinging line. I felt hot tears mix with the blood as they slid down my face. Denver’s expression softened for a brief moment when he saw me crumble. He sighed, reached out and helped me to my feet.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you, but you were in the wrong and as a—”
Before he could finish, Sabrina stood abruptly.
“I knew it. I’m not welcome here. I never should’ve come back from Paris,” she announced. “My family has already arranged a match for me anyway. I don’t need to hold on to the past.” She grabbed her bag and walked out dramatically.
Denver panicked. I had never seen such desperation on his face before. Without another word, he ran after her, leaving me alone.
As I picked up the broken pieces of the bracelet, Denver’s hurried footsteps crushed my foot. A shard pierced my palm and the searing pain made me cry out. But Denver didn’t even glance back. His focus was entirely on Sabrina. I cradled the shattered bracelet in my hands, memories of my late mother flooding my mind.
I remembered Denver kneeling by her hospital bed, swearing an oath.
“I promise I’ll take care of Brielle for the rest of my life. I’ll never let her down.”
Over the years, he had kept his promise so well that people around us envied our relationship.
But watching him now, fussing over Sabrina, I realized how shallow his affection had been.
Now that Sabrina was back, even that veneer of kindness had vanished.
As sadness consumed me, my phone buzzed, breaking through my thoughts. It was my boss, sending over a contract.
“Have you though this through? Because once you sign, there’s no turning back. You’ll be cutting ties with everything you know. I just need to know that you’re sure.”
