The woman's hat brim was pulled low. I couldn't see her face.
I looked away and raised my paddle. “Three point five million.”
Bidder No. 8 followed immediately. “Four million.”
Whispers rippled through the room.
An ordinary jade bracelet had just been bid up to four million dollars, far beyond market value.
Joe's frown deepened. He pressed down on my wrist. “Sarah, it's just a bracelet. It's not worth spending this much.”
I pulled my hand free and raised my paddle stubbornly：“Four point five million.”
Bidder No. 8 matched it almost instantly. “Five million.”
I gripped the paddle until my knuckles went white.
Five million. That number was already beyond what my personal account could cover.
I took a deep breath and turned to Joe. “Bid for me.”
Surprise crossed his face, but mostly disapproval. “Sarah, calm down. It's a bracelet——”
“It's not just a bracelet.”
I cut him off, my voice raw. “Joe, that's the bracelet I sold. My mother's. I sold it to raise money for you.”
Joe's expression froze.
I said it again：“Bid for me.”
He was silent for a few seconds, then finally raised the paddle. “Five point five million.”
Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto our table.
Bidder No. 8 didn't counter right away.
I thought she'd given up. My heartbeat had just started to slow.
“Six million.” The next second, the woman's voice came, unhurried, almost taunting.
I whipped around to look at No. 8.
She seemed to sense my gaze. Slowly, she removed her mask.
Red lips curved upward, eyes bright with amusement. Lillian Fox.
I turned to Joe.
His face had gone tight, lips pressed thin, his throat working once.
“Sarah, this price is absurd. There's no reason to keep going.”
“That's my mother's heirloom!”
While we argued, the bidding window closed.
The auctioneer's gavel came down.
The jade bracelet went to Lillian Fox.
That gavel might as well have struck my chest. Whatever was left of my faith in this marriage died with it.
I nearly ran out of the auction hall.
At the end of the corridor, Lillian was admiring the jade bracelet on her wrist.
When she saw me, her smile sharpened.
“What a coincidence. We just saw each other at the hospital yesterday.”
“And now here we are again at the auction.”
It clicked. Last night at the hospital wasn't an accident. Lillian had staged the whole thing. But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was getting my mother's bracelet back.
“Give me the bracelet. Name your price.”
Lillian let out a scornful laugh.
“With what money? You couldn't even come up with six million in there.”
I bit my lip. ：“What do I have to do to get you to give it back?”
Lillian stepped back and crumpled to the floor.
“Sarah, it's just a bracelet! Why did you push me?”
She curled up, arms shielding her stomach, eyes reddening on cue.
Joe came rushing from the other end of the corridor and shoved me aside.
Sunny was right behind him, throwing himself next to Lillian. “Aunt Lillian, does it hurt?”
Once he'd confirmed Lillian was fine, Joe looked up at me. His voice cut like a blade. “Sarah, why did you push her?”
Sunny ran up to me, fists clenched, and demanded, “Mommy, why did you push Aunt Lillian? I hate you!”
His small fists were balled so tight they shook.
