He hurriedly said, "If it's dirty, just throw it away."
The clerk explained, "Sir, the weight of this bracelet doesn't match ... it appears to be a fake ..."
Tommy reacted like a wolf whose tail had been stepped on and immediately retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting? Can a small shop like yours even verify that? This is an auction piece. If you don't understand, don't embarrass yourself."
"Darling, let's go." He quickly pulled Eugene, intending to leave without further discussion.
Tommy brought her all the way to the parking garage, scolding her the entire way for showing the bracelet to others.
Why couldn't she show it to others? Because the bracelet was indeed fake. The real one was on his mistress, Francine Dubois's wrist.
Eugene found herself ridiculous. Not long ago, Tommy had taken her to an auction. She had immediately fallen in love with the bracelet and hoped Tommy would buy it as a birthday gift for her.
It wasn't because of vanity, the bracelet's meaning had touched her. Eternal companionship, growing old together. For most women, their greatest fantasy is spending their life's journey alongside their husband. Eugene was no exception.
At first, Tommy had refused, saying the bracelet wasn't suitable for her. She had been upset for a while. But about a month before her birthday, Tommy suddenly told her he had bought the bracelet.
Eugene had been overjoyed. Yet when she received the bracelet, she noticed something was off. How could a piece worth millions feel so lightweight?
Eugene wasn't stupid. She questioned Tommy about it. He claimed the bracelet's design was intentionally lightweight and said she probably just wasn't used to handling such an expensive item, which made her feel it was different.
At the time, Eugene convinced herself she was overthinking. How could Tommy possibly buy a fake bracelet for her?
Until a week ago, when Francine returned to the country. Eugene saw the exact same bracelet on Francine's wrist.
Only then did she understand, the one Tommy wanted eternal companionship with wasn't her. It was Francine.
Eugene sneered inwardly. What a privilege it was to benefit from Francine's leftovers.
The two reached the car and had just opened the door when a young boy rushed out, "Dad, why are you so slow? Didn't you say we were going to buy a birthday gift for Aunt Francine?"
It was Casey, their son. When he saw Eugene, he froze momentarily, "Mom? What are you doing here?"
So the reason Tommy was here was to buy a birthday gift for Francine. No wonder Francine had sent her provocative messages.
It turned out that their birthdays were on the same day. But evidently, neither Tommy nor Casey remembered.
"This seat is reserved for Aunt Francine! You can't sit here!" As Eugene moved to take the front passenger seat, Casey frowned and snapped at her.
Eugene froze mid-motion, silently watching the father and son. Finally, Tommy awkwardly scratched his nose, scolded Casey and pulled Eugene into the car.
The atmosphere inside the car was heavy. Tommy tried to lighten the mood. "You don't like the bracelet? Didn't you say at the auction that you really liked it?"
Eugene did like the bracelet. To say she liked the bracelet was more accurate than saying she loved its meaning.
Eternal companionship, always by each other's side. The intertwined double knot was her favorite design.
But the bracelet in her hand was a fake one. Not only was the bracelet fake, but Tommy's love for her was also fake. The real bracelet was on Francine's wrist.
Suddenly interested, Eugene stared at Tommy and asked seriously, "Tommy, are you sure this bracelet is real?"
