The 30-day mandatory waiting period passed quickly. Jeanette had already booked her flight abroad, and she was just waiting for the final day to arrive.
That morning, she began packing everything into boxes, preparing to ship her belongings ahead of time. As she stepped out the door with one of the boxes in her arms, she ran straight into Kimberly and Isadora, who had just barged into the house.
The box flew open, spilling its contents across the floor. Jeanette rushed to gather them, but it was too late.
Both women had already noticed.
"Why are you packing up so much stuff?" Isadora asked sharply.
Jeanette gave a random excuse. "They're just things I don't need anymore. I'm donating them to the orphanage."
Isadora scoffed. "You're seriously donating that junk to the orphanage? Poor kids."
Jeanette ignored the jab and shut the box, preparing to leave.
"Hold up," Kimberly said, reaching in and pulling out a bracelet. "This looks interesting. I'll take it."
Jeanette's eyes darted to the bracelet in Kimberly's hand. Her expression changed instantly as she snatched it back. "No, I put that in there by mistake. This one's not for donation. I'm keeping it."
This was the last thing her mother, Katherine Stewart, had left her before she died, and Jeanette had always carefully kept it, never expecting Kimberly to find it today.
"What do you mean no? It's just a bracelet. You should be grateful that Kimmy likes it, so hurry up and give it to her. The way you act is embarrassing!" Isadora scolded her with disgust.
"I said no. It's mine. Why should I give it to her?" Jeanette's voice rose, her face flushed with anger.
Isadora froze in shock. She could not believe that Jeanette had just yelled at her.
Who the hell did she think she was?
Isadora reached out, ready to snatch it back, when the front door burst open. Skyler stepped in, his expression already irritated.
"I could hear the yelling from the driveway. What's going on in here?"
His eyes scanned the room and landed on Jeanette. Before she could speak, Kimberly had already started crying softly.
"Skye, it's my fault. Ms. Schafer had a box of stuff she was donating to the orphanage, and I just asked if she'd sell me the bracelet. She didn't want to."
"Exactly! I've never seen anyone so petty. We're even offering to pay for it!" Isadora added fuel to the fire.
When Skyler heard this, he immediately frowned at Jeanette. "It's just a bracelet you don't want anymore. If Kimmy wants it, just give it to her. I'll buy you a new one."
The entitled tone in his voice stung Jeanette. She bit her lip, breathing heavily to keep her tears from falling.
She held the bracelet out in front of Skyler. "Skyler, look carefully. This bracelet is something my mom left me. Don't you know what it means to me?"
When Katherine had just died, Jeanette wore this bracelet every day, not even taking it off to sleep. Later, during one of Skyler's rehabilitation sessions, she bumped the bracelet and took it off, carefully storing it away.
She thought that since she and Skyler had spent so much time together, he would have at least recognized this bracelet. Yet, he looked at it for a long time, and his expression did not change at all.
Instead, his tone became even sharper. "Jeanette, you're getting more and more outrageous. It's just a bracelet, and you're making up lies about it being a keepsake? Do you think I'll believe that? I think you're deliberately making things difficult for Kimmy."
He added, "The more she wants something, the more you refuse to let her have it. You'd rather donate it than give it to her. Jeanette, I never thought you were such a petty woman. I'm so disappointed in you!"
With that, Skyler pulled Kimberly and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Jeanette wavered, then collapsed onto the floor, her strength drained. No matter what Kimberly said, Skyler would believe her without question.
But Jeanette? Even when she spoke the truth, he refused to listen.
Clutching the bracelet to her chest, she broke down in tears.
