Due to the earlier incident, Jeanette no longer felt safe sending the bracelet by mail, so she placed it in her carry-on bag, planning to take it with her directly when she left.
That day, she received a call from Dorothea, inviting her to dinner at home.
Dorothea sounded sincere, saying this might be the last family meal they would ever share. Jeanette was moved by her words and agreed to go.
When she arrived at the Weisberg Manor, Skyler had already brought Kimberly to sit in Jeanette's usual spot. She avoided their gaze and quietly took a seat at the far end of the table.
During dinner, Skyler attentively cared for Kimberly, while Jeanette sat in silence, chewing without tasting anything.
Dorothea watched it unfold with a trace of discomfort, though she said nothing to stop her beloved son.
After dinner, Jeanette said goodbye to Dorothea. Just as she walked out of the house, she heard laughter from Skyler, Isadora, and Kimberly in the garden.
"Skye, you know what? This bracelet is actually pretty interesting. It's hard enough to crack walnuts with. I wonder what material it's made of."
"Who cares what it's made of? It's not like it's worth anything. Jeanette's dirt-poor. What valuable thing could she possibly own?" Isadora laughed along.
These few words made Jeanette's blood boil, and she angrily walked over to find Kimberly wearing that bracelet.
The bracelet already had many scratches and marks. It was scratched and scuffed now, clearly used exactly the way Kimberly had joked.
Jeanette's face flushed deep red, her breath ragged as fury surged through her. She growled, "Skyler, did you seriously steal my bracelet and give it to Kimberly?"
Skyler frowned, annoyed. "Steal? Don't be dramatic. Kimmy just wanted to borrow it for a couple of days. She was going to give it back."
"Taking something without asking is stealing. That's a simple principle." Jeanette was almost losing her mind, her body trembling slightly as she reached out to grab Kimberly's arm, trying to remove the bracelet from her hand.
"Ouch! Ms. Schafer, you're hurting me!" Kimberly whimpered, instantly playing the victim.
Skyler's temper flared. He could not believe that Jeanette was talking to him like this and even daring to put her hands on Kimberly. He yanked Jeanette by the shoulder and shoved her aside.
Jeanette could not react in time and fell directly to the ground.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a sudden downpour.
Kimberly leaned into Skyler's chest and murmured, "It's my fault, Skye. Don't fight over this. I'll just give it back to Ms. Schafer right now."
She slid the bracelet off and held it out.
Jeanette ignored the pain in her body, scrambled up from the ground, and reached out to take the bracelet from Kimberly's hand.
Just as their hands were about to touch, Kimberly's hand trembled, and the bracelet fell to the ground with a crash, shattering into pieces.
Jeanette's eyes widened in horror, while Kimberly let out a theatrical gasp.
"Oh no, Ms. Schafer! Why didn't you catch it? Now it's broken. What are we going to do?"
"Let it go. It's her own fault," Skyler grumbled, still angry. Then, he pulled Kimberly and Isadora back into the house.
The rain fell steadily, and Jeanette looked at the shattered bracelet. Overwhelmed by pain in her heart, she sank to her knees, clutching her chest, and sobbed uncontrollably.
The bracelet was gone; the last thing her mother had left her was shattered.
And with it, the last piece of her connection to this world.
Jeanette had given three years of her life. Yet, in the end, she was left with nothing.
