My mother-in-law's birthday was approaching, and I bought her a sapphire worth hundreds of millions at Sotheby's. But not long after, I noticed a necklace on the neck of my husband, Alexander Worthington's assistant. The sapphire on the pendant looked disturbingly familiar.
The assistant said casually, "I thought the sapphire was too big and tacky, so Alexander had it cut into pieces and made into a baby's breath necklace."
"Elizabeth Tangwell, what can I do? The value of your eyes is nothing compared to the smile I see in his."
That night, her Instagram Moments read: "Give me a sky full of stars, and I'll give you my life." The photo showed her lying in Alexander's arms, the baby's breath necklace resting on her bare back. She looked breathtaking. I immediately called the police: "Hundreds of millions worth of gems were stolen from my safe!"
——
When Alexander arrived at the station after my call, his assistant, Charlotte Quinn, turned pale and threw herself into his arms. "Mr. Worthington, I really didn't steal anything! I didn't mean to post it on Instagram."
Realizing her misstep, she quickly stepped back, biting her lower lip and looking at me. "Elizabeth, if you mind, I won’t wear this necklace anymore. Can I return it to you?" She unfastened the necklace and carefully placed it in front of me, adding cautiously, "The gems are cut into a baby's breath design, which may not suit your age."
She immediately covered her mouth. "I’m not saying you’re old. I just really loved this gift from Mr. Worthington, so I posted it on Instagram to show it off. I didn’t mean to provoke you. I didn’t know you liked it."
"I was young and naive, Elizabeth. I really envy a mature, strong woman like you who never makes mistakes. But I can’t match your composure."
I remained silent, watching her performance. The starry-sky necklace before me was cut from the sapphire I had purchased at an auction. My mother-in-law’s birthday was coming soon, and she loved sapphires, which was why I had flown overseas to buy them.
On the day of her birthday, I opened the safe to retrieve the jewel—but it was gone. Coincidentally, Alexander’s assistant posted again on Instagram, showing off her “new gift”: "There are no stars in the rainy season, but there is a sky full of stars from you." The color of the jewel on her necklace was nearly identical to the one I bought. In the photo, she leaned against a man’s arms, with only his chin visible, but I recognized him immediately—Alexander, his razor mark from that morning still evident.
That morning, he kissed me and said, "Honey, wait for me tonight for Mom's birthday party." Then, he left, leaving me curious.
A 60-carat, top-quality sapphire had been cut into more than thirty pieces and set into a trendy style, perfectly suited for young women. Naturally, the value plummeted from hundreds of millions to just a few million. I smiled faintly. Only my love-blinded husband could have done something so foolish.
Alexander frowned at me. "I took the gem out of the safe, and you called the police immediately without asking a single question. Did you do that on purpose?"
"Do you really want to cause trouble for Charlotte? She’s just a college girl about to graduate. She knows nothing and doesn’t understand the intrigues and jealousies you deal with. You’re ten years older than her. Can you please stop making a scene?"
"It’s just a gem. You can buy another item anytime. Charlotte just finished her probation, and because of her outstanding performance, I gave her a welcome gift. Is that worth calling the police?"
