The Second Sparkle

Victoria froze for a beat before she narrowed her eyes at me. "What's gotten into you? What are you plotting now?"

Lucas looked just as confused. "Avery, you said you loved the ring," he said with a frown.

I smiled. Taking Victoria's hand, I murmured, "Mom's right. Honestly, all the presents we've given her before were too small. This ring fits her much better."

Lucas blinked, thrown. "I had this custom-made for you. It's one of a kind—"

Victoria cut him off instantly, "Why wouldn't it look good on me? She wants to give it to me, so let her. If you're that sentimental, go make her another one."

I added, "Exactly. It's only special because it's one of a kind. If there's a second one, it loses its value. Right, Lucas?"

I watched him closely.

His expression tightened. It took him two full seconds to respond. "Of course it's unique. I'd never make a second one."

Restlessness flickered across his face. He muttered something about a call he needed to take and excused himself, practically rushing out of the room.

Victoria lifted her hand, tilting it toward the light. The ring sparkled, and her satisfaction was unmistakable. Then, she shot me a sidelong glance. "Don't think this changes anything between us. Go make dinner, and do it properly."

I nodded and suggested, "But a ring this beautiful shouldn't stay hidden. Why not post it online and share with the world?"

She might be older, but once Lucas struck it rich, she retired immediately, and the cushy life did wonders for her; it polished her up and shaved a decade off her appearance.

When I photographed her, I made sure her face was front and center. She uploaded them right away, practically glowing. I let out a quiet laugh and slipped back to my room.

Then, I ran a search with the photo.

It didn't take long.

On an overseas social platform, a travel influencer had recently posted a close-up of the exact same ring.

The influencer was Sophie. Her username was even "SophieWander."

I went straight to her profile.

Sophie spent her life abroad, traveling from one country to another and creating glossy vlogs with a man always behind the camera. Her captions suggested her husband covered all expenses, even giving her a "custom, one-of-a-kind ring."

Later, I opened Lucas' travel schedule and compared it with Sophie's posts—Moonshore in July, Rosefen Valley in August, and Vespera in November.

Each date matched up perfectly.

Every so-called "business trip" was actually with her.

I'd been married to Lucas for years, but we were practically strangers. We never even had a real wedding.

He refused to make our marriage public, saying it would "set a bad example" for the company if executives flaunted their personal lives.

While I worked through the night for the company, drank myself numb at client dinners, and woke up alone with a burning stomach and a splitting headache—Lucas was in another woman's bed, whispering love to her and buying her the very ring he claimed was "just for me."

Victoria's photo got passed around online until it finally showed up in Sophie's inbox, forwarded by some random anonymous account.

I cleared my history and snapped the laptop shut.

…

That night, when Lucas came home, I casually mentioned that I thought I'd seen a ring online that looked just like Victoria's.

His face shifted instantly, and he demanded to know where I'd seen it.

I shrugged. "Just flashed by in a video. I couldn't find it again."

He exhaled in visible relief. "Probably a mistake. You're overthinking."

He made another excuse about work and stepped out onto the balcony to make a call.

I watched him through the glass door, the cold slowly gathering in my eyes.

The Wedding Dress Riot

Not long after, I rechecked Sophie's social media. The close-up photo of the ring had vanished.

'Good. Deleting it only means it rattled her,' I thought.

I reloaded the mall membership card and handed it to Victoria.

"Mom," I spoke sweetly, "there's a new drop from that luxury brand. It matches your ring perfectly. I heard Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Ewing already booked appointments."

Those two were her eternal rivals—always battling over handbags, diamonds, and designer outfits. They'd flaunted new pieces just last week, and Victoria had been seething ever since.

Now, her eyes lit up with a chance to outshine them.

"Well, at least you're good for something," she responded. "You were never meant for finer things anyway. Better it ends up with me."

I reminded her, "It's a limited release. It could sell out by tomorrow."

The color drained from her face.

I checked the time. Perfect.

"If you go now, you'll beat them to it." I offered her the card with an easy smile. "There's half a million loaded, Mom. Spend whatever you want. If you go over, the supplementary card will cover it."

Both cards were Lucas'; not a single cent of mine was contributing to her ego.

Later, when Lucas came home, all he saw was me stirring a pot of tuna casserole on the stove.

His brow tightened instantly. "Why are you making that again? Mom hates it. Didn't I ask you not to cook it at home?"

I lowered the spoon and tasted the food I had made. "She went shopping. Limited-edition drop—only ten pieces. She didn't want to miss it."

He paused, likely imagining the ring on her finger. His voice grew gentler. "Avery… Mom just lashes out because she wants a grandchild. If the ring upset you, tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you."

Then, he added as if it were nothing, "Once the company goes public, focus on giving birth to a child."

I smiled. "Don't worry. She'll have one very soon."

Not from me. Her precious grandson was probably watching her scream right now.

Before either of us could say more, Lucas' phone rang.

The call ended immediately.

He frowned. "Strange. Mom called, hung up, and now she isn't answering."

He tried again and again, but received no response.

It reminded me of my last life—how I'd called him while Sophie smashed my phone. He hadn't cared then, either.

But now, with Victoria silent, panic crept into his expression.

He bolted out the door to find her.

I didn't rush. I finished my tuna casserole, washed my spoon, grabbed my bag, and headed out to the mall.

Traffic was terrible, so I took the subway. Despite that, I got there well before Lucas.

The entrance was already surrounded by a crowd—onlookers whispering, recording, yet too afraid to step in. Sophie had already dragged Victoria outside.

The young woman wore a pristine white wedding gown, with her bridesmaids walking behind her like guards. Victoria was on the ground, bleeding, barely covered in clothing, streaks of red dragged across the floor by her hands. She was barely conscious.

I stayed hidden in the crowd and watched.

It didn't take long for Lucas to arrive.

He hadn't expected to find Sophie here—his expression faltered for half a second.

Sophie, on the other hand, lit up and threw herself into his arms. "Babe, you came to pick me up? I wanted to surprise you, but you found me first!"

Lucas forced a smile. "Sophie… why are you back?"

She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Can't you tell from the wedding dress? Today was supposed to be our wedding. Instead, I had to deal with some filthy woman trying to ruin us. I was furious."

She leaned in, her voice dropping to a sugary tone. "You're going to protect our baby and me now, right?"

Lucas tried to glance at the crumpled figure on the ground, but Sophie's words snapped his attention right back. His eyes brightened with stunned excitement.

Sophie pushed out a cute little pout and wiggled the ring on her finger. "I'm carrying your child, and you gave me a ring that someone else is also wearing? You really need to fix that."

His smile faltered. "What did you just say?"

She gestured toward Victoria with visible disgust. "That woman. The homewrecker. She was wearing the exact same ring."

Lucas rushed forward and dropped to the ground beside Victoria, hands shaking as he reached for the ring on her mangled hands.

Sophie scoffed. "Limited-edition? Please. She probably bought it with whatever shady cash she could scrape together. How embarrassing."

Every word dripped with triumph.

Then, Lucas lashed out, the slap ringing through the air like a shot.