The Day the Jade and My TrustShattered

I’m an antique restorer. I had just finished repairing the Quinn family’s thousand-year-old jade bracelet in Northford, valued at two hundred million dollars.

Emily Davenport, a needy student sponsored by her fiancé, snatched it from my hands.

“Vivian Mercer, can I try it on?”

Before I could answer, she slipped it onto her wrist.

“I love it! Why don’t you just give it to me?”

“You’re planning to forge a copy for a client. They won’t be able to tell. Please, don’t do this.”

I patiently explained that it was illegal.

In the next instant, the jade bracelet fell to the floor, shattering beyond repair. She stuck out her tongue in frustration.

“Oh, I was so careless. What an idiot.”

“But it’s fine. You’re skilled enough to fix it, right?”

She walked away gracefully, leaving me to take the blame—and lose everything. My fiancé snapped at me instead:

“You didn’t keep it safe, so why blame Emily? You can make more money—don’t upset her.”

Emily smiled and gave a “V” sign:

“Of course not! If you’re unhappy, just eat hot pot! If one doesn’t work, try two!”

I was so furious I felt my heart nearly stop—until I realized my medicine had been replaced with effervescent tablets.

As I was being loaded into the ambulance, I saw Emily pouting in Nathaniel Pierce’s arms.

“Sister always looks so gloomy. I just wanted to give her some Vitamin C for whitening.”

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the jade bracelet had been repaired.

——

Emily was greedily playing with it.

“Vivian, why don’t you just give it to me? You can make a fake for the client…”

Before she could finish, I snatched it and locked it securely in the safe.

“No!”

She tilted her head, confused.

“If it’s not okay, then why not?”

I didn’t waste time answering and pointed toward the door.

“Emily, grab your bag and leave.”

She blinked.

“Huh? I don’t understand.”

I took a deep breath and motioned to my assistant to keep an eye on the bracelet. Then, frowning, I pushed Emily out the door.

“You’re fired!”

She froze for a moment, then recovered and clung to the doorframe.

“Nathaniel sent me here to intern and learn! You’re kicking me out after just half an hour. How am I supposed to learn?”

“Slap!”

I struck the back of her hand.

“You want me to give you a client’s antique and make a fake? You’re breaking the law. You’re morally corrupt. Why should someone like you be an antique restorer in my studio?”

She covered her face, pouting.

“I was just joking. I didn’t really want it. What did I do wrong?”

I pursed my lips and dragged her toward the door.

“I’m too small to hold a giant like you!”

“Security! Emily, escort her out immediately! She is banned from ever entering this company again!”

Watching Emily being taken away by security, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Nathaniel had sponsored Emily for four years, and right after graduation, he asked her to intern with me. Though a bit clueless, her history degree was suitable for the work, so I agreed.

Who could have imagined? In just half a day, she bankrupted me and even swapped my medicine, nearly killing me.

Thinking about how I had suffocated in the ambulance in my previous life, my chest ached. I quickly dug out a spare pill from the drawer and swallowed it.

Thankfully, the jade bracelet was securely stored, and Emily had been expelled. As long as I waited until the afternoon to deliver it to the client, everything would be safe.

Just as I was about to settle back into my chair for a nap, my assistant burst in.

“Mr. Mercer! The thousand-year-old jade bracelet is broken!”