Chapter 135: The Bracelet That Wouldn’t Come Off

Lily picked up the jadeite bracelet in admiration. “Is that emerald green? The last time Linda came over, I saw she had one too. The luster looked almost the same as this one…” As she spoke, she placed the jadeite bracelet next to Elsie’s wrist, complimenting, “See? It suits you so well. It makes your skin look even fairer.”

Elsie’s cheeks flushed. She thought the jadeite bracelet was beautiful, too, and before she knew it, she had slipped it on her wrist. Lily admired it. “I was right, wasn’t I? You look lovely in it.”

Elsie only allowed herself a moment of enjoyment before trying to take it off. “This is Yunice’s. I shouldn’t even touch it…” But just then, she let out a soft gasp and looked embarrassedly at Lily.

Owen happened to catch the moment, put down his phone, and came over worriedly. “What happened?” Tears welled in Elsie’s eyes. “I can’t get the bracelet off. The one Mr. Quinton gave Yunice…” She quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Owen, I shouldn’t have touched her things. But I promise, I’ll get it off somehow…”

She pulled hard, her wrist turning red, but the bracelet didn’t budge. Tears began to fall as she kept pulling. Owen finally reached out to stop her. “It’s just a jadeite bracelet. Don’t hurt yourself over it.” “But she’ll be mad at me…” Elsie’s tears fell to the floor.

“She only wore it for a second; it’s not like you’re taking it. Why would she be mad?” He added with a frown, “Besides, who knows when she’ll be back? Just give it back to her when she does.”

Elsie nodded with tears in her eyes. “I’ll try again later. I’ll give it back when she comes back.” Owen nodded slightly and went upstairs.

The moment he left, Elsie pulled out her phone and took a series of selfies, nine in all, each carefully showing off the emerald-green jadeite bracelet on her wrist. After editing, she posted them to her social media with the caption: “Earn without guilt, spend without hesitation. Love an independent life. Be your own queen.” Before hitting send, she made sure to hide the message from her family. Then she happily put her phone away and went to examine Yunice’s other gifts.

Lily picked up the beautifully wrapped ginseng root. “This is premium. If you gave this to your future father-in-law, he’d definitely see you in a new light.”

Lily had always believed that there was nothing wrong with Elsie; she just lacked a good family background. A person needs the right appearance, just as a horse needs a good saddle. She refused to believe that dressing Elsie in high-end luxury wouldn’t make her a first-class socialite.

Elsie smiled. “I know several herb dealers who carry this quality. I’ll get one and send it to the Powell family.” Lily sighed. Elsie looked at her curiously.

Elsie’s good mood vanished instantly. Jealousy flashed in her eyes. “Yunice acts like she’s above it all, but behind the scenes she’s the best at stealing opportunities. I met Quinton first, but somehow she managed to steal him away. Who knows what tricks she used.”

Lily said, “Maybe Quinton wasn’t buttering up Yunice. He gave her a wedding present—probably aimed at Wyatt. The one you need to keep an eye on is Paul. They’re not even officially married yet. He can afford to stall. You can’t.”

Elsie’s face went stiff. She bit her lip and didn’t answer. Lily sensed something was wrong and patted her. Elsie finally collapsed in frustration. “I don’t think Paul ever really got over Yunice…”

“That’s impossible. He already broke off the engagement…” Lily said. Elsie said softly, “I saw him with my own eyes. He climbed through the window into her room and stayed there for a long time.”

Lily froze. Elsie’s voice quavered as tears filled her eyes. “She hasn’t been home lately. What if she’s been with him…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Lily quickly covered her mouth. But a seed of doubt had already been planted in her heart. A few seconds later she said, “At least Paul is still yours in the eyes of others. You must save him before it’s too late.”

But now they couldn’t even get a marriage certificate. How could Elsie secure anything? Lily reached out and touched Elsie’s belly. “If you’re pregnant with his child, he’ll have no choice but to accept it.”

Elsie’s face turned bright red as she lowered her head. “It’s not that I haven’t tried. I just can’t get pregnant. Maybe it’s because of that stab wound three years ago…”

Lily fell completely silent. A woman who couldn’t bear children was pretty much worthless in marriage. She staggered, then gripped the glass on the table as if to vent her frustration. “Why is our luck always so terrible?” she muttered bitterly.