Chapter 39
Hannah found a tool and fished out the object. It was the diamond bracelet Lionel had bought her with his first-ever paycheck after starting his company.
It was the first gift a man she loved had ever given her, and she had treasured it, only wearing it on special occasions. Even after they moved into this house and she had amassed a collection of fine jewelry, it remained her favorite piece. But one day, it had disappeared.
She had asked the staff, but no one had seen it. She had asked Lionel, but he had been equally clueless. It was only after checking the security footage that she saw him bringing Sandra into her closet, telling her to take whatever she liked. The bracelet had vanished that day.
When she confronted Sandra, she denied taking it, even threatening to kill herself to prove her innocence. When Lionel found out, he not only showered Sandra with more jewelry but also demanded that Hannah apologize to her.
She had never seen the bracelet again. Now, she realized, Sandra must have dropped it, and it had rolled under the cabinet.
Hannah stared at the bracelet, a wave of bitterness rising in her throat. The light in her eyes faded. She used the island to pull herself up, found a box for the bracelet, and packed a few more pieces of jewelry into her bag before driving to the consignment shop.
After settling on a price with the manager, she found a small restaurant for dinner. While waiting for her food, she opened Facebook and saw a new post from Sandra.
[A special dinner just for me to celebrate my new job. He even ordered my favorite mango cake p>
The post included a picture of a lavish meal a slice of mango cake, and a selfie: Only a man’s arm was
visible in the frame, but Happ was
instantly recognized it as Lionel’s. She knew his hands too well And on his wrist was the watch that was far too modest for a man of his stature, Sandra had supposedly bought for him with her first paycheck, and he had worn it every day since, ignoring the teasing from his friends.
He cherished that watch. Hannah had once given him one that was far more expensive, but it was nowhere to be found in his closet now.
she had asked about it, he ben
first said it was being repaired, then finally admitted he had thrown it away because it was broken She had bought him another one, but he had never worn it.
When you don’t love someone, you don’t even want to look at their gifts, let alone wear them.
Hannah gave a self-deprecating laugh and closed the app.
As she pulled into the driveway at home, Lionel’s car pulled in right behind hers.
“Where were you this late at night? Out with Yves again?” he demanded, getting out of his car and yanking her door open.
Hannah calmly unbuckled her seatbelt. “You can have dinner with Sandra, and I don’t say a word. Why do you have such a problem with me going out p>
Lionel’s face went pale. He hadn’t expected that. He wanted to explain that Sandra’s friends had bailed on her celebration and he had only gone because she was all alone, but before he could speak, Hannah pushed past him and walked into the house.