Bitter Revelations
1968 Words
“I said—dad’s not home!” Yelena smirked victoriously.
“Dad forgot all about your visit today! I mean, given the kind of man you got married to, is it really necessary for dad to welcome you back? Please, it’s embarrassing enough as it is!”
“I don’t need any welcoming!”
Cordelia sprang up to stop Yelena. “I want my wedding gift!”
“Wedding gift?”
Yelena arched a brow and smirked vilely at her. “What wedding gift? Never heard of it!”
Cordelia was stunned, but her heart beat fast. At that moment, all the reluctance, indignation, and resentment she felt rushed through her. She knew that she did not have a high starting point. The second she had come to this world, she had been stamped with the label of an illegitimate daughter.
That was not what she would choose, however. Despite the darkness she had experienced all these years, she had worked hard to chase after the light.
No ordinary girl would agree to the absurd request to marry a man in place of someone else! She had just wanted to save her mother. Why were they ripping this sliver of hope away from her too?!
Yelena scoffed and turned around to go upstairs, but Cordelia pulled her back.
“Don’t leave yet. Explain this!”
“Explain what?” Yelena pinched Cordelia’s arm.
The pang of pain made Cordelia stumble back and knock the back of her head against the wall, causing her to hear a loud buzz in her ears. She looked up to see Yelena’s growingly vicious smirk.
“Cordelia, you’re married now. You live in some deserted part of the countryside. Don’t even think about associating yourself with the Jenners!”
“But… dad promised!” Cordelia gritted her teeth. “As long as I got married in your place, he said he’d give me a good amount of money as a wedding gift so my mom—”
“So your mom could stay in a better hospital ward and use imported medicine?” Yelena cackled. “My silly sister, do you remember why dad kicked you and your mother out of the house back then?”
Cordelia stayed quiet as a chill crept in.
“Your wh*re of a mother got pregnant with some b*stard and made dad angry!
“Cordelia, sl*ts go to hell! You think dad will save her? Pft, dad wants nothing more than to see her die out there!”
“No…” Cordelia’s eyes were red around the rims as she tried her best to rein her emotions in, but tears were already falling down her cheeks.
“My mom isn’t like that. Someone framed her…”
“You mean my mom framed her?!” Yelena raised her voice as she glared at Cordelia.
Cordelia’s gaze was cool. She remembered her mother telling her that the guiltier someone’s conscience was, the more they pretended to be aggressive.
“I didn’t say that,” she said, wiping her tears. “You and I have no idea what happened among them, so watch your words. I won’t let you go if you dare disrespect my mother like that again!”
“Hah, if only you were capable of it!” Yelena snorted and flicked her hair back to flash the diamond necklace she had just bought.
“What do you think? Pretty?” She looked at Cordelia provocatively. “I just bought it. It’s not cheap, you know? Cost me $40,000!”
Cordelia froze.
Yelena spat sadistically, “It was bought using the money for your wedding gift!”
“You—”
“Let me be honest. Dad didn’t even think about giving you a gift. It was an honor that you replaced me! Be thankful!”
Cordelia bit her lip and shook from rage, but there was nothing she could do. She kept her eyes on Yelena’s triumphant face as the servant politely “asked” her to leave.
As she left glumly, the sky was gray and emanated a damp scent. The weather changed erratically in this season, and heavy rains came when one least expected it. She could only hurry over to the bus station.
“Mr. Z, Ms. Jenner is out.”
“Mm.” Marcus took off his boxing gloves and tossed them aside before he unwrapped the layers of gauze wrapped around his hands. “How’s she doing?”
“Doesn’t look… very good.”
The man frowned.
“Ms. Jenner doesn’t look happy. She’s probably upset with her family. I asked around. The Jenner’s servant said that she didn’t manage to ask for her wedding gift and was insulted by her elder sister.”
Marcus clenched his fists as an icy glint flashed across his eyes.
“How much was her wedding gift supposed to be?”
“$40,000 more or less.”
“How much is the plot of land the Jenners are bidding for worth?”
“$150,000,000.”
“Very well,” Marcus snorted. “Use the plot of land to make them realize their stupidity!”
When Marcus opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Cordelia coming out of the kitchen with two plates.
She originally had worry etched on her face, but she swapped it for a smile the moment she saw him. Unfortunately, the smile looked a bit forced.
Marcus sat at the table after washing his hands. He had trained the whole day, so he was famished. The steaming dishes looked very appetizing. He picked up his cutlery and started to eat, while Cordelia sat unmoved opposite him.
“What happened?” He looked up at her.
Cordelia jumped but shook her head lightly.
“Then eat up.” Marcus put some meat on her plate. “Will you get full just by looking?”
Cordelia dipped her head with pressed lips. She really did not have much of an appetite. Her phone rang with a ding, and it was her brother, Carter Irwin.
[Sis, when will we get mom’s treatment money? The doctor will stop giving her medication otherwise!]
She felt her heart squeeze as she subconsciously looked toward the drawer in the bedroom. She had put the gold jewelry Marcus had given her there. That gold and jade bangle should be worth plenty…
“What’s got you distracted?” A deep voice interrupted her train of thought suddenly.
Cordelia broke out of her trance and abruptly met the man’s deep eyes. She could not help jolting. For some reason, the unusual vibe Marcus exuded gave her a strong sense of pressure every time she met his eyes.
“Nothing…” she answered softly.
Marcus put down his cutlery, his gaze cryptic. “Do you have something to tell me?”
Cordelia shook her head frantically, but Marcus was in no hurry. He kept his eyes on her for a while before chuckling and going back to eating. Since she did not want to tell him, he was not going to ask. One day, the girl would lose her composure.
That night was torture for Cordelia. She read Carter’s text over and over and thought of countless ways to make money, but nothing would save them in time. It was impossible to go back to the Jenners and ask for money now, so the only solution might have to be…
She closed the door quietly and pulled the drawer open to retrieve the carved wooden box. The jewelry glittered under the moonlight. She picked the bangle out and hesitated for a long time. Finally, she wrapped it up carefully and tucked it into her pocket.
…
“Hmm, it’s not bad,” the employee at the jeweler’s said, smiling with a nod. “Miss, your bangle’s design is a bit old, but it’s a classic one and it’s fine quality. It’s rare to find a piece with such good-quality gold and jade nowadays.”
“How much is it worth then?” Cordelia looked at him hopefully.
“You mean to pawn it?” The employee smiled and took her to a room inside.
There were several professional devices on the table, and the employee left right after asking her to wait in the room.
Cordelia sat down and scanned the place. She had not expected this jeweler’s to be so luxurious. Actually, she had not been exactly hopeful before coming. The bangle did look kind of old, and Marcus could not have given her anything too fancy given his situation.
It was a surprise that the employee had asked her to stay.
As she held the bangle in her hand, she toyed with it and stood up to pace around the room in hesitation.
Unbeknownst to Cordelia, each of her moves was monitored clearly by the surveillance camera.
“Mr. Bayer, this is the Hamerton family’s heirloom… Do you want me to bring the lady over right now?”
A pair of eyes was watching the computer screen closely behind the spacious work desk. The smile on the handsome face was sardonic, and the man leaned back and crossed his legs on the table. With squinted eyes, he said with a smirk, “There’s no hurry. Let’s wait and see!”
“But what if she stole it?”
“Unlikely.” Josiah Bayer toyed with his lighter and lit up a cigarette.
“I heard that Z got married. This is most likely his darling wife. Heh, leaving something so precious to her… Z can’t have thought that she would bring it here!”
“What should we do next, Mr. Bayer?”
“Ask the guy to give her a price. Let’s start with $150,000!”
Cordelia was greeted back by the employee amidst her distress. The employee cracked a grin as he told her, “Miss, after our professional assessment, there would be no problem pawning this bangle for $150,000.”
There was a buzz in Cordelia’s ears as she was stupefied for ten seconds.
$150,000? She clutched the bangle and looked caught in a dilemma.
The price was more than she had expected, and it had not crossed her mind that the piece of jewelry would be worth so much! With $150,000, she would not just pay her mother’s current medical fees but her future ones too. She could even afford to send Carter to a better school…
That said, this was Marcus’ wedding gift to her.
Cordelia frowned slightly. She suddenly recalled how Marcus had looked when he had passed the jewelry box to her.
“This is all I have, and I give it all to you. You’re in charge of the household from now on.”
Biting her lip, she was overwhelmed with guilt. The man had given her everything he had, and this was how she was repaying his sincerity?
“Miss, are you not happy with the price?” the employee asked with a careful smile. “We can negotiate the price. Why don’t I show you our record, and you can consider it before—”
“I’m not selling it!” Cordelia sprang up and shoved the bangle back into her bag swiftly.
“Uh…”
Before the employee could react, she had fled out of the jeweler’s and blended into the bustling street.
“Huh, she didn’t sell it?” A teasing voice came from the upper floor of the jeweler’s.
The employee turned around immediately to bow and greet the man respectfully. “Mr. Bayer!”
The man squinted. There was a playful expression on his handsome face as he sat down on the couch and made a call.
“Z, do you know that your darling came to me to pawn your family heirloom?”
- Writer
