I glanced at the exquisite diamond bracelet wrapped around Susie’s wrist, the kind of piece that screamed seven-figure luxury. My eyes drifted back to Hank’s face, steady and unbothered, before I spoke.
“What I said is what I meant. You give her the bracelet, and me—what? A trinket? Do you think I’m only worth some throwaway gift?”
Hank, caught off guard, blinked in awkward silence, clearly not expecting me to call him out so directly.
But Susie jumped in before he could recover, her voice dripping with that practiced sweetness.
“Pearl, don’t be upset. Hank only gave me the bracelet because I liked it so much. But if it bothers you, I’ll return it. Please, don’t let this come between you two—it’s not worth it.”
Her words oozed with innocence, but her hands never moved to take off the bracelet. Instead, she blinked up at him with teary eyes, each drop perfectly timed, slipping down her cheeks like rain on cue.
And, of course, Hank folded. He pulled her into his arms like she was the one who needed comforting as he glared at me.
“Don’t listen to her, Susie. That bracelet is yours. Once a gift is given, it stays with the person it’s meant for. She’s always been petty like this, getting worked up over nothing.”
I didn’t bother responding. My attention had already returned to the glowing screen in front of me.
But my silence only fueled his frustration. His face hardened as he wrapped his arm tighter around Susie and stormed out of the house.
He made a show of slamming the door open wide, standing there, waiting—waiting for me to give in, like I always had.
But not this time.
I didn’t even look up. Instead, I quietly added the cost of that bracelet—those millions he’d spent on her—into the asset division spreadsheet.
With a final, angry slam, he shut the door behind him.
It wasn’t long after they left that my parents called, asking me to come over for dinner.
I agreed. When I arrived at their place, who do I run into at the door but Hank?
He looked at me, something like guilt flickering across his face before he smoothed it over with a forced calm.
“Are we going in together?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
I nodded and walked inside without a word.
The dinner was a painfully awkward affair. My parents hadn’t forgiven him for what had happened at the wedding. Their coldness was obvious in every curt exchange, every sidelong glance.
In the past, I might have stepped in to smooth things over, playing the mediator between my parents and Hank. But not now. This time, I let him sit there alone, awkward, as the tension thickened around us.
When dinner finally ended, and I was ready to call a cab, Hank pulled up in his car. I opened the door to get in, only to see a sticker plastered across the front passenger seat: “Reserved for Susie.”
He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable, and tried to explain.
