On the day of her birthday, I opened the safe to retrieve the jewel—but it was gone. Coincidentally, Alexander’s assistant posted again on Instagram, showing off her “new gift”: "There are no stars in the rainy season, but there is a sky full of stars from you." The color of the jewel on her necklace was nearly identical to the one I bought. In the photo, she leaned against a man’s arms, with only his chin visible, but I recognized him immediately—Alexander, his razor mark from that morning still evident.
That morning, he kissed me and said, "Honey, wait for me tonight for Mom's birthday party." Then, he left, leaving me curious.
A 60-carat, top-quality sapphire had been cut into more than thirty pieces and set into a trendy style, perfectly suited for young women. Naturally, the value plummeted from hundreds of millions to just a few million. I smiled faintly. Only my love-blinded husband could have done something so foolish.
Alexander frowned at me. "I took the gem out of the safe, and you called the police immediately without asking a single question. Did you do that on purpose?"
"Do you really want to cause trouble for Charlotte? She’s just a college girl about to graduate. She knows nothing and doesn’t understand the intrigues and jealousies you deal with. You’re ten years older than her. Can you please stop making a scene?"
"It’s just a gem. You can buy another item anytime. Charlotte just finished her probation, and because of her outstanding performance, I gave her a welcome gift. Is that worth calling the police?"
"Do you know how much calling the police will damage her reputation? You’re truly selfish."
I smiled, hooking the necklace with my hand. "A welcome gift for new employees. Mr. Worthington is so generous. I’m just curious—does everyone get one, or only Charlotte? There are twenty new employees joining this month. Is Mr. Worthington planning to give one to each of them?"
Alexander’s face darkened, and he remained silent. Charlotte hurried over and bowed deeply. "I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I was careless. I forgot I’m just a small assistant. Who am I to wear such expensive jewelry?"
She placed the necklace back into its gift box and gently pushed it toward me. "I’ll never accept anything that doesn’t belong to me again." Her face was pale, and I felt a pang of pity for her.