Chapter 19

Not far away, two young women were wandering the mall, their eyes scanning their surroundings. Christine Williams’ gaze landed on Suzanne standing at the jewelry counter, and her expression froze. Leaning toward Seline, she whispered curiously, “Isn’t that Suzanne?”

Seline was surprised to see Suzanne at the mall. Her gaze landed on the emerald bracelet Suzanne was holding and she smirked scornfully. Suzanne wasn’t worthy of such an expensive bracelet. “She’s here too. Let’s go say hi,” she added.

Feigning surprise, she said lightly, “Oh, Sue is here!”

With Christine in tow, Seline walked gracefully toward Suzanne. She masked her emotions and greeted her with a gentle smile, “Sue, are you buying a bracelet?”

Suzanne’s gaze sharpened slightly. Of all the people to run into here, it had to be Seline. She felt her luck couldn’t get worse. She and the sales associate both turned toward the source of the voice.

Seline approached, wearing a light pink maxi dress that gave her an air of softness and elegance. Her delicate makeup was flawless, and the pale pink diamond necklace around her neck shone brightly. Beside her, Christine, dressed in a form-fitting dress, appeared far less striking in comparison.

The sales associate’s eyes lit up as she sensed another wealthy customer. Suzanne gave Seline a brief glance before turning away, choosing to ignore her entirely.

Seline’s smile faltered for a split second, irritation flashing in her heart. How dare Suzanne dismiss her so casually? Soon, Suzanne’s secret about pretending to be Jane Smith would be exposed. Seline wondered how long she could keep up this arrogance.

Her gaze shifted to the bracelet in Suzanne’s hands, and an idea formed in her mind. Her lips curved into a sly smile. If Suzanne wanted the bracelet, she would make sure she didn’t get it.

Seline stepped forward and plucked the emerald bracelet from Suzanne’s hand, examining it as she smiled. It truly was a fine piece. Looking at the sales associate, Seline declared with a bright smile, “I’ll take this bracelet.”

Suzanne’s expression darkened. Was Seline really pulling this stunt again?

Seline turned to Suzanne with an apologetic look and said sweetly, “Sue, I want to buy this for Mom. After all, she’s taken care of you for so many years. Surely, you won’t mind, right?”

She had nearly pushed Suzanne into a corner with one sentence. Yet her eyes were filled with such innocence. Seline’s ability to act innocent was as polished as ever.

Christine chimed in immediately, adding fuel to the fire, “Of course, she’ll let you have it! Mrs. Yates has been nothing but kind and dedicated to caring for her all these years. Not letting her have this bracelet would be heartless.”

Although Christine lowered her voice at the end, everyone nearby could hear her clearly. Suzanne’s lips curled into a faint smile. Mandy being kind and caring toward her was a complete joke.

From the moment Mandy married into the Yates family, Suzanne’s life had been miserable. Her father had grown increasingly indifferent to her, cutting off her allowance entirely. She had often been left to eat leftovers. Was this what they called dedicated care?

A new thought crossed her mind, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes. “Everything should go on a first-come, first-served basis, don’t you think?”

Without hesitation, she reached out and took the bracelet back from Seline, showing no intention of giving in. Seline hadn’t expected Suzanne to outright refuse. Her carefully maintained expression almost slipped as her hands clenched into fists. She silently…