"Well, isn't this like finding money on the ground?" Tiffany thought. But when she saw the "victim" she had indirectly wronged standing before her, guilt washed over her.

Richard asked again, "Do you need a piggyback ride?"

"Huh?" Tiffany was caught off guard.

Richard's voice softened as he spoke slowly. "You were in the bathroom for almost two hours. Is everything okay?" He was implying her stomach was better.

Tiffany choked, embarrassed. She pushed at Richard. "Oh, come on! I just had a stomachache. I didn't want to keep running back and forth, so I stayed put."

Before Tiffany could react, Richard grabbed her hand, and something cold touched her wrist. She looked down; a rare pink diamond bracelet, worth forty million dollars, was now on her wrist.

Tiffany exclaimed, "You…" She was speechless.

Richard remained calm, even pleased. The bracelet looked stunning against her fair skin.

Tiffany asked, "Is this for me?" She wanted to say it was too expensive, but she'd used the bathroom excuse to cover her absence from the appraisal event. Revealing she knew its price would expose her lie. She tried a different approach. "It looks very valuable. I can't accept it."

"Not at all," Richard interrupted, adding casually, without even a blink, "It's fake. A cheap knockoff from a street vendor, worthless."

Had she not been the seller, she might have believed him. Despite her misgivings, Tiffany understood he was making it easier for her to accept.

She nodded. "Thank you."

"Remember, you're not allowed to take it off. Fair's fair," Richard said, pointing to the necklace she'd given him. He hadn't taken it off once. Tiffany laughed. It felt good to see him treasure her gift. Returning the gesture, she smiled. "Alright, I won't take it off."

By the time they left, most guests had gone. It was late, the sun setting. Richard offered Tiffany a ride home.

When they reached Cedar Ridge Villa, Tiffany was about to enter when Richard stopped her, handing her a small box with a casual tone and almost imperceptible smile. His handsome face could charm anyone. "Just another street vendor trinket. It's for girls only, so it's yours." His smile was dangerously charming.

Only after his car drove away did Tiffany realize, "What is it this time?" She opened the box to find a beautifully ornate necklace—the one she'd described in her story as an empress's love token. Tiffany blinked. "Am I reading too much into this?"

The next day at school, Tiffany found Zoe waiting, as planned. Tiffany had told Charlie the night before that she wanted a friend in her class. This was easy for Charlie; he'd even gotten Sandra into the school. He wouldn't refuse his daughter's request. The matter was settled quickly.

Even after the procedures and classroom seating, Zoe felt dazed. Studying at Lovell City's best school was a huge opportunity.

"Yay! Tiffany!" Zoe was so happy she almost hugged Tiffany.

Tiffany recoiled, disgusted. "Stop it!"

Zoe, nonetheless, grinned.

The morning flew by, and Tiffany and Zoe headed to the cafeteria, slowing their pace to avoid the crowd. Sandra, looking gloomy, waited by the stairwell with Kenneth, trying to comfort her.

"Kenneth, do you think Tiffany will forgive me?" Sandra asked.

Before Kenneth could answer, Sandra saw Tiffany and, tearful, said, "Tiffany, are you still mad at me? Please tell Auntie not to be angry. If you're still upset, you can slap me again."

'Still upset? Slap her again? The word "again" is perfectly chosen,' Tiffany thought. She glanced at Sandra indifferently. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?"

Sandra, remembering Tiffany's terrifying anger, felt scared. She didn't want to provoke Tiffany again. But after the Kelleys kicked her out, she'd cried to Kenneth, making him believe she'd been wronged. She claimed she'd angered Tiffany accidentally and Thalia had hit her, implying suffering and abuse. She'd hoped Kenneth would feel sorry for her and take her home. Instead, he'd dragged her to confront Tiffany, claiming he wanted to stand up for her.

Now, Sandra was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Seeing Sandra's fear, Kenneth's protective instincts took over. Ignoring the facts, he lashed out at Tiffany. "You're so unreasonable! Sandra is still your sister. How could your family gang up to bully her?"

Tiffany, used to this, didn't argue. She started to leave.

Kenneth continued, shouting, "Sandra didn't do anything to you. Can't you be more forgiving? Do you really want to drive her to her death?"

Before Tiffany could respond, Zoe exploded. "Oh wow, you don't know the whole story, but you're telling others to be forgiving? How can you say this? By your logic, can I just stab you and say sorry? You have to forgive me, right? Otherwise, you're not being forgiving enough. And everyone's living their first life. Why should we let you off so easily? Oh, and Tiffany, we should keep our distance from people who preach forgiveness. Otherwise, karma will get you!"

Zoe's rapid-fire words stunned and humiliated Kenneth.

Tiffany nodded, agreeing. "You're right. Some people are just jerks!" She looked at Kenneth with a sweet smile. "Oh, don't wonder. I'm talking about you."

Ignoring Kenneth's fury, Tiffany and Zoe went to the cafeteria.