Chapter 4

Mrs. Shaw looked straight at me, her suspicion plain as day. "Anna, did you take it? That necklace cost me a fortune. If you wanted it, you could've just said so. Why did you have to sneak it?"

Michael rushed to Emily's side, comforting her softly. Then he turned to me, his gaze icy. "Anna, take out the necklace. Don't be stubborn."

Four pairs of eyes fixed on me: accusing, suspicious, disappointed. Trust was nowhere to be found.

Back then, those accusing stares shattered me. I cried, I screamed, desperate to prove my innocence, but nobody ever listened.

Now, I simply gripped my glass, the chill seeping into my fingers, facing their judgment with steady composure.

I replied quietly, "I didn't take it."

"Who else could it be, if not you?" Mrs. Shaw snapped, her anger barely contained. "There are only a handful of us here. Emily never left our side, and you were the only one alone in your room!"

Emily wiped away her tears and chimed in softly, "Mrs. Shaw, please don't push Anna so hard. Maybe she grabbed it by mistake..."

"Go ahead and search," I said, my voice steady.

I cut her off, pointing toward my bedroom with a flat, emotionless tone. "Go ahead, search all you want. If you find anything, do whatever you want with me. If you don't, don't bother me again." My calm attitude left everyone stunned.

Mrs. Shaw gritted her teeth and stormed toward my bedroom. "Fine, let's search. I don't buy it!" Mr. Shaw and Michael followed right behind her.

I stood there, casually sipping my water, watching them turn the place upside down, completely unfazed. 'Necklace? Emily never even brought it here. It was a lousy show she staged herself.'

After a moment, Mrs. Shaw came out looking grim, her hands empty.

Emily's face turned pale and then paler, tears still hanging on her cheeks as she stood there, completely flustered and not knowing what to do. "How could this happen... Maybe I lost it outside..."

"That's enough," I said flatly. I set my glass down and looked at them, eyes cold. "You've searched and found nothing. Now, stop bothering me."

Without another glance at their dramatic faces, I turned and walked upstairs, back straight, not caring in the slightest.

The living room fell into a heavy silence.

Michael stared at my resolute figure as I walked away, and his heart suddenly tightened out of nowhere. An unfamiliar wave of panic crashed over him, leaving him completely unprepared.

He just felt that Little Emily was all alone now, with no one around to take care of her, and because of their childhood connection, he just hoped she could settle into the family quickly and start a new life.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside my window. I skipped breakfast and didn't greet anyone. After packing my bag, I tiptoed out the front door and headed off to school all by herself.

Just then, I heard the sound of a car engine behind me. It was the family car.

Mr. Shaw was driving, Mrs. Shaw was in the passenger seat, and Emily was snuggled up against Michael's shoulder. The three of them looked so happy together as they drove past her.

The window rolled down, and Emily poked her head out, looking all sweet and innocent. "Anna, come on, get in the car with us!" she called out.

"I didn't even slow down and turn my head, just kept walking with my back straight, leaving Emily with nothing but her determined figure.

"

The atmosphere in the car turned tense for a moment.