Chapter 8 · I Called Off the Wedding and Left for Northel

Evelyn was dressed in a simple white dress, and on her wrist was my bracelet, the one Michael bought for me.

I was the one who picked it out; Michael just paid for it.

Eleanor caught my glare and jumped in, "Evelyn's got such slender wrists, it looks lovely on her. Don't be so stingy."

I shot back, "Stingy? Who goes around wearing someone else's bracelet?"

Evelyn hurried to take it off.

"Claire, I'm really sorry. I didn't know it was yours. Eleanor said nobody at home was wearing it, so it'd just go to waste," she said.

Eleanor held her back.

"Why bother taking it off? It's just a bracelet. Claire, don't be so uptight. Once you and Michael get married, everything's going to be ours anyway," she said.

I looked at her.

"That's not happening," I said.

Eleanor finally dropped her smile.

"Claire, don't take my kindness for granted. Michael's got plenty of girls lining up for him. You're not exactly young anymore. If you call off the engagement now, you really think your reputation will survive?" she snapped.

My mom slammed her spatula down on the table.

"My daughter's reputation is just fine without marrying your son!" she shot back.

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"You two should really try to talk her out of this. She'll be gone for months in the Northel; who's even going to remember her when she gets back?

"No matter how great her career is, a woman still needs a home at the end of the day," she said.

I shot back, "So you came here today just to teach me how a woman should live her life?"

"I'm giving you a way out. The wedding can still happen, but you have to agree to three things," she said.

My dad let out a laugh, half amused, half pissed.

"Now she's got conditions?" he scoffed.

Eleanor held up her fingers.

"First, apologize to Evelyn. Second, delete the security footage and never bring it up again. Third, after you get married, quit your job at the museum and just focus on having a baby.

"Fixing those broken antiques is bad for your eyes and hands, and the pay is peanuts," she said.

Evelyn spoke up softly, "Mrs. Lane, Claire really loves her job. Isn't it a bit harsh to make her quit?"

Eleanor patted her hand.

"You're just too considerate. If Claire were even half as easygoing as you, we wouldn't be in this mess," Eleanor said.

I went to the door and opened it.

"You've said your piece. You can leave now," I said.

Eleanor's face went cold.

"Claire, how dare you kick out your elders?" she snapped.

"We don't welcome thieves here," I shot back.

Evelyn's face went pale.

"Claire, how could you call Mrs. Lane a thief?" she said, her voice trembling.

I pointed at her wrist.

"Take it off," I said.

She looked at Eleanor.

Eleanor lifted her chin defiantly. "She's not taking it off. If you really have the nerve, go ahead and call the cops; accuse us of stealing."

I pulled out my phone.

Eleanor's tone immediately softened. "You're actually calling the police? You want to drag the whole family down to the station? Don't you think that's humiliating?"

"We're not family," I said.

Evelyn slowly took off the bracelet and handed it to me.

"Claire, please don't call the police. I still have to go to the exhibition. If this gets out, it'll make me look bad," she pleaded.

"So you do care about your reputation," I said.

Evelyn bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.

"I know you hate me. But feelings aren't something I can control," she said.

I took the bracelet and dumped it in the trash.

Evelyn was stunned.

Eleanor screamed, "That's gold!"

"It's filthy," I said.

Eleanor just stood there, pointing at me, totally speechless.

My dad grabbed the mop.

"Either you leave now, or I'll help you out the door," he said.

Eleanor grabbed Evelyn and turned to leave.

Before leaving, she paused at the door and threw out a threat.

"Claire, don't think you'll just leave without any trouble tomorrow. Michael's already put in a word with the Northel project team. People like you, with all this family drama, aren't exactly welcome."

The door slammed shut.

My mom was freaking out.

"Is she telling the truth?" she asked.

I picked up my phone and saw a message from an unknown number.

[Ms. Jennings, meet at East Terminal at 6:30 AM tomorrow. — Harold.]

I handed my phone to my parents.

"It's fake," I said.

My dad let out a sigh of relief, then muttered under his breath. "That family is just filthy."

That night, I started packing my bags.

Besides some clothes, all I had were a few of my go-to tools, a notebook, and an old photo album.

The very first page of the album was a picture of me and Michael from our college days.

I pulled it out, ripped it in half, and tossed it straight into the trash.

My phone buzzed with a new message.

It was from an unknown number.

[Claire, Michael spent all day trying to secure your spot. Don't take his efforts for granted. The Northel project isn't a place for women to play tough.]

Chapter 8

Evelyn was dressed in a simple white dress, and on her wrist was my bracelet, the one Michael bought for me.

I was the one who picked it out; Michael just paid for it.

Eleanor caught my glare and jumped in, "Evelyn's got such slender wrists, it looks lovely on her. Don't be so stingy."

I shot back, "Stingy? Who goes around wearing someone else's bracelet?"

Evelyn hurried to take it off.

"Claire, I'm really sorry. I didn't know it was yours. Eleanor said nobody at home was wearing it, so it'd just go to waste," she said.

Eleanor held her back.

"Why bother taking it off? It's just a bracelet. Claire, don't be so uptight. Once you and Michael get married, everything's going to be ours anyway," she said.

I looked at her.

"That's not happening," I said.

Eleanor finally dropped her smile.

My mom slammed her spatula down on the table.

"My daughter's reputation is just fine without marrying your son!" she shot back.

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"You two should really try to talk her out of this. She'll be gone for months in the Northel; who's even going to remember her when she gets back?

"No matter how great her career is, a woman still needs a home at the end of the day," she said.

I shot back, "So you came here today just to teach me how a woman should live her life?"

"I'm giving you a way out. The wedding can still happen, but you have to agree to three things," she said.

My dad let out a laugh, half amused, half pissed.

"Now she's got conditions?" he scoffed.

Eleanor held up her fingers.

"First, apologize to Evelyn. Second, delete the security footage and never bring it up again. Third, after you get married, quit your job at the museum and just focus on having a baby.

"Fixing those broken antiques is bad for your eyes and hands, and the pay is peanuts," she said.

Evelyn spoke up softly, "Mrs. Lane, Claire really loves her job. Isn't it a bit harsh to make her quit?"

Eleanor patted her hand.

"You're just too considerate. If Claire were even half as easygoing as you, we wouldn't be in this mess," Eleanor said.

I went to the door and opened it.

"You've said your piece. You can leave now," I said.

Eleanor's face went cold.

"Claire, how dare you kick out your elders?" she snapped.

"We don't welcome thieves here," I shot back.

Evelyn's face went pale.

"Claire, how could you call Mrs. Lane a thief?" she said, her voice trembling.

I pointed at her wrist.

"Take it off," I said.

She looked at Eleanor.

Eleanor lifted her chin defiantly. "She's not taking it off. If you really have the nerve, go ahead and call the cops; accuse us of stealing."

I pulled out my phone.

Eleanor's tone immediately softened. "You're actually calling the police? You want to drag the whole family down to the station? Don't you think that's humiliating?"

"We're not family," I said.

Evelyn slowly took off the bracelet and handed it to me.

"Claire, please don't call the police. I still have to go to the exhibition. If this gets out, it'll make me look bad," she pleaded.

"So you do care about your reputation," I said.

Evelyn bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.

"I know you hate me. But feelings aren't something I can control," she said.

I took the bracelet and dumped it in the trash.

Evelyn was stunned.

Eleanor screamed, "That's gold!"

"It's filthy," I said.

Eleanor just stood there, pointing at me, totally speechless.

My dad grabbed the mop.

"Either you leave now, or I'll help you out the door," he said.

Eleanor grabbed Evelyn and turned to leave.

Before leaving, she paused at the door and threw out a threat.

The door slammed shut.

My mom was freaking out.

"Is she telling the truth?" she asked.

I picked up my phone and saw a message from an unknown number.

[Ms. Jennings, meet at East Terminal at 6:30 AM tomorrow. — Harold.]

I handed my phone to my parents.

"It's fake," I said.

My dad let out a sigh of relief, then muttered under his breath. "That family is just filthy."

That night, I started packing my bags.

Besides some clothes, all I had were a few of my go-to tools, a notebook, and an old photo album.

The very first page of the album was a picture of me and Michael from our college days.

I pulled it out, ripped it in half, and tossed it straight into the trash.

My phone buzzed with a new message.

It was from an unknown number.

[Claire, Michael spent all day trying to secure your spot. Don't take his efforts for granted. The Northel project isn't a place for women to play tough.]