Chapter 3
His voice was clearly anxious.
"Summer, what are you doing at the bank?" Landon asked.
I smiled.
"Guess," I said.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
Then, his tone softened.
"Stop messing around. I'm at your house waiting for you. Mia's here too, and she's been crying her eyes out, saying you misunderstood her," Landon said.
I looked out the window.
The sunlight on the bank's glass was icy and blinding.
"Let her cry," I said.
"I'll be back soon," I added.
*****
When I got back to the Collins residence, the living room was packed with people.
My father, the Hayes parents, Landon, and Mia were all there.
Mia's eyes were red, like she'd been wronged beyond measure.
As soon as she saw me, she stood up.
"I'm sorry, Summer. I really don't know what I did to make you upset," Mia said, her voice trembling.
Mrs. Hayes frowned.
"Summer, it's normal to be a little emotional before the wedding, but you can't take it out on Mia," Mrs. Hayes said.
My father looked at me.
"Summer, what happened?" he asked.
I placed the receipt from filing the police report on the coffee table.
"My mom's jade pendant is missing," I said.
Mia's crying stopped for a moment.
Landon jumped in right away.
"It's an jade pendant. I'll buy you a better one tomorrow," Landon said.
I stared at him.
"My mom's keepsake. You really think you can replace it?" I asked.
He choked, speechless.
Landon's father tried to smooth things over.
"Summer, our families are about to become one. Let's not let something so small ruin the harmony between us," he said.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Something trivial?" I shot back.
"Please take off the scarf around your neck, Mia."
Everyone turned to look at her.
Mia instinctively covered her neck.
"I'm cold," she said.
It was June.
The air conditioning in the living room was set to 79°F.
And she said she was cold.
I walked over to her, step by step.
"Take it off," I said.
Mia hid behind Landon.
Landon stepped in front of me.
"Summer, don't push it," he said.
I slapped him, no hesitation.
Landon turned his head, looking at me like he couldn't believe what happened.
I used to never even say a harsh word to him.
But now, that slap broke his pride into pieces.
I stared him down.
"Try protecting her one more time," I said.
My father finally stood up.
"Miss Bright, take it off," he said.
Mia's tears started flowing even harder.
"Mr. Collins, I swear I didn't take anything from Summer," she sobbed.
My father's voice dropped, cold and commanding.
"Take it off," he said.
Mia's hands shook as she pulled off the scarf.
There it was, the jade pendant, lying right against her collarbone.
That gentle green glow, it was the pendant my mom had worn for twenty years.
My father's face went pale in an instant.
Mia fell to her knees, her composure shattering.
"Summer, I'm sorry. I liked it so much. I only wanted to wear it for a day," she cried, her voice trembling.
I walked over and ripped the pendant right off her neck.
The red cord cut into her neck, breaking the skin.
She let out a cry of pain.
Landon instinctively caught her.
Watching that, I felt strangely calm.
"Only for a day?" I asked.
I shoved the bank records right in her face.
"You used my face to open the safe, was that only for a day, too?" I shot back.
Mia was trembling.
"It wasn't me, it was..." she stammered.
She snapped her mouth shut.
Landon's expression darkened.
My father looked at him. "Landon, did you know about this?"
Landon didn't say a word.
That silence said it all.
My father's hands were shaking with anger.
Mrs. Hayes jumped in right away.
"There's definitely been some mistake. Mia's a kid, she doesn't understand any of this," Mrs. Hayes said.
I bent down and picked up Mia's bag from the floor.
Her face went pale, and she lunged for it, desperate to snatch it back.
"Don't touch my stuff." she yelled.
The bodyguards held her back.
The contents of her bag scattered across the floor.
Lipstick, powder, and a pregnancy test report.
There was also a copy of my physical exam report.
The more I read, the colder my hands became.
Underneath the report was a drug test result.
It showed that my blood had traces of anticoagulants over an extended period.
The results indicated they'd been there for three months.
Behind the report was a payment receipt.
The payment was made with Landon's personal card.
The payment was made the day after Landon proposed.
Suddenly, I remembered that night, right after Landon proposed, he handed me the very first bottle of collagen drink.
He said:
"Summer, you need to get your health in order before the wedding."
So that's what he meant by "get your health in order."
He wanted me to be healthy enough to get pregnant, so I'd die cleanly, right on cue.
I always thought that ring was a promise.
Turns out, it was a ticking clock he slipped onto my finger.