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Novel Catalog
Chapter 50
Paula stood frozen, her face slack with disbelief. “What?”
“Fake?” Gale was equally shocked. She had thought that the jade bracelet was real, but now it seemed it was just a mockery from Susan.
Susan, her face pale with shame, gritted her teeth. “It’s fake! I… I bought it as a trinket! I just wanted to show off in front of Gale.” She had no idea that her actions would provoke Paula.
Paula, recovering quickly, snapped, “Where’s the real one then? Shawn, did you give it to one of your other mistresses?”
Gale, though curious herself, said nothing. She simply watched as Shawn’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. “It has always been with me,” he replied, his voice like ice. “How did you find Susan?”
Paula, seizing the moment, pointed to Gale. “She told me! She said that you gave it to a woman outside, and she even gave me the address.”
Susan’s face turned red with fury as she screamed, “So it was you, playing tricks on me! You hurt me on purpose!”
Gale remained calm. “You said that Shawn gave you the jade bracelet. I was simply telling the truth. Who knew what you were wearing was fake?” She let out a breath of relief. At least the real bracelet hadn’t fallen into Susan’s hands.
“I didn’t say the bracelet was the one Mr. Wood bought at the auction!” Susan stammered, her words growing more frantic. “President Wood, you have to help me!”
Shawn’s sharp gaze cut through the confusion. His eyes were calculating, as he pieced everything together. Gale had cleverly played her part in pitting two enemies against each other. He wasn’t fooled.
Coldly, Shawn spoke, “I won’t give the jade bracelet to anyone.”
Paula, defeated, reluctantly left. But Susan wasn’t done. She stomped her feet and demanded, “Mr. Wood, this matter can’t be left like this!” She glared at Gale, her fury not yet spent.
Susan clung to Shawn’s arm. “Gale did it on purpose! She’s always targeting me. If you hadn’t come in time today, I don’t know what your stepmother would have done to me! Look at me, I’ve been hurt!”
Shawn didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he glanced over at Gale, his eyes hard.
Her heart skipped a beat. Susan’s complaints always seemed to sway Shawn, and she wasn’t sure how he would respond this time.
Finally, Shawn spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Let her make it up to you. Oh, right. She’ll be designing a wedding ring… for you.”
Susan’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Wedding ring?”
“Yes,” Shawn continued with a smirk. “I’ll personally put it on your ring finger—a wedding ring that symbolizes marriage and loyalty. You can tell Gale exactly what style you want.”
“I want diamonds!” Susan practically bounced with excitement. “Big, shiny ones! The more expensive, the better. It needs to look incredibly luxurious, something that will amaze everyone. Sea City has never seen such a precious ring!”
Gale clenched her fists, her teeth gritted. “I can’t design it.”
Shawn’s gaze hardened. “You have to. This is your job.”
Gale lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes. She couldn’t speak. The cruelty of his command, the constant trampling of her self-esteem, was wearing her down.
Susan, raising her chin with an air of triumph, added, “That’s right. I’ll ask you about the design anytime. You’ll show me your drafts, and if I don’t like them, you’ll change them until I’m satisfied. Understand?”
“Yes…” Gale muttered through gritted teeth. She had no choice.
She already knew that Susan’s taste would be far from her own, and just the thought of creating something that clashed with her style was unbearable. A ring so gaudy and flashy that it would be ridiculed by anyone with true taste in jewelry.
As they drove back to the Wood family home, Gale couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you keep the jade bracelet? No one wanted it?”
Shawn raised an eyebrow at her. “What, do you want it?”
“Of course I want it.” Gale admitted, her voice soft. “It was my mother’s.”
Shawn’s lips curled into a teasing smile. “Then we shall see if you can please me. If you do well, maybe one day I’ll be in a good mood and reward you.”
Gale’s heart skipped a beat, unsure whether his words were a genuine offer or just another cruel game.