Reforging My Broken Heart

Chapter 4 Stolen Jewels

Her words astonished the wealthy ladies present, their faces etched with surprise.

I abruptly looked up at William, never expecting him to expose his scars in such a public setting.

He chuckled nonchalantly. "You probably didn't expect that the person standing at the top of the pyramid today would be me! And you, you're only fit to shine my fiancée's shoes!"

I stood silently to the side, enduring the humiliation. After all this time, I thought I could withstand any insult.

It wasn't until everyone had left for the banquet that I felt a sharp pain in my palm.

I realized that, unconsciously, I had dug my nails deep into my palm, almost drawing blood.

Standing in the empty dressing room, I laughed bitterly. It seemed my heart wasn't as calm as it appeared.

Years later, encountering him again still stirred something within me.

I quietly left the dressing room and saw William and Emma on the stage from afar. They looked like a perfect couple, basking in the envious gazes of everyone present.

A pang of bitterness surged in my heart, and I shook my head vigorously. What was I thinking?

I was the one who let go first. William was right. How could I possibly be worthy of him now?

Moreover, even if I could explain everything from the past, things could never go back to the way they were.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I sighed softly.

After finishing this job, I would request a transfer to another branch.

It would be best to be far away from them.

*****

As I was about to leave the hotel, I was stopped by a staff member.

"A lady reported her jewelry missing from the banquet hall just now. We're currently on lockdown for investigation. I'm sorry, but you can't leave."

The entire hotel was sealed off, and the guests were confined to the banquet hall. William and Emma, as the hosts, tried to appease the guests while ordering a thorough search.

The middle-aged lady who had lost her jewelry wiped her tears and said to Emma, her voice choked with emotion, "Everything else aside, that ring... my late husband personally put it on my finger on our wedding day. It means the world to me. How could it just disappear?"

Her daughter comforted her softly. It was the same girl who had recognized me as the fallen daughter of the Payne family back in the dressing room.

Emma's brow furrowed slightly, and she instructed the staff with a serious expression, "This ring is very important to Mrs. Ortiz. We must find it!"

The staff meticulously searched the entire hotel but found no trace of the ring.

William's expression grew sterner. "If it's not in the hotel, then someone must have stolen it."

Emma covered her mouth in mock surprise. "How could that be? Everyone attending this banquet is a respectable figure. Unless..."

Her eyes swept maliciously over the assistants standing at the edge of the venue, finally settling on me. "Unless it was one of the staff!"

William seemed to agree with her. "To be fair, let's start by searching those closest to us. Afterward, they can search the other staff members."

He summoned his and Emma's bodyguards, assistants, and other personnel, allowing the hotel staff to search them first. Naturally, they found nothing.

William breathed a sigh of relief and was about to order his men to start searching the others when Emma stopped him.

Seeing William's puzzled expression, Emma flashed her most charming smile and pointed directly at me. "There's Vivian. She was brought by me, and she hasn't been searched yet!"

I was shoved forward by Emma's people. William frowned when he saw me. "Why are you everywhere? Just search her quickly!"

Seeing William's disgusted expression, Emma smiled as she gestured for her people to search me.

I let them search me, my expression calm. After all, I hadn't taken Mrs. Ortiz's jewelry.

Unexpectedly, as Emma's assistant rummaged through the bag I had brought, she exclaimed, "There's a ring here!"

Emma strode forward, took the ring from her assistant, and asked Mrs. Ortiz, "Mrs. Ortiz, is this your ring?"

Mrs. Ortiz was overjoyed to have her ring back, tears welling up in her eyes as she nodded repeatedly.

William looked at me incredulously. "Vivian, have you really stooped to becoming a thief?"

"I didn't!" I denied vehemently, my eyes fixed on William's. "We've known each other for years. In your heart, am I someone capable of doing such a thing?"

William's eyes flickered with a hint of reminiscence as if recalling the beautiful times we shared in university.

Back then, I was like a bright rose, adding color to his otherwise dull and boring life.

We laughed and played together, experiencing a period of happiness. If only...

But the memory of my cruel and heartless words towards him made his expression darken.

Glancing at Emma, who was standing beside him, William said indifferently, "Miss Payne, don't bring up the past. In my heart, there's only my fiancée, Emma! As for you..."

He curled his lip in disdain. "Someone who's so money-hungry, now reduced to such a state... what wouldn't you do for vanity?"

Hearing his words, Emma clung to William's arm even more tightly, declaring her ownership. "Vivian, I trusted you and let you serve at my home, but I never thought you would be so greedy and ungrateful..."

She turned to Mrs. Ortiz with a look of apology. "Mrs. Ortiz, I'm so sorry. It's my fault for letting the wolf into the house and causing you such distress."

"I didn't steal the jewelry!"

Being falsely accused was unbearable. I couldn't help but defend myself. "Someone must have framed me!"

But in the face of the "evidence," my defense seemed weak and laughable.

Emma put on a hurt expression, deliberately raising her voice. "I thought that no matter how unbearable you've become, you were still the eldest daughter of the Payne family. Seeing you so down and out now, and knowing you and William have a past, I wanted to give you this opportunity to earn some extra income. But why would you..."

She suddenly gasped as if struck by a realization, and turned to Mrs. Ortiz's daughter. "Could it be because Miss Ortiz recognized you in the dressing room and exposed your identity in public, humiliating you? Did you steal her mother's ring as revenge?"

Her words caused the guests to look at me with disdain and condemnation.

Even Miss Ortiz nodded in agreement, glaring at me angrily.

"The Payne family has such poor character. No wonder they went bankrupt..."

William's gaze was filled with disappointment. He scoffed, "I never thought the once proud heiress of the Payne family would have such a narrow mind."

He didn't look at me again. Instead, he patted Emma's hand. "Since you were the one who invited her, you can handle it."

He looked at Emma tenderly and kissed her forehead. "This woman ruined our engagement ceremony today. I'll make it up to you with a grand wedding!"

Under the envious gazes of everyone, Emma nodded shyly and then walked towards me with the air of a victor. She slammed a check onto my face. "Vivian, this is your payment for today. I won't shortchange you a single cent. However, to give Mrs. Ortiz an explanation..."

She smiled, uttering the words that plunged me into despair. "I have to take you to the police station!"