She shrieked and copsed to the floor.


    But as she fell, she made sure to hold the pearl ne in the hand that would hit the ground first.


    The pearls scraped against the floor. The string snapped. Pearls scattered everywhere, rolling across the tiles.


    Timothy''s hand, which had been holding a paper bag of breakfast, suddenly went ck. The bag tumbled from his fingers, spilling food onto the ground.


    Jessica frowned, barely pausing, and made to walk away.


    She, still on her knees, grabbed desperately at Jessica''s pant leg. Her voice trembled. "I''m apologizing to you so sincerely-can''t you just ept it?"


    Timothy stared in shock at the pearls strewn across the floor. For a long moment, he couldn''t move. Then he forced himself forward.


    His lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line. He radiated a cold, cutting rage.


    He reached She in two quick strides, yanked her up, and pulled her into his arms. His eyes, sharp as ss, fixed on Jessica with unyielding fury.


    He raised his hand, aiming a p at Jessica''s face.


    She, terrified, buried her face in Timothy''s chest, unable to watch.


    Timothy''s palm stopped just short of Jessica''s cheek, the air from his swing whispering across her skin.


    He couldn''t bring himself to do it.


    He had neverid a hand on her-not even after she''d pped him before. Not even now, after she''d ruined his mother''s most precious keepsake.


    His hand hovered a breath from her face, close enough that she could feel the cold draft brush her pores, chilling her to the bone.


    Her husband.


    The man she had once loved more than anyone.


    He was finally going to hit her, for the sake of the woman he loved.


    The p nevernded on her cheek-but itnded squarely on her heart.


    Timothy pulled his hand back, his words low and barely controlled. "Get out."


    Jessica''s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She turned on her heel, anger burning in her chest.


    Maybe now, after this, Timothy would finally agree to the divorce.


    Behind her, she could just make She''s voice. "Timothy, it w


    Jessy''s fault. I was just


    apologize "


    Timothy cut her off, voice harsh. "You think she can ept you kneeling to her?"


    Jessica was his wife.


    She was his aunt. Jessica''s aunt, too.


    No niece had the right to ept her elder kneeling before her.


    Jessica stepped into the elevator. The doors slid shut, cutting her off from the whole scene.


    Timothy let go of She and slowly knelt to pick up the scattered pearls.


    "I''m sorry, Timothy," She whispered, still sniffling. "When you went out to get breakfast, I noticed a jewelry box under the chair. I opened it and saw it was your mother''s ne. I ran out to give it back to you, but then I bumped into Jessy. She got upset when she saw the ne. I tried to exin, but nothing I said could make her


    ept my apology. Timothy, it''s my fault. I broke the ne."


    Timothy''s voice was low and heavy. "It''s not your fault. I saw everything."


    It had been Jessica who shoved She, causing the ne to break.


    She helped him gather the pearls, one by one.


    There were fifty-two pearls in all. But after scraping across the floor, ten of them


    were scratched, some badly, some less so.


    Timothy looked at the dust-covered pearls, his heart aching.


    His mother''s sletter-herst


    words-had said the ne was a


    family heirloom, passed down


    through generations of the Howard


    family on her wedding day, his mother had given it to her, and one day, when Timothy married, he was supposed to give it to his own wife.


    But his wife—first, she''d sold the ne. Now, this time, she''d destroyed it.


    "Timothy..." She watched the pain flicker in his eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks, and said-