She squinted and then frowned, “Wait! The bracelet on Rachel’s wrist looks familiar. I must have seen it somewhere before.”
I turned to look. The bracelet on her slim wrist was the gift from Mr. Oberick.
Before I could say anything, Nora dropped her chores on hand and started walking towards Rachel. Unexpectedly, she turned back and picked up the knife. “I can overlook anything else, but how could she shamelessly con him of my grandma’s bracelet?” she muttered under her breath.
I was shocked when I saw her with the knife. I quickly went up and pulled her aside. “Calm down! Your grandpa gifted this to Ashton’s wife. Since Ashton gave it to her, you should not fault her for it,” I explained.
She pushed me aside and fumed, “My grandpa may be senile, but I am not. First of all, Ashton will never be her man. It is okay for that bracelet to go to Ashton’s wife but not her. That would be an insult to my grandma. Secondly, my grandpa meant that as a gift for Ashton’s wife, meaning you. She is a fake and that means she misled my grandpa. I cannot forgive her for that.”
She angrily stormed up to Ashton and Rachel and taunted her. “Ms. Zimmer, that bracelet looks good, right?”
Rachel was alarmed when she saw the knife in Nora’s hand. She stumbled backward and nearly dropped the plate of fruit in her hand.
“Ms. Oberick, what are you doing?” Her face regained some color as she stood close to Ashton, feeling more secured.
“Give it back to me!” she demanded, barely hiding her anger.
“What do you want?” Rachel was puzzled. She had no idea what Nora was referring to.
“The bracelet!” Nora hollered. “Do you think any Tom, Dick and Harry can take my grandma’s bracelet? How shameless can you be? The old man was confused and you took the opportunity to con him of that bracelet? Ms. Zimmer, show some grace.”
The commotion attracted the rest, and Tabitha came running over. “What’s wrong?” she probed.
“Why are you holding a knife? That is dangerous. Chill and talk calmly!” Laurel tried to remove the knife from Nora, but she managed to jerk away.
Nora glared around and snapped, “Go back to what you were doing. This is between her and me. Stay out of it.”
No one knew what was happening. They could only look on, worried.
Rachel regained her composure. She knew that with so many people around, Nora would not be able to hurt her.
“Ms. Nora Oberick, is there a reason for you to kick up such a big fuss? Indeed, this bracelet is a gift from your grandpa. Mr. Fuller and Ms. Stovall were both present and they witnessed your grandpa gave it to me. How did you get the idea I conned him? Does the Oberick family always give something then turn around, and demand it back? What would happen to the reputation of A City’s famous Oberick family if words got out about what happened today?” Rachel challenged, emboldened by the crowd that gathered.
“How disgusting! My grandpa gave this to Mrs. Fuller. Who are you to take my grandma’s bracelet?” Nora had always been straightforward and will shoot off her mouth when she is mad.
“It’s you, Scarlett Stovall, isn’t it?” Rachel turned her attention on me and jeered, “You are really beyond my comprehension. On one hand, you chased him away. On the other hand, you are still out to milk him. Are you jealous I got the bracelet and wanted it for yourself, so you instigate someone else to get it for you? Scarlett Stovall, if you want it, come get it yourself, and quit hiding cowardly behind others. One word from Ashton, and I will hand it to you. You don’t have to resort to such underhanded means.”
That was ludicrous. When I saw Rachel trying to remove her bracelet, I stopped her. I darted a quick look at Ashton. He stood there like a bystander, so I turned back to Rachel to clarify. “You are mistaken. I did not instigate Nora to get the bracelet from you. First and foremost, it is because Ashton and I are not related anymore, so what he does with the bracelet is none of my business. Secondly, the reason Nora objects to you having the bracelet is that you are a disgrace.”
“You…” She was aghast at what I said. “Mr. Fuller, I’ll give this bracelet back to you. I will never accept this ever again,” She woefully looked at Ashton and quavered, as she removed the bracelet and shove it into Ashton’s hand.
Ashton had not uttered a word. He just stared at me coldly. When Rachel turned to walk away, he grabbed her arm, surprising her.
His action stunned Nora too. She actually did not care who had the bracelet. She was just annoyed with Rachel’s attitude, which was why she frowned when Ashton held Rachel back.
