The Unbroken Glow

My seven-year-old daughter stole my carefully crafted The Mystical Bracelet, just to help my husband's childhood friend win an award at the Milaney Jewelry Exhibition.

I exposed her in front of everyone, but my husband accused me of falsely accusing her.

''You're just a country woman. How could you possibly make such an expensive piece like The Mystical Bracelet?''

The daughter I had cherished for years looked at me with contempt.

''You're so cruel, not even close to Ms. Elaine in any way.''

They let countless malicious words drown me, and in the process, all my feelings for them—the father and daughter—were completely erased.

I left without hesitation, my heart calm and unshaken.

From then on, there was no more Mrs. Shaw in Capital City—only Becca, the Pearl Diver.

"The truth is out, and the schemer's plot has been laid bare. A pheasant can't simply become a phoenix."

The internet was abuzz with mockery at my expense, but my daughter's eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction.

"Serves you right for messing with Ms. Elaine."

I gazed at the spite across her young face, and a wave of exhaustion washed over me.

"Yoana, you know I've cherished this bracelet for a decade. Why would you fabricate such a lie?"

Her eyes were filled with contempt.

"Because you're unworthy. You're the other woman who tore Dad away from Ms. Elaine, and you've turned me into a joke at school.

"It's your turn to get what you deserve. The world would be better off without you!"

In a flash of anger, she flung the crystal ball at me.

Caught off guard, it hit me square in the head, and blood gushed forth.

The crystal ball crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

My heart clenched. I had given her that crystal ball for her seventh birthday.

I spent three days perfecting its decorations, setting it carefully on her desk to avoid any scratches, never imagining it would be the instrument of my own pain.

Yoana rolled her eyes in disgust at the blood.

"Consider this a lesson. Ms. Elaine, taking your tacky bracelet is a favor for you."

As she stormed upstairs, my heart plummeted.

Seven years of love and labor—all washed away in a moment.

With it, my last shred of fondness for that house evaporated.

Jeffrey Shaw, alerted by the noise, stepped out from his study.

He did not even glance at the wound on my head. His first words were an accusation.

"Elaine's been sobbing non-stop. You owe her an apology."

The irony made me want to laugh.

"Why should I? That mystical bracelet is a treasure passed down in my family. Aren't you aware of that?"

Jeffrey's brow furrowed, his annoyance evident.

"You're Mrs. Shaw. Stop making a fuss over petty things.

"Please, look after Yoana and do what's expected of you."

His tone was so casual that it broke my heart a little more.

He had been like a chunk of ice that would not melt, slowly chipping away