Chapter 9 Reclaiming The Emerald Pendant
around her neck had left a red mark. The emerald pendant she was wearing was forcibly removed
The
rope by Gabrielle.
“Gabrielle, how dare you steal my stuff?” Marilyn’s eyes bulged, her face, perfectly made up, was so contorted it almost created a few wrinkles.
Gabrielle held the emerald pendant in her hand, giving it a quick glance before tucking it into her bag.
“Steal your stuff? Please, this emerald pendant was a gift from my mentor. Just because I let you wear it, does it make it yours? I must have been blind to have given it to you in the first place. Now, you’re not worthy of wearing it,” Gabrielle said with a cold smirk.
This emerald pendant was blessed; it had been worn by her mentor for more than twenty years and possessed the power to ward off evil.
Back when she returned to the Seavers family, she noticed Marilyn’s forehead was unusually dark. Without uttering a second word, she immediately handed over her emerald pendant to Marilyn, ensuring her safety and well–being.
However, Marilyn was oblivious to the gravity of the situation. It was one thing to force her into a proxy marriage, but to scheme against her own daughter was beyond comprehension.
Now, Gabrielle was determined to reclaim all that was hers, one by one.
“You… You! Gabrielle, have you lost your mind? I’m your mother. How dare you speak to me like that? Do you even want to return to the Seavers family?” Marilyn was so angry that her chest heaved with each breath.
She nearly spat out blood in disbelief.
Gabrielle’s gaze was filled with resentment as if the two of them were irreconcilable enemies.
Her gaze was frosty and piercing. Gabrielle had previously thought that growing up away from them had created a barrier between them. But now, it seemed way worse than that.
“Do you think I care about that? Or do you believe that after you’ve discarded me and forced me into a marriage on behalf of Chloe, I would crawl back to you? Do you even deserve that?” Gabrielle asked with a soft chuckle.
This time, she was truly amused to the point of laughter by her audacity.
It seemed that accepting the lack of love wasn’t as difficult as one might think.
“Enough, Gabrielle! She is your mother, after all. Don’t go too far.” Benjamin also stepped in, defending both
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He assumed a protective stance, glaring at Gabrielle.
“Gabrielle, it was bad enough when you took away the bridal gifts this morning. Now, you’re back to snatch Mom’s emerald pendant. Why do you insist on dishonoring her like this? Mom has always been good to you,” Chloe said, her eyes welling up with tears as she looked at her sister, a picture of utter distress.
However, Gabrielle did not miss the fleeting glint of triumph and malice in her eyes.
Had she not experienced death once, she would have truly been deceived.
Chloe’s provocation had once again infuriated Marilyn.
“If I had known you were going to be so heartless and ungrateful, I would have strangled you at birth,” Marilyn said, her voice seething with anger.
Confronted with her indifference and disdain, Gabrielle responded with a faint smile tugging at the corners. of her mouth.
“Ungrateful? I was lost for seventeen years, and none of you searched for me. I’ve been back for seven months, and you’ve never shown me love! For the past seven months, I’ve been running errands for Ben, filling in wherever the company needed an extra hand, and you didn’t pay me a dime! Even a housekeeper doesn’t work as much as I do. Wasn’t it me who took care of all your needs, from meals to cleaning? When I first returned, you were so ill and delirious! Who was it that attended to you by your bedside in the middle of the night?”
Gabrielle’s voice was frosty as she questioned, each word deliberate and precise.
Her words left everyone present dumbfounded, including Felix who had just descended the stairs.
“I must be utterly ungrateful. Otherwise, why would I have given you the emerald pendant my mentor entrusted to me? Now, it seems you truly f*cking don’t deserve it,” Gabrielle said with a soft chuckle.
She didn’t get angry. Instead, she was amused to laughter by the audacity.
They had already severed ties, and she had no desire to keep in contact.
Had it not been for the incessant insulting calls from Marilyn, she never would have considered returning to reclaim the emerald pendant.
This emerald pendant was said to bring safety. At that time, Marilyn was riddled with illness. If it wasn’t for this pendant, she would have lost her life long ago. She certainly wouldn’t have been able to stand here, confidently questioning her.
“You! You’re driving me mad. Get out! Just get out! I wish I never had a daughter like you.” In a fit of rage, Marilyn trembled all over, clutching her chest as she collapsed onto the couch.
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joyful.
Persuading a stubborn soul with kind words could be a futile effort. Everyone had their own fate to contend with. Who could she blame for her unfortunate circumstances?
“You don’t need to tell me to leave. I will never set foot in the Seavers residence again,” Gabrielle said, her mood lightened as she turned to depart. However, a figure stood in front of her.
Zachary was brimming with anger, blocking her path.
He looked down at Gabrielle from his elevated position, his mood evidently not the best.
“Move,” Gabrielle said coldly, intending to leave right past him.
Her arm was seized by Zachary, his grip almost too firm, as if he intended to crush her bones. He ordered her in a commanding tone, “Apologize. Apologize to Mom.”
Gabrielle looked at him as if she was looking at an idiot.
“Gabrielle, my patience has its limits,” Zachary commanded in a hushed tone. “I’ll say it once more. Apologize to Mom! And return the dowry given by the Zechman family, or else…”
Before he could finish speaking, Gabrielle swiftly and fiercely slapped him across the face.
The sound of a slap echoed throughout the living room.
Zachary’s face was knocked askew, a handprint seared onto his pale skin. His gold–rimmed glasses were knocked off, skidding across the floor. Everyone present was stunned.
They looked toward Gabrielle in disbelief, not expecting that she would actually dare to strike someone.
In the past, she wouldn’t even dare to breathe a word in the Seavers family, let alone lift a finger.
“Zachary, you really have some nerve. No wonder you’re the Seavers family’s heir! Who do you think you are, standing there and demanding an apology from me? And you even dare to covet the Zechman family’s bridal gifts? Once upon a time, I respected you as my older brother, and you think you’re that special to me? My name is Gabrielle Simmons. I don’t carry the Seavers family’s last name! I’m not part of your family, so you have no right to dictate my actions,” Gabrielle said coldly.
She turned around, lifting her foot to step on the gold–rimmed glasses that had fallen to the ground, grinding them harshly a few times.
She resolutely crushed the lens underfoot.
“Don’t bother me with your calls anymore!” Gabrielle said, turning and walking away.
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ready to land a punch on her head.
The driver, who had been standing outside the door, briskly walked in. In a loud and clear voice, he announced, “Mrs. Zechman, Mr. Zechman has requested your presence for dinner at home.”
The way he addressed Gabrielle snapped everyone back to their senses.
Felix’s fist was already in motion when he promptly changed its direction. With a resounding thud, he swung it viciously to the side. The sound of a crash followed as a vase was knocked over by his swing.
With a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, Gabrielle glanced at the driver.
She knew the driver clearly couldn’t bear to watch any longer, and his intervention had saved Felix’s life. Otherwise, if Felix had thrown that punch, she would have made him lose an arm.
“All right. Let’s go,” Gabrielle said in a cold voice.
She strode out, and as the driver sped off in the luxury car, she glanced at the rearview mirror. She saw Felix, who seemed to want to rush out but was held back by Zachary.
“Mrs. Zechman…” The driver glanced worriedly into the rearview mirror, calling out to her in a hushed tone.
Gabrielle closed her eyes, leaning back in the rear seat. She murmured softly, “It’s okay. They’re just passersby.”
Inside the Seavers residence, Felix clenched his fists tightly, forcefully shaking off Zachary’s hand. He spat out, “Zach, why did you stop me? That wretch deserves to be taught a lesson.”
When Zachary saw his younger brother’s impulsive demeanor, a flicker of displeasure flashed in his eyes.
“That was the Zechman family’s driver. If you hit her just now, we’ll be in trouble,” Zachary said in a hushed
tone.
