Chapter 7

Before Vanessa could make sense of what had happened, a forceful shove knocked her aside. Harris rushed past her to Waverly's side and carefully wiped the cream off the latter. Waverly clung weakly to his sleeve. With tears in her eyes, she said, "Harris, I don't know what I did wrong. I just wanted to show Vanessa my diamond, but she got angry and pushed me…" A cold shiver ran down Vanessa's spine. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but her words caught in her throat when she met Harris' icy gaze. "Vanessa! Have I spoiled you so much that you've forgotten your place? How many times do I have to tell you? Waverly is your future sister-in-law. You're to respect her and stop behaving so selfishly! Now apologize to her for what you've done!" This wasn't the first time Harris had doubted Vanessa. She would defend herself in the past, and his disbelief would sting deeply. He used to tell her that he'd believe her unconditionally. But now, no matter how many times she said she hadn't done it, his trust lay firmly with Waverly. At this point, Vanessa no longer felt pain, only numbness. Pointing to the security camera nearby, she said calmly, "There's surveillance footage. You can look and find out the truth." Harris wanted to respond, but Waverly suddenly stiffened in his arms and fainted. Immediately, he scooped her up and rushed out of the hall. Rain began to pour, and the guests quickly dispersed. Vanessa sat alone in the empty hall, staring silently at the curtain of rain outside. The rain fell all night, and she stayed until morning before finally returning to the Samson residence. However, as soon as she opened her bedroom door, she froze. Her room was in complete disarray, as if ransacked by a thief. Worse yet, her mother's keepsake was missing. Frantically, she searched every corner of the room, but it was nowhere to be found. Just as she was about to call the police, Waverly's voice sounded from behind her. "Are you looking for your pendant?" Vanessa whipped around and lunged forward, grabbing Waverly by the wrist. "You took it?" Waverly sneered and shook her off with disdain. Her smile deepened with malice as she said, "So what if I did? I was in your room looking for some clothes when I found the pendant. "It looked interesting, so I tossed it to a stray dog outside. Oh, the dog has yet to go far. If you hurry, you might still catch it." Vanessa's blood boiled with rage, but she didn't have time to waste on Waverly. She bolted out of the house and into the downpour. The rain lashed against her face and body, blurring her vision and stinging her skin. Yet she didn't care as she desperately scoured the area for the dog. At last, Vanessa spotted the dog. Hope flared in her chest, and she dashed after it, only to be stopped short by the screech of brakes. The driver leaned out of the car window and yelled angrily, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Vanessa's face drained of color, and she muttered a hurried apology while stepping aside. When she looked again, the dog had vanished. A cold dread settled over her. The pendant was the only thing her mother had left her. If she lost it, she would have nothing to hold onto. Clenching her teeth, Vanessa continued searching along the riverside until she spotted the dog again. She summoned all her strength and pounced on it, trying to wrest the pendant from its jaws. Startled, the dog barked furiously and dragged her into the river in the ensuing struggle. By the time a kind passerby pulled her out of the water, the pendant was shattered into pieces. Vanessa stared at the fragments in her palm, feeling as though her world had collapsed. She had no memory of how she made it back home. The moment she stepped inside and saw Waverly's smug face, something snapped in her. Her vision turned red as she strode up and slapped Waverly across the face. "Ah!" Waverly clutched her cheek as she looked at Vanessa in shock. Vanessa's chest heaved, and she was shaking all over. "Waverly, what the hell do you want from me?"