Chapter 8

Waverly froze for a moment before glancing down at the shattered pendant in Vanessa's hand. Her anger vanished instantly, replaced by a mocking smile. "What do I want? Nothing much, really. I just want to ruin everything you care about." Vanessa hit the roof and opened her mouth to retort. However, Waverly's expression shifted in the next second. Her eyes turned red, and she suddenly held her cheek. A moment later, Harris strode into the room. His expression turned sullen when he saw the redness on Waverly's cheek. "Who hit you?" Like someone seeking refuge, Waverly turned toward Harris as her tears spilled. "Harris, please don't blame Vanessa. It was my fault for accidentally breaking the pendant her mother left behind…" "Vanessa…" Harris turned to Vanessa but paused. He hadn't seen her cry in years—not since that moment six months ago when he stumbled upon her secret. At this moment, her eyes were bloodshot with fury, and tears were threatening to spill over. His hands tightened into fists. In the end, he reached out to take Waverly's hand. "I understand how important the pendant is to you. But Waverly didn't do it on purpose. I'll have someone carve a replica tomorrow. You didn't have to resort to violence." With those dismissive words, he attempted to brush the matter aside. Vanessa's anger dissolved into aggrievance, and her tears began to fall, blurring her vision. She had known that Harris cared for Waverly, but she never imagined he would go this far. He knew just how much that pendant meant to her, yet he still chose to defend Waverly. At last, Vanessa failed to hold back her sobs. Nonetheless, she replied stubbornly, "I don't want a new one. I only want this one." But Harris ignored her words and handed her a credit card. "Then take this and find someone to repair it yourself." The card felt like a chasm between them. At that moment, they were no longer siblings and family who had once shared everything with each other. Instead, they'd become strangers, distant and detached. It felt like Waverly had carelessly destroyed a priceless treasure belonging to a stranger on the street, and Harris tossed out compensation like it was nothing. And Vanessa was that pitiful stranger. A bitter laugh escaped her lips, sharp and hollow. She took the card without another word and walked away, then ascended the stairs lifelessly. The next day, Vanessa fell gravely ill. She burned with fever for two days and a night, and when she finally recovered, the first thing she did was list every expense the Samsons had ever spent on her. When she finished calculating the total, she realized she was still short by a few thousand dollars. Without hesitation, she sold every gift Harris had ever given her at a steep discount on the internet. The items sold out within hours. That evening, Vanessa went downstairs with a credit card in hand, ready to settle her debt. But then she saw Harris striding toward her with an armful of familiar items—her discounted sales. He placed the gifts on the table and said flatly, "You don't need to sell things off for pennies to make ends meet. If you're short on money, just ask me." Vanessa glanced at the items before setting down the card and the neatly written account ledger she'd prepared. "This isn't about making ends meet. I'm repaying everything you've ever spent on me." Harris fell silent for a while. Then, his voice simmered with frustration as he said, "Are you still upset over that small incident? Is this your way of throwing a tantrum? I told you, Waverly is my fiancée. She'll be part of this family very soon. Can't you show her the basic respect she deserves?" Vanessa knew he had misunderstood her intentions. She wasn't throwing a tantrum but drawing a line between them to sever ties once and for all. However, she didn't bother to explain. She merely put down the card on the table and left.