Chapter 25 Back Against the Wall

Natasha took the emerald pendant out of her pocket with trembling fingers. "It's just some cheap trinket anyway! Here! You can have it!" She tossed the pendant vehemently in Cressida's direction as if it were something dirty. The pendant landed on the marble floor with a sharp cracking sound that rang throughout the living room. Cressida gazed at the pendant on the floor that broke into several pieces. White noise seemed to fill her mind, blocking out all outside sounds. The knife in her hand fell to the floor with a clang. She crouched down and picked up the broken emerald fragments with shaking fingers, piece by piece. Then, she hugged the fragments and the old photo album tightly to herself before standing up and walking slowly out of her so-called home. The door closed behind her, cutting her off from everything inside. … After leaving the Ashworth residence, Cressida rented a one-bedroom apartment in an old neighborhood not far from the hospital as quickly as possible. W