A Pendant Built on Lies

Theodore clapped once.

Moments later, a servant appeared, holding a velvet jewelry box. Inside, an emerald pendant rested against black satin, shimmering softly beneath the lamplight.

"Amanda," Theodore said, lifting it from the box, "I had this made for you. There's only one in the world. It's perfect for you."

His gaze lingered, wrapping me in warmth and tenderness.

"Tomorrow's your birthday. Let's spend the day at the lake with Noah and see the flowers."

His voice was low and gentle, almost like a caress against my skin.

I stared at the pendant in his hand.

Even with my limited knowledge of jewelry, I could tell it was valuable. The emerald was vivid, and the craftsmanship was exquisite.

I looked up at him. "Does anyone else have one like this?"

He did not even hesitate.

"Of course not," he replied with a smile. "I picked it out for you. It's one of a kind."

That was a lie.

I had already seen that same pendant on Ruby Sinclair.

A sharp twist gripped my chest, slowly melting into a heavy, lingering ache.

Theodore moved closer and fastened the necklace around my neck, his touch gentle and deliberate.

When I met his eyes, for a fleeting moment, I felt like the only person in his world.

I almost believed it.

By the time I came back to myself, he was already tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his touch as gentle as ever.

He was still tender, still close, still soft in all the ways that had once mattered most.

So why did he suddenly feel so unfamiliar, like a stranger in his own skin?

…

Six years ago, Theodore was still young—the admired eldest son of the Calloway family, born into privilege and raised with expectations so heavy they would shape the rest of his life.

He'd received an offer from one of the best universities in the world. His family had expected him to go abroad, build an impressive future, and come back with even more to his name.

Then, he met me.

I was an orphan, rootless, with no family, no history, and nothing that made me worthy in anyone's eyes.

His family opposed us from the beginning. They looked down on me, looked through me, and made it clear I would never be enough, but I refused to disappear.

I would not become just another woman forced to share her husband and call it love.

And for me, Theodore gave it all up.

He stayed.

He gave up the life his family had planned for him and married me instead.

To everyone else, Theodore was cold, distant, and unreadable.

However, I had come to know another side of him.

I knew the man who sulked for my attention, laughed with his head on my shoulder, and held me close while whispering love until I believed nothing could ever break us.

I looked at him now and saw the affection still shining in his eyes. For one heartbeat, it almost seemed as if nothing had changed.

But there was something else, faint and unnameable, like a hairline crack beneath flawless glass.

Theodore wrapped his hand around mine. "Amanda? What's wrong?"

I came back to myself and shook my head. "Nothing. Let's just go."

In five days, I would be gone.

Maybe this trip was my silent farewell.

After all, I had spent six years loving him.

…

The next morning, breakfast was already waiting for me downstairs.

I was still recovering, and my body hadn't fully regained its strength. Just sitting upright for too long made me tired.

We hadn't been in the car very long before Noah started whining in the back seat.

"Daddy, can we bring Ms. Sinclair, too?" he asked. "She said she'd finish the story she was telling me and promised me a new toy. It's boring when it's just Mommy. She never does anything fun."

The air in the car changed instantly.

Theodore's expression darkened.

"Noah." His voice turned sharp enough to make the boy freeze. "That's enough. Today is family time. Don't be rude."

Noah seemed to realize too late that he'd said the wrong thing. He turned to look at me, suddenly cautious.

"Mommy… I'm sorry."

I didn't answer.

I just turned toward the window and watched the scenery blur past.

He Let Go of Me First

From Noah's tone, it was clear they had met many times before.

But strangely, my heart didn't ache the way it usually did. I felt calm.

Theodore took my hand and whispered, "Noah's still young. Don't overthink it, okay?"

I gently withdrew my hand from his grasp.

The pain inside me grew sharper, each movement sending a jolt through my bones as if invisible hammers pounded relentlessly.

"I know," I replied quietly.

It had rained heavily the day before, and the road leading to the lake had been washed out. We had no choice but to get out and walk.

Noticing how weak I was, Theodore instinctively reached for me, his hand hovering with concern.

Then, a panicked scream tore through the air.

"Get away from me! All of you, get away!"

I looked up.

Ruby was surrounded by several men, her face streaked with tears. The moment she saw us, she cried out, "Help me! Theodore, help me!"

Her voice trembled violently, and her terror was impossible to ignore.

Without hesitation, Theodore let go of me and rushed toward her. "Don't be scared!" he shouted. "I'm here!"

Weakened by pain, I stumbled the moment he let go, crashing hard onto the unforgiving ground.

Jagged gravel bit into my side, tearing my skin and sending a white-hot burst of pain through me. Warm blood spilled quickly, gritty with embedded stones.

Though I had grown accustomed to pain after so many punishments, a muffled gasp still escaped my lips.

When I looked up, my husband was already holding Ruby, his face tight with panic.

Clenching my jaw, I forced myself upright, refusing to stay down.

Ruby was crying, her voice soft and trembling. "I thought I'd never see you again, Theodore."

Before she could finish, her body went limp.

Theodore's eyes reddened as he scooped her into his arms and rushed her back toward the car. Noah burst into tears too and ran after them on his short little legs.

"Hurry! Take us to the hospital! Ms. Sinclair fainted!"

The driver looked at me, bloody and alone, as if he wanted to say something.

Yet, Theodore's furious voice came from the car first. "What are you waiting for? Move!"

The engine roared to life, and the car sped away.

I stood there in a daze.

From beginning to end, not one of them looked back at me.

Blood soaked through my dress, and pain pressed into every nerve until even breathing became difficult.

Still, I remained silent.

I only stood there and watched them disappear.

With their departure, it felt as if another fragment of my memory slipped away too.

"It's alright," I murmured to myself. "I'll be leaving soon anyway."

Glancing at the blood trickling from my wound, I ripped a strip from my dress lining and pressed it firmly to stem the flow.

Limping and half-dazed by pain, I began the long walk home from the mountain.

Hours slipped by as I trudged onward.

…

When I finally reached the city outskirts, Theodore finally sped toward me in his car, looking panicked.

"Ruby fainted," he explained the moment he got out. "In that situation, I had no choice."

He hurried over to me, his voice tight with urgency. "Amanda, I panicked."

The guilt and worry on his face looked real enough. When he grabbed my hand, his fingers were trembling.

I only looked at him quietly.

Then, with some effort, I pulled my hand free and asked, "When are we getting divorced?"

Theodore froze. "Divorced?" he repeated. "When did we ever say anything about divorce?"

He stared at me, stunned. "Amanda, what's wrong with you? Why are you saying things like that?"

He stepped toward me, reaching out as if to touch my forehead.

Then, he finally saw the blood, the tear in my dress, and the wound I had been carrying all along.

It Was Only a Parrot

"What happened to you?" Theodore's expression changed the moment he saw the blood. "Come on, we need to get that treated before it gets infected."

I instinctively stepped away. The distance between us suddenly felt like a chasm.

My voice was quiet, but there was no room for argument. "If we don't get divorced, what about Ruby?"

Theodore looked at me, confused. "Amanda, I've only ever treated Ruby like a sister. You know that. She's had a hard life in the Sinclair family. We've been married this long. Don't you know how well I've treated you? How could I possibly change because of another woman?"

I repeated the words silently to myself. 'Like a sister?'

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Whatever Ruby wanted, Theodore never refused. He stood by her every time, even encouraging Noah to grow close to her.

I thought, 'Why can't you just admit you've changed, Theodore?'

He didn't say anything else.

Instead, he called for the doctor to help me inside, then got back in the car and left.

…

As the engine's hum faded into silence, an emptiness spread through me, echoing louder than any goodbye.

My memories had mostly slipped away, but the ache in my body only sharpened, as if pain was all I had left.

I staggered forward, each step threatening to send me crashing to the floor.

Polly saw me and hurried over to support me. "Mrs. Calloway, you need to be careful. You've grown so thin these past few days."

She looked me over anxiously. "Should I call the doctor back?"

I shook my head. I had no one to blame but myself.

It was my choice to remain, all for the sake of love, so perhaps it was fitting that love would be the end of me too.

…

After my wound was cleaned and bandaged, I took the medicine they brought me and drifted into a hazy sleep.

I had no sense of time when the sudden shouting outside my door jolted me awake.

I barely reached the door before it flew open with a crash.

Ruby came rushing in, clutching a bloodied parrot in her arms.

The sight of those familiar blue feathers emptied my mind in an instant.

"Mrs. Calloway, I'm sorry," Ruby cried. "I was just playing with Noah when it suddenly flew at me. It scratched me and tried to peck me. I panicked and swung at it."

Her voice broke as tears spilled down her face.

"It hit a rock in the garden. There was something sharp there, and…" She sobbed harder. "I didn't mean to. I really didn't."

Then, she dropped to her knees in front of me. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Calloway. I'll accept whatever punishment you think is fair."

A second later, Noah came running in after her.

"Mommy, Ms. Sinclair didn't mean it!" he cried. "Please don't punish her!"

I stood frozen, unable to look away from the small, lifeless form cradled in Ruby's arms.

Bluebell, my beloved parrot, lay motionless and streaked with blood.

She was the little bird I had rescued—bright, lively, always clinging to me. In her own fierce way, she had guarded our home, mimicking voices and calling my name whenever I returned.

She had been Noah's favorite, too.

She had been the spark of laughter in our home.

My hands shook as I gently lifted her limp body from Ruby's grasp.

"Noah?" I asked softly, "Wasn't Bluebell your friend too?"

Noah's eyes filled with tears, but he could not say a word.

For a split second, something cold and bitter flashed through Ruby's expression.

Then, her face contorted, and her voice rose sharply. "If this bird's life truly matters that much, then fine—I'll trade mine for it!"

Before anyone could stop her, she threw herself sideways into the wooden armchair beside me.

The impact knocked me off balance, too.

Ruby collapsed to the floor unconscious, and the room erupted into chaos as the servants rushed forward to lift her up.

…

By the time Theodore got back, the entire house was in an uproar.

His face was icy as he ordered the servants to carry Ruby away. Noah followed behind them, sniffling hard.

Then, Theodore strode toward me, each step clipped and sharp against the floor. "It was only a parrot," he snapped. "Did you really expect Ruby to pay for it with her life?"