<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But Grandma died when I was about ten.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her death was quick.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the hospital, she gave me this pair of emerald bracelets.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had looked at me on the hospital bed, reluctant to part with me. She said, “Aria, I don’t have much to give you. I’ve been wearing these bracelets ever since was young. When you find someone you like, treat these bracelets as your wedding gift.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I was choking with sobs.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On top of me, Elijah said, “Ariana, don’t leave. We’ll be okay.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I pped him hard and red at him. “We’ll never be okay! You tore Grandma’s photograph!” Trembling, I picked up the photograph as my tears continued to fall.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At that moment, the door opened, and Jocelyn looked at us on the bed in shock.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her expression shifted. “Elijah, what are you doing?”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I took that chance to grab the bracelets from Elijah’s hand.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I was about to run outside, but Jocelyn blocked me. “You’re not allowed to leave.” She stared at the bracelets in my hand in suspicion..</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I noticed the greed in her eyes and instinctively hid the bracelets behind me. My eyes were blood–red as ! growled, “Get out of my way.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Perhaps Jocelyn was riled up because she dropped all pretense at that moment. She reached out to grab</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">what was mine.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, I snapped and tried to hit her.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She shoved me. “That is not yours.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In a fury, I bit down on her wrist, and Jocelyn let go in a pained yelp.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the next moment, my face was pped with a loud smack“.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jocelyn became sober andunched herself into Elijah’s arms. She tearfullyined, “She bit me. Elijah, I was just trying to get back what was yours.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">My face quickly became red and swollen, and I could taste rust in my mouth.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I red daggers at Elijah, who was looking down at me “You hit me…”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Elijah stared at his palm. Suddenly, he coldly said, “Ariana, apologize.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Apologize?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and looked at him with derision. “These bracelets are my grandma’s! Who does Jocelyn think she is? How dare she try to snatch them from me.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said dispassionately, “You hurt Jocelyn, so you need to apologize.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I spat out a glob of bloody saliva.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jocelyn shrieked. I’d aimed the spit at her.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Elijah’s expression shifted, and he raised his hand again.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, I simply looked at him coldly as if he was my sworn enemy.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Reason overruled impulse, and he put his hand down and said, “You want to leave, right?” His voice suddenly became vile. “Ariana, if you want to leave here today, leave on your knees.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">While protecting Jocelyn, he blocked the bedroom door</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, Jocelyn nestled in his arms and sneered at me. She must have felt ted that Elijah was humiliating me like this..</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I said, “No. I’d rather die.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Elijah grinned. “Fine.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He then snatched a bracelet from my hand and threw it onto the ground.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Instantly, the bracelet broke into pieces.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I wanted to scream, but my voice wouldn’te out.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Shattered.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It shattered… Grandma’s bracelet.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I fell to my knees with a “thud“.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">My hands shook as I touched the emerald fragments.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was gone. The memento Grandma left me.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No. I still had one.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I snapped out of my daze, yet Elijah had already snatched another bracelet.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He held up the other bracelet. His expression was frighteningly cold. “Apologize, then crawl out. I’ll let you leave then.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I went berserk. “Elijah, do you even have a heart?”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Elijah seemed crazed as well. His expression was terribly unfamiliar.</font></font>Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.