I Slept with My Boss and Ran Away

Mrs. Via did not ask, “How do you have this pocket watch?” or “Did you steal this pocket watch?” Instead, she asked, “How do you have this photo?” These three questions have entirely different meanings. Mrs. Via’s focus was on the photo.

Before Meredith could speak, Mina interjected, “Mother, this woman stole my pocket watch and swapped the photo. She thought she could get away with it.” Mina kept insisting that Meredith had stolen the pocket watch, deliberately excluding Terrence Sterling from suspicion. Her feelings towards him made her dismiss any possibility of his involvement. Mina’s words were also meant to curry favor with Terrence Sterling, as if to say, “See, I’m only accusing your wife, not you. I’m helping you judge her character.”

Mrs. Via scrutinized Meredith. She appeared to be in her early twenties-too young to have known her brother twenty years ago. “This pocket watch is not yours; she couldn’t have swapped the photo,” Mrs. Via said to her daughter before turning to Meredith. “Where did you get this photo? Who is the woman in it?”

Via did not recognize a young Bianca and didn’t know the woman in the photo was Bianca.

“Do you know the person in the photo?” Meredith noticed Mrs. Via’s odd reaction and said, “The people in this photo are my…” parents.

Before she could finish, Mina rudely interrupted with a sharp voice, “Mother, how can this not be my pocket watch? Look closely; it’s the one you gave me.”

Mina couldn’t understand why her mother was siding with an outsider.

“Via, Mina,” Lady Catherine and Darcy DuMont arrived together. After finishing his business, Darcy DuMont wanted to meet Meredith and Terrence Sterling and invite Terrence for a game of bowling. Learning they were dining at the restaurant, they decided to join them.

Meredith and Terrence Sterling turned to see the newcomers. Mina spoke first, “You’re just in time. My mother must be crazy; she doesn’t recognize my pocket watch. This woman stole it and won’t admit it. I don’t know who invited them here; it’s terrible. Such people don’t deserve to attend a royal wedding.”

Darcy DuMont glanced at Meredith and then said to Mina, “I personally invited them; they are my honored guests. Mina, you claim my guest took your pocket watch? Let me see which one.”

Hearing the words “honored guests,” Mina was stunned. Even national leaders might not merit such a title from her uncle. How could these two be personally invited by him?

Catherine had already noticed the pocket watch in Terrence Sterling’s hand-a precious item she had once desired but Darcy DuMont had refused to give her. The photo inside was of a young Darcy DuMont and Bianca.

Catherine grew tense immediately.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Mrs. Via said, “This is indeed the pocket watch, but the photo…”

“I think this is just a misunderstanding,” Catherine interrupted Via calmly, blocking the view of the pocket watch with her body and taking it from Terrence Sterling to hand it back to Meredith. “Meredith, put away the pocket watch. Mina, these are your uncle’s guests; how can you be so rude?”

With the pocket watch put away, Darcy DuMont didn’t see it.

Catherine’s actions made Terrence Sterling more thoughtful.

“Aunt…” Mina protested in confusion. She didn’t remember what her uncle looked like when he was young; to her, that pocket watch was hers.

At that moment, a waiter approached with another pocket watch in hand. “Miss Mina, I found your pocket watch on the floor of the restroom.”

Mina wasn’t delighted but puzzled when she saw it.

How could there be two identical watches when there were only supposed to be two in existence? And one was with Meredith?

Mina took the watch from the waiter and confirmed it was hers. The truth was now clear, exonerating Meredith.

Meredith said, “Miss Mina, am I cleared of suspicion now? Shouldn’t you fulfill your promise?”

Mrs. Via asked, “What promise?”

Mina felt embarrassed as both Darcy DuMont and Catherine looked at her.

Terrence Sterling spoke up: “Miss Mina insisted on searching my wife’s bag earlier and promised that if she was wrong about my wife, she would apologize by cutting off one of her fingers.”

Terrence Sterling wasn’t going to let this go easily; he intended to hold her accountable.