He hurried toward the living room, leaving me wondering - was he really worried about my health, or was he trying to keep me from seeing Susan?

Was it because of that bracelet?

Before Mary could reach the phone, I stopped her.

"No doctor needed. I'm fine."

Unable to stay away, I followed Richard.

The scene I walked in on felt like a punch to the gut: my husband was kneeling at Susan's feet, his hands gently massaging her ankle.

"Better now?" he asked, his voice softer than I'd heard in weeks.

"Much better," Susan smiled.

"You've got magic hands."

The tender concern on Richard's face made my stomach turn.

Was I missing something? She'd been sitting perfectly fine moments ago.

Susan spotted me first, pushing Richard's hands away with practiced casualness.

"Sophia! Sorry about this - twisted my ankle earlier. Richard was just helping out."

Richard's head snapped up, a flash of something - guilt? - crossing his face before he recovered.

"Don't get the wrong idea. She hurt her foot."

"Wrong idea?" I forced a laugh.

"Why would I? She's your stepsister, isn't she?"

Richard's face tightened.

"Susan, you need to be more careful. How do you even manage to twist your ankle just walking?"

"Won't happen again," Susan mumbled, looking down with an expression that seemed more sulky than sorry.

"Always so careless," Richard sighed, giving her an indulgent look before coming to take my hand.

"You should be resting."

I pulled away, my skin crawling.

"I'm fine. Susan rarely visits." I turned to her, my voice honey-sweet.

"That's quite a bracelet. The pink diamond that made the news - two million dollars, wasn't it?"

Richard stiffened, but Susan cut him off.

"Oh, this?" She smiled, unfastening it.

"Richard bought it. It was meant for you, Sophia."

She held it out, the diamonds catching the light.

"I shouldn't have accepted such an expensive gift. Since you like it, you should have it."

Her smile was perfect, but her eyes... her eyes held something else.

Victory? Mockery?

The irony was suffocating.

My husband had given another woman the very gift I'd dreamed of.

Now she was returning it like it meant nothing.

Maybe it did mean nothing - maybe he'd given her so many other gifts that this one was insignificant.

"Let me put it on you," Richard said softly, reaching for my wrist.

I jerked away. "Don't bother."

I fled upstairs, but Richard caught me at our bedroom door, pinning me against the wall.

"Are you upset?"

"Shouldn't I be?" I laughed, the sound brittle.

"You've been lying to me, Richard. You bought that bracelet - for her."

My voice broke. "What am I to you? Really?"