Chapter 2

My doubts stemmed from my own insecurity about marriage.

Being firm on living the DINK lifestyle, I’m a career-driven woman who doesn’t want kids. This was something Daniel’s family never accepted. His mother, Linda Hayes, comes from a traditional background, where passing down the family name is everything, and Daniel is the family’s only heir.

“A healthy couple with no kids? Just give me a grandchild to look after,” she once insisted.

I stood my ground, even though it nearly ended our engagement. Daniel, in a surprising move, stood up to his mom and went through with a vasectomy for my sake. He really amazed and moved me.

“Look, Mom,” he told her, “I can’t have kids anymore, so there’s no problem with marrying Rachel.”

Linda was so furious she practically collapsed on the spot, feigning a blood pressure episode, though I knew it was all for show.

We married three years ago and held to our DINK lifestyle, happily living our own lives without children. But despite my efforts to be patient and respectful, Linda never missed a chance to mock or needle me.

“A useless hen that doesn’t lay eggs!”

I endured it all, partly out of guilt toward Daniel, and kept showing respect to his parents.

That morning, after a restless night, I looked at my sleeping husband and felt a pang of guilt. He’d been nearly perfect toward me, so what was I holding onto?

When I went to work, I threw myself into my latest project. That afternoon, we split a rare emerald stone, and the first cut revealed an imperial green quality—pure and flawless.

Ecstatic, I bought a bracelet for a hefty $208,000. It was a great investment, and I thought gifting it to Linda might mend things a bit. But her reaction was only a dismissive frown.

“Ugh, what good is this thing? Can’t eat it or drink it. Give me a grandchild, and that’ll make me happy!”

I pressed my lips together, holding back any mention of the bracelet’s cost. My gesture was lost on her, but I’d tried.

To celebrate, I invited Stephanie to dinner at an exclusive members-only restaurant where the chef’s choices changed daily.

Stephanie seemed out of place. When I offered her some wine, she refused, saying she was on antibiotics and would stick to juice.

As we waited, well-dressed patrons filled in around us, making her even more uncomfortable. She fidgeted and finally excused herself to the restroom, returning with a touch of lipstick and a few extra pieces of jewelry.

“Getting dolled up just to eat?” I teased, and as she adjusted her bracelet, my eyes caught it.

An imperial green jade bracelet—the same as the one I’d given Linda. Only two of these had come from that stone, one I’d bought, and the other was sold to an executive, Mr. Chen.

“Nice bracelet you have there…not bad quality.” I commented.

Stephanie laughed, brushing it off. “Oh, please, I’d never afford the real thing. It was a gift—probably a fake.”

But I knew this bracelet well. I’d inspected it closely enough to recognize a small cotton flaw in the design.

Seeing my gaze harden, she grew visibly anxious.