CHAPTER 5 — The Necklace
Police investigators eventually solved the mystery that had started everything.
The emerald necklace had never been stolen.
A catering employee discovered the velvet pouch caught behind the lining of a serving cart after the birthday dinner ended.
Security footage confirmed the necklace had slipped from the jewelry box when Evelyn displayed it to guests.
No one had taken it.
The accusation had been false from the beginning.
Evelyn sat alone in the mansion library holding the recovered necklace.
The emeralds looked exactly the same.
She did not.
For years she had judged Isabella by the clothes she wore, the handbag she carried, and the neighborhood where she grew up.
She had never asked who Isabella truly was.
When she finally called Isabella to apologize, the answer came gently.
"I appreciate your apology."
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"I hope someday you judge people by their character instead of their background."
Nothing more needed to be said.
