My Family Gave My Dowry to a Con Man—Now Watch Them Beg

I took the first-aid kit and dipped a cotton swab in iodine, carefully treating the back of his hand where the broken glass had cut him.

That had been Emma's doing—when she'd "accidentally" shattered the cup.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"No." He caught my hand. "Don't feel sad for me."

I didn't answer, just kept my head down and continued applying the medicine.

"That jade bangle your parents gave Emma—it was Grandma's. Meant for you."

"Mm."

"On your eighteenth birthday, Grandma put it on your wrist herself. Said she wanted you to have it as part of your dowry when you married."

"Mm."

"Then your mom said it was too valuable, that she was afraid you'd lose it. She'd hold onto it for safekeeping."

"Mm."

I'd only ever talked about this once, rambling when I was drunk.

And he'd remembered every word.

My nose stung. Tears pricked at my eyes.

I blinked hard, forcing them back.

"It's just a bangle. If she wants it, let her have it."

"Eva."

Nolan said my name softly, his fingers brushing my cheek.

"You don't have to keep doing this to yourself."

"I'm not."

My voice came out steadier than I felt.

He didn't push. Instead, he pulled a small box from his pocket.

Inside was a delicate diamond brooch—a brand I'd always loved but could never justify buying.

I stared at him, stunned.

"How did you—"

He lifted the brooch and pinned it to my chest.

"Walked past the shop. Thought it suited you."

"But this is so expensive."

"I earned the money myself."

His eyes held mine, serious.

"Eva, believe me. Everything they've taken from you—I'll get it back double. Every bit of pain they've caused—I'll make them pay it back a hundredfold."

My phone rang.

Joanna.

I put it on speaker.

Her voice exploded through the line.

"Eva! Where the hell have you been! Get your ass back here now!"

"What is it?"

"What is it? Your sister's engagement invitations need to go out, and the address listed is your place! Clear your crap out of that room! Emma's moving in! Did you hear me!"

That room—my room—was the bridal suite I'd decorated with my own hands.

Our double-happiness characters were still on the wall. Mine and Nolan's names.

"That home is mine."

"Yours? What in that house is yours! I'm telling you, Eva—if your stuff isn't out by tomorrow, I'll have someone throw all your junk in the street!"

She hung up.

I gripped my phone, my whole body going cold.

Nolan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

He didn't say anything. Just rested his chin on top of my head.

The next day, I went to work.

Joanna followed through. That afternoon, the housekeeper sent me a photo.

Everything from my room—my design drafts, saved for years. My award certificates. Every little memento of me and Nolan.

All of it stuffed into black trash bags, piled by the villa entrance like actual garbage.

Madam says you have until today to collect this trash. Otherwise she's calling a garbage truck.

I stared at that photo. It felt like a fist had closed around my heart and was squeezing until I couldn't breathe.

Then Emma texted me.

A video.

In it, she twirled around my emptied room in a gorgeous princess dress. The double-happiness characters I'd cut by hand—torn down. In their place hung an enormous wedding photo of her and Nathaniel.