"But she just slapped me across the face. And she destroyed my dowry." I looked between them, steady and unhurried. "So don't you think you owe me an apology? And compensation of your own?"
Hester let out a derisive laugh and cast a contemptuous glance at the shattered pieces on the floor.
"That slap was a privilege. You should be grateful I even bothered."
"And this junk of yours? What's it even worth? Don't tell me you're trying to shake us down over a pile of scrap."
My gaze turned cold. I spoke slowly, deliberately, enunciating every word.
"Scrap? Secretary Pruitt, your ignorance is showing."
"Every piece in my dowry is a genuine artifact, centuries old, some dating back over a thousand years. Each one is a priceless treasure beyond anything money can buy."
"What you just destroyed was a Song Dynasty celadon vase and a white jade bracelet. If you don't believe me, by all means, bring in an appraiser."
The room erupted into murmurs all over again.
Hester didn't buy a word of it. She sneered.
"I don't care what kind of vase it was. Someone like you owning Song Dynasty relics? Please."
Just then, my phone rang. It was my parents.