Clementine tugged weakly at Dominic's arm, tears falling like broken strings of pearls, pattering against the floor.
"It's alright, don't make things hard for her. Without the pendant, I'll just have trouble sleeping, that's all. Consider it my gift to her—a little something for our first meeting."
I bit down so hard I tasted blood. My vision blurred with unshed tears.
"You're claiming this belongs to you? Do I need to remind you? This was my mother's keepsake. I only sold it because I had no choice—to support Dominic's startup—"
Dominic's eyes darkened like still water. He cut me off, his voice sharp with wounded pride.
"Enough! Mildred, how many times are you going to throw your contributions in my face?"
"And what about my efforts? Without me, do you think you'd have had those good years?"
I lowered my gaze, forcing back the tears.
Good years? Three months after Dominic and I married, his company declared bankruptcy.
All I knew was that during those years, when I got sick, I didn't dare go to the hospital. I worked odd jobs around the clock. I couldn't bring myself to buy new clothes, get my hair done, or eat anything but the cheapest food.