The moment recognizing the delicate gold bracelet wrapped around Stephanie’s wrist, my breath caught. I knew that bracelet. It’s is my bracelet.
Life had been happy before I ended up in the hospital.
Toby and I had been married for three years, building a couple life. Most nights, he came home, barely having time to ask about my day. But I never complained.
One evening, as we sat on the couch, I pressed his hand.
“I can’t wait until we have our own place,” I said
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I just need a little more time to save up. Houses are ridiculously expensive right now.”
“But when we finally get one, I want a big kitchen. And a backyard.”
“For a dog?” he teased.
“For a baby,” I corrected with a grin.
His expression softened, and he kissed my forehead. “We’ll get there.”
When he left for a work trip that Friday, I seldomly thought twice about it. His job required travel.
However, a decision I would soon regret.
For a split second, I was weightless. Then, I smashed to the floor.
A sharp, searing pain shot through my leg. My vision blurred as I gasped for air, struggling to move. Gritting my teeth, I reached for my phone for calling 911.
Minutes later, paramedics arrived.
At the hospital, the doctor confirmed that I had broken my leg.
“You’ll need to stay for a few days,” the doctor said after wrapping my leg in a cast.
“We need to monitor the swelling before you can go home.”
As soon as he left, I grabbed my phone and called Toby.
He answered immediately. “Kate? Hey! How’s my beautiful wife doing?”
“Toby,” I whispered. “I… I broke my leg.”
“What?” “How? What happened?”
“I fell off a ladder while cleaning.”
“Jesus, Kate.” I heard rustling on the other end. “I’m coming home. I’ll cut my trip short.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Don’t argue. I should be there with you.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Okay.”
As we spoke, the door opened, and a nurse walked in.
“You must be Kate,” she said with a warm smile. “I’m Stephanie. I’ll be taking care of you while you’re here.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” she assured me. “We’ll take great care of you.”
Over time, we talked about our lives.
“So,” she asked one evening, fluffing my pillows, “do you have kids?”
“Not yet,” I admitted. “My husband and I want to buy a house first.”
“That’s smart. Kids are expensive.”
I smiled. “What about you? Are you married?”
She said: “No, but I’m seeing someone. Nothing serious yet.”
The next day, when Stephanie walked into my room, I saw something.
A bracelet.
Not just any bracelet. A delicate gold chain with a small heart charm which my grandmother had given me. The same bracelet I had lost a month ago.
“That’s a beautiful bracelet,” I said, forcing a smile. “Where did you get it?”
She smiled. “My boyfriend gave it to me.”
“That’s sweet,” I said. “When did he give it to you?”
“A month ago.”
Memories came back.
I had been getting ready for a party when I realized my bracelet was missing.
Now, as I stared at the bracelet on Stephanie’s wrist, the pieces clicked into place.
Toby had taken it and given it to her.
My heart pounded as I scrolled through my phone until I found a photo of Toby and me from our anniversary dinner. I turned the screen toward Stephanie.
“Is this your boyfriend?”
Her smile faded. “How do you know him?”
“Because that’s my husband.”
She looked at the bracelet, then back at me.
“He… He told me he was single,” she said.
“Of course, he did,” I said bitterly.
“I can’t believe I trusted him.”
“If you’re willing to help me, we can make him confess when he visits tonight,” I suggested.
That evening, Toby arrived looking frantic and exhausted.
“Kate, baby, I got here as soon as I could,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
Before I could respond, the door opened. Two police officers entered. Stephanie followed.
“What’s going on?”
Stephanie pointed at the bracelet. “She says you stole that and gave it to me.”
Toby’s brows shot up. “What?”
“Alright… I did it.”
I stared at him.
“I stole the bracelet,” he admitted.
“I took it from Kate’s jewelry box and gave it to Stephanie. I met her after an argument with Kate. It wasn’t supposed to be serious, but things happened.”
Toby tried to apologize.
“Don’t,” I said calmly. “Just leave.”
And that was the last time I saw him. Our divorce was finalized soon after.
