Bankrupt Tycoon? No Problem – This Villainess Will Make Him Rich Again

Chapter 156: Chapter 159: Supplementing Sonia Quincy’s Dowry

The Golden Bracelet was neither too thick nor too thin, just a moderate, versatile width. The design was also simple; only the outer surface was carved with a few elegant peonies, while the rest was a traditional plain band.

The bracelet must have been put away for some years; Sonia Quincy could see a fine layer of dust coating it with just a glance.

"Mom, this is..." She held the jewelry box, looking at Mrs. Preston in confusion.

Ever since Sonia had walked in, Mrs. Preston had worn a kind, gentle smile. Now, seeing the question in Sonia’s eyes, she took a couple of steps forward, took the jewelry box back from her, and removed the Golden Bracelet.

"Sonia, this Gold Bracelet was part of the dowry my family gave me when I married Felix’s father. I love it, but in all these years, I’ve never had the heart to take it out and wear it."

Sonia could tell Mrs. Preston had something important to say, so her eyes widened slightly as she prepared to listen intently.

But Mrs. Preston simply took her hand and led her to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I couldn’t manage things well. I spent the rest of my dowry before long. Now, only this bracelet is left."

"Spent it all..." Sonia mulled over those three words, a guess forming in her heart. "You had to spend it to raise Felix and Lynn, didn’t you?"

"Yes," Mrs. Preston said with a wry smile. "But that’s not the whole story."

"Hmm?" Sonia didn’t understand.

Mrs. Preston patted her hand. A hint of exhaustion surfaced in her eyes, which, despite her age, were still bright.

"Felix’s father was no good. We were married for nine years, and for nine years he gambled behind my back. By the time I finally found out, he was already drowning in debt."

"Debt collectors were at our door every other day. I couldn’t go to work, and Felix couldn’t go to school. Felix had always been an excellent student, and I couldn’t bear to see his father ruin his future. So, I had to take out all my hidden valuables. I sold what I could and pawned the rest just to pay off a portion of his father’s debt."

"Later, his father had an affair. He became obsessed with some woman and took everything we owned when we divorced. I was left alone with two children, struggling to even make ends meet. I had no choice but to sell the rest of my dowry for cash. That was the only way the three of us managed to scrape by during those hard times."

As she spoke, Mrs. Preston couldn’t help the sting she felt in her nose, and her eyes immediately began to redden.

"I kept this Gold Bracelet as a memento, and also as a safety net in case I ever hit rock bottom again. I couldn’t bring myself to wear it, nor could I bring myself to sell it. I never thought I’d end up keeping it for twenty years."

Mrs. Preston recounted this past matter-of-factly, as if with the passage of time, these events had become a story about someone else entirely.

But Sonia knew she was only so calm because her heart had long ago been wounded into numbness.

She squeezed Mrs. Preston’s hand tightly in return, her heart aching as she looked at the wrinkled face before her.

"Mom, you’ve been through so much," she said, her sincere words feeling utterly inadequate.

Mrs. Preston smiled and shook her head, her expression and gaze both revealing a detached acceptance.

"However hard it was, it’s all in the past. From now on, our family will only have good days ahead."

"Yes!" Sonia nodded emphatically.

Mrs. Preston pulled a tissue from a box in the nightstand drawer and meticulously wiped the dust from the Gold Bracelet. Then, before Sonia could react, she slipped it onto her wrist.

"...Mom!" Sonia started, instinctively trying to take the bracelet off.

As if she had expected it, Mrs. Preston pressed her hand over the Gold Bracelet just as Sonia moved to remove it, stopping her.

"Sonia," she said, looking into Sonia’s eyes with a serious, solemn expression. "When you married into the Preston Family, your own family didn’t give you a dowry. I never said anything, but my heart ached for you."

"You used to have a difficult temper, it’s true, but you were still a new bride. It’s not right for a young woman to have no dowry to her name. So, after thinking it over carefully, I decided I must give this bracelet to you."

Sonia was overwhelmed and flustered. "Mom, this is the last piece of your dowry. I can’t possibly take it."

"You must take it." Mrs. Preston’s brow was tightly furrowed, her expression stern. "I’ve wanted to give this to you for a long time, but you were always talking about divorcing Felix. I wasn’t sure how long you would stay with him, so I never had the courage to offer it."

"But now, seeing how good your relationship with Felix is, and with you about to have his child, I finally believe you’re truly willing to build a home with him. That’s what gave me the courage to bring this out."

"Sonia, think of this bracelet as my gift to you—the dowry you should have had. Please, accept it and wear it. When I have money again someday, I’ll get you an even better one."

"...Mom." Sonia was rendered speechless.

’This bracelet was the last thing of any real value Mrs. Preston had. During the years Felix Preston had been successful, Mrs. Preston had bought plenty of luxuries and jewelry. But when the Preston Group went bankrupt, she sold it all long ago.’

’After everything, she was once again left with only this Gold Bracelet.’

’The bracelet meant the world to her—she’d kept it for over twenty years without ever wearing it, yet now she had given it to Sonia without a second thought.’

’But that wasn’t what moved Sonia the most. It was Mrs. Preston’s reason for giving her the bracelet.’

’Mrs. Preston wasn’t giving her the bracelet as a reward for her pregnancy. She was giving it because she was finally certain that Sonia truly wanted to stay by Felix Preston’s side, presenting it as the dowry Sonia never had.’

’This bracelet was Sonia’s dowry, not a prize for having a baby.’

’In doing this, Mrs. Preston had both respected Sonia as an individual and healed a regret Sonia had long carried in her heart.’

’Sonia was certain that no one in her position could have failed to be moved by Mrs. Preston’s heartfelt sincerity.’

’Under these circumstances, for Sonia to utter another word of refusal would be to trample on that sincerity.’

She lowered her head, lightly tracing the carved flowers on the bracelet with her fingers. Fighting back the lump in her throat, she said to Mrs. Preston, "Thank you, Mom. I’ll treasure this bracelet."

"Good." Mrs. Preston let out a breath of relief. Her gaze toward Sonia was filled with nothing but tenderness and gratification.

"Oh, Sonia, the Preston Family is in your debt now. When Felix gets back on his feet, I’ll make sure he properly makes it up to you."

"Okay." Sonia blinked, but a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

’The love and importance Mrs. Preston was giving her now was something her own parents could never provide.’

’She had grown up in an extremely cold and calculating family. The love that other children received so easily was something she couldn’t have even dreamed of in her previous life.’

’But thankfully, fate had given her a chance to start over. She had met Felix Preston and Mrs. Preston. The things she had prayed for in her past life but never received, she was slowly gaining in this one.’

"Thank you, Mom," she said again, gripping Mrs. Preston’s hand with heartfelt solemnity.