Chapter 16: Chapter 16: This Is What You Get for Running Your Mouth
Cindy Underwood was a nervous wreck the whole way to the police station. Just before being taken in to give her statement, she grabbed a police officer’s arm in a panic and said, "Officer, you have to investigate this thoroughly! Her bracelet has to be a fake. I’m her roommate, I know for a fact she could never afford something so expensive."
Even now, Cindy Underwood refused to believe that Cecilia Sterling’s payment record was real.
The officer frowned slightly, gently removing Cindy’s hand from his arm. With a serious expression, he said, "We will naturally investigate all of that. What you need to do now is notify your family to come here. If your family isn’t local, then notify your professor."
With that, he led Cindy Underwood into an interrogation room.
Meanwhile, Cecilia Sterling was taken to the room next door by another officer. They were separated to give their statements and recount the incident in full detail.
With witnesses and security footage, Cindy Underwood didn’t dare lie, so their accounts of the events were basically identical.
As for proving the bracelet’s authenticity and value, Cecilia Sterling had plenty of ways. Not only did she have the purchase record, but she had also added the salesperson on WhatsApp. Information about the diamond bracelet, a limited edition of two thousand worldwide, could even be found online.
After verification, the police confirmed that the bracelet was a genuine Cartier.
Cindy Underwood felt her world come crashing down.
Although her family was reasonably well-off, a million dollars was no small sum for anyone. And she had to pay it to Cecilia Sterling?
Soon, Cindy Underwood’s father rushed to the police station in a panic. Not yet understanding the full situation, Mr. Underwood appeared and started shouting frantically, "Cindy! Cindy!"
"Dad!"
Cindy Underwood, who had been terrified for some time, threw herself at her father the moment she saw him and buried her head, sobbing.
Seeing this, Mr. Underwood assumed his daughter had been terribly wronged. He soothed her by patting her back while glaring at the police officer and demanding in a harsh voice, "What in the world happened? Look how scared you’ve made my daughter!"
Seeing that Mr. Underwood was also a piece of work, Estelle Goodman couldn’t help but roll her eyes to the heavens.
The officer’s expression remained unchanged. "Sir, your daughter damaged her classmate’s bracelet. The value is quite high, so we’ve asked you to come in for mediation."
Hearing this, Mr. Underwood let out a cold laugh. "It’s just a bracelet. We’ll pay for it!"
’It’s just a bracelet, isn’t it? Even if it’s gold or platinum, how expensive could it possibly be?’
He then patted his daughter’s head and said softly, "There, there, good girl, don’t cry. Daddy’s here."
"It’s best that you’re willing to compensate her. That is the other party’s only request." The officer took out the statement and photocopies of documents proving the bracelet’s value. "Compensation will be for the original purchase price, totaling 988,888 dollars."
"H-how... how much?" Mr. Underwood’s voice shot up several octaves, making Cindy Underwood, still in his arms, flinch.
"988,888 dollars," the officer repeated, enunciating every word.
Mr. Underwood stared, dumbfounded. He then grabbed his daughter, turned her to face him, and asked with wide eyes, "Cindy, a million-dollar bracelet?"
Cindy Underwood averted her gaze, not daring to look at her father’s face, and simply gave a slight nod.
"Are you out of your damn mind!" Mr. Underwood roared, his earlier gentle-father persona vanishing in an instant. "A million-dollar bracelet! How could you be so careless!"
Spittle flew from his mouth, glittering in the light!
Being yelled at so fiercely by her father, Cindy Underwood burst into even more heartbroken tears.
"Officer," Mr. Underwood ignored his daughter and turned to grasp the policeman’s hand, pleading, "can’t the bracelet be repaired? A million dollars is just too much. Please, talk to them for me. We’ll get it repaired, and I’ll even give her some extra money as compensation, how about that?"
The officer looked troubled. He had seen the damaged bracelet; it was snapped so badly, there was no way it could be properly repaired.
"The other party has stated that the only acceptable form of mediation is compensation for the original price," the officer said with a sigh. He glanced at Cindy Underwood, who was sobbing uncontrollably, before continuing, "If you refuse to compensate, your daughter will have this on her permanent record. And if the other party chooses to take legal action, you have no chance of winning, because the facts of this case are crystal clear."
The moment he heard about a permanent record, Mr. Underwood panicked.
"We’ll pay! We’ll pay!" he agreed, gritting his teeth.
With his financial means, he could certainly afford the million dollars. But to lose a million over a bracelet, with nothing to show for it... anyone would feel resentful and aggrieved.
Mr. Underwood felt a visceral pang of regret.
The transfer was completed on the spot, both parties signed the mediation agreement, and the matter was considered closed.
Cindy Underwood’s eyes were swollen from crying, but the look she shot Cecilia Sterling was still filled with malice.
If her previous antagonism toward Cecilia had been fueled by jealousy, what she felt now was pure, unadulterated hatred.
’A million dollars... How many things she loved could she have bought with that?’
As Cecilia Sterling was leaving, she paused beside Cindy, gave her an icy glance, and said in a low voice, "I warned you. From now on, when you see me, you’d better learn to keep your mouth shut. This is the price you pay for running it."
"Don’t get cocky, Cecilia Sterling! I won’t let this go!" Cindy Underwood said through gritted teeth, her voice hoarse.
Cecilia Sterling just gave a disdainful smirk and walked away without looking back.
From behind her came Mr. Underwood’s roar, "I see I’ve been spoiling you rotten! What are you still standing here for? Get your ass back to school! Starting next month, your monthly allowance is twenty cents! Let’s see you cause trouble then!"
After leaving the police station, Estelle was buzzing with excitement the entire way.
"That was so satisfying! Serves her right for bullying you before," Estelle said, genuinely thrilled for Cecilia.
But then a question belatedly occurred to her. She asked tentatively, "Cecilia, you have such a strong personality. How did you let them bully you before? Was it because there were more of them?"
Cecilia glanced at her, and Estelle quickly waved her hands. "It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. They’re bad memories, after all. It’s best to let the past be the past."
Cecilia Sterling nodded. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to say anything, but that she didn’t know how.
In her past life, she really hadn’t been assertive enough when she was young. Her current personality had been completely forged in the crucible of her professional work team.
But the most crucial factor was that she had money now. Money was the true source of her newfound confidence and backbone.
"Come with me to the Cartier boutique again. I want to buy a new bracelet," Cecilia Sterling said.
’This bracelet was a matching one with her sister. If her sister found out it broke after only one day, she would definitely be heartbroken.’
"Okay! I wanted to go look at perfumes anyway," Estelle agreed at once.
Her fondness for Cecilia no longer stemmed just from her newfound beauty; it was now mixed with a sense of protectiveness and sympathy. She was determined to become good friends with Cecilia and help her completely forget the unpleasantness of being bullied and isolated in the dorm.
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