Never Forgive: His Betrayal, Her Justice

ring spectacle of excess. Champagne flowed from ice sculptures, a string quartet play

radiant in a diamond-encrusted

e a simple black dress, the high collar hiding the still-angry burns on h

er? Cornel

plain. What doe

s with Kenya Cline. They grew up together, y

Kenya to the dance floor for the first dance. He held her close, whispering in her ear, making he

sed Kenya on both cheeks. "You look stunning, my dear. A true Welch." Then her eyes

ilies of New York society. Eudora made her disapproval known in a thousand small, cruel ways, from "f

mily. Chloe was the outsider, the unwanted appendage. The pain

r room, leaning against the cool marble counter, trying to regain her

waltzed in, humming to herself.

red with you soon enough. His mother can't stand you. She told me she almos

osen gifts, the endless compliments, the biting of her tongue at every insult. It

dora thinks," Chloe s

ling of champagne. "Because she and I are going to make s

ond, a piercing scream

ra W

tandstill. Eudora was standing near the fireplace

"My necklace! The Star

was legendary, a massive sapphire surrounded by dia

ves this room," he commanded, his voice shar

eeling crep

ked idea. She pointed a perfec

saw her lurking around the fir

turned

said, her voice shaking.

with venom. "You've always been jealous of what we

ck to her poor family in whatever backwoods to

a commanded. "Searc

es pleading. "Cornell, tell the

hed, the picture of a man caught in an impossible situation. "Chloe,

his eyes, she was already guilty until proven innocent. The man who once p

ice trembling with a f

as it?" Kenya whispered, sidling up to

are you afraid of?" Eudora shrieked, h

ey were too strong. They roughly patted her down, their hands invasiv

to let them fall. She stood there, violated in front o

one of the guards s

small, bitter victory. "T

omewhere," Kenya said quic

re she had left it. Kenya, when she had come over to taunt her, had brushe

ickening certainty,

the bag. He opened the cla

re glittering malevolently under the cha

gasp went thr

was over.