Chapter 21
It was obvious that he wasn’t too thrilled that I had interrupted him, but since I was Innocent’s ’friend’ he had to tolerate me.
“Ah, is the necklace you are talking about that seventeenth birthday gift?” I asked quietly.
“Yes, that one. Can you imagine it was stolen? I don’t know why Valerie wouldn’t give it back to me. Mike gave it to me and it means a lot to me.” Innocent immediately jumped to say crying so much that one would think that her parents had died.
I looked at her weirdly because she had said that the necklace wasn’t her style but she couldn’t refuse Mike and gave it to me.
Yet now she was pinning a crime of theft on a completely unrelated person.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes knowing that what I was going to say next would determine my future life in the pack.
When I opened my eyes, they were resolute and filled with determination.
“Sorry to interrupt but is this the necklace you are talking about?” I pulled the necklace that was hanging on my neck from under my clothes.
Gasps filled the living room and I saw Innocent’s calm and smug facade crack for a moment.
She had probably not expected me to do that. Since she considered me her follower, she must have expected me to support her in accusing Valerie of stealing, but instead, I vindicated her.
“Isn’t this the necklace I gave to Innocent? Why is it on your neck?” Mike asked angrily.
I knew that even if I wanted to defend Valerie and befriend her, I couldn’t expose Innocent.
So, I came up with a believable story.
“I was going for a job interview a week ago and didn’t have any statement jewelry that could be used in such a formal event. So, I borrowed a necklace from Innocent and she just asked me to go to her drawer and pick one. I didn’t know that this was so important to her when I chose it. I was planning on returning it to her after I had it cleaned. I didn’t think it would cause such a misunderstanding p>
Of course, labeling this a misunderstanding was an understatement, Valerie had been accused as a thief and even hurt, but I couldn’t be so blunt about it.
I could only give everyone a way out even though it would wrong Valerie. But at least, she wouldn’t have to be branded as a thief.
I could feel several pairs of eyes drilling into me but I had to stand my ground. I took off the necklace and told Innocent I was going to clean it and return it later that day.
Of course, this was after ignoring the venomous look she was giving me that promised consequences.
Valerie’s POV
“Oh, so you took that one. I thought I had lost it.” Innocent said with a light innocent laugh as if what she had just accused me of was eating a cookie.
I was surprised that Anita had defended me instead of making matters worse. Just a few days ago she was making things difficult for me and accusing me of stealing her chips, and now she was standing up for me.
What was she up to?
Even though I was surprised, I didn’t dwell on it because now Mike and Innocent were starting another round of accusations on me.
“Why didn’t you say that you didn’t take it earlier?” Mike asked, looking at me as if I was some dumb and retarded person.
“I repeated that several times. I said I didn’t even see the necklace from the beginning, but you refused to believe me.” I shot back. Well, I was still speaking softly but everyone in that room definitely heard me.
People were starting to look away in shame since they had been mocking me and calling me names just a moment ago.
“You should have been more convincing. Who would believe what you said if you are so calm?” Mike insisted.
I started wondering whether he was the retarded one. I had clearly said it many times that I never took the necklace, yet he attacked me anyway and almost strangled me to death, yet now it had become my fault that I wasn’t convincing enough.
“Besides, Innocent was just worried about the loss of the special gift I gave her. She didn’t mean to accuse you.” That was the last straw.
I knew perfectly well that Innocent meant to accuse me and ruin my reputation completely, even though I didn’t have much of a reputation.
She had planned to hurt me the way she had scratched my face to the point of being disfigured.
I figured that all this was caused by the attention Mike had given me, yet he seemed so clueless and believed that Innocent didn’t mean any harm. How ironic!
“I repeated that I haven’t stolen anything several times but no one believed me…why are y before I could finish the sentence, Mike dismissed me.
“You can get a salve and some painkillers for the wound on your face. Innocent didn’t mean to hurt you so there is no need to exaggerate your injuries.” He added.
That was the most ridiculous thing I had heard in a long time. Innocent had disfigured me, and if I didn’t have Lizzie, I could be sure that my face would be disfigured for the rest of my life.
Yet my own mate was defending the person who hurt me and telling me to stop being dramatic.
Pain shot through my hurt as if it had been cut with a knife and salty water poured on the wound.
After knowing about Mike being my mate, I had experienced hurt several times and I had thought that by now I was hardened enough not to feel pain, but I was obviously wrong.
The pain I was experiencing was not just physical, it came straight from my soul. I grabbed the front of my chest, curling my fingers around the fabric of my still wet dress.