They Forced Me to Return the Heirloom Diamond—But My Wedding Ring Cost Only $9.99 Chapter 03
Margaret was left speechless.
Ivy quickly explained, “Auntie, things were really chaotic backstage. Ethan had too much to drink, and the emcee was rushing us. I just held the ring for a minute. Then… then everyone wanted to take pictures, so I put it on to try it.”
Ethan’s gaze finally shifted from the photo to her face.
“You tried it on and posted it on social media?”
Ivy’s expression stiffened.
“I was young. I thought the ring was pretty and posted it without thinking. I didn’t know Tessa never got it.”
“You didn’t know?”
I picked up the plain ring from the table and spun it in my palm.
“Miss Ross, you sent me a photo the day after the wedding.”
Ivy froze.
I turned my phone back on and opened the chat log I hadn’t touched in two years.
Ivy’s profile picture was a gardenia flower.
The photo she sent me back then was the wedding ring — but the background had been changed to a jewelry box.
She had written: Tessa, the ring is too valuable. I’ll hold onto it for you so you don’t lose it.
At that time, I was newly married, not yet settled, and didn’t have the confidence to fight her on it.
I replied: Please give it to Ethan.
Ivy never answered.
Ethan stared at the message, his face ice cold.
He looked up at her.
“What’s your explanation for this?”
Tears welled up in Ivy’s eyes instantly.
“I really didn’t mean anything by it. I thought you’d tell Tessa. I was just afraid something so expensive might get lost. Then you got busy with work, and I forgot all about it.”
She cried softly, her shoulders trembling.
It was a smart way to cry — not loud, not dramatic, just innocent enough to make people hesitate.
Margaret looked uncertain. “Ethan, you really were busy back then. Ivy grew up with you. She probably didn’t do it on purpose…”
“Mom.”
Ethan cut her off.
Margaret stopped.
His eyes stayed on the photo.
“Did I put the ring on Tessa’s finger at our wedding?”
Margaret was stumped. “You’d had a few drinks. The emcee said the ceremony was over. How am I supposed to remember every detail?”
“Then who remembers?”
He looked at the relatives on the other side of the long table.
Aunt May immediately looked down and sipped her tea.
Uncle Robert pretended to check his phone.
The Hart family finally went quiet.
Earlier, they had told me to be dignified, forced me to take off a ring, asked if I was worthy.
Now that the truth was coming out, no one wanted to say another word.
Ethan’s fingers pressed against the table.
Suddenly he looked at me.
“Tessa, is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
I thought for a moment.
“Yes.”
I took the small velvet pouch out of my bag.
The night market vendor had given it to me.
Inside was the receipt from back then — the paper had yellowed, and the edges were crumpled.
Ethan’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly when he saw it.
I unfolded the receipt.
“Three days after the wedding, I went to the night market and bought this ring.”
The date on the receipt was clear.
Price: $9.99.
Payment: cash.
In the notes section, the vendor had handwritten: For the newlywed girl. May her heart be at peace.
Ethan picked up the receipt.
He stared at that line, his thumb resting on the words “newlywed girl,” and didn’t move for a long time.
I pulled up another set of photos on my phone.
At the charity gala two years ago, I wore a black evening gown and that plain ring, standing next to Ethan.
At the old man’s birthday banquet last year, I served tea to the elders — still wearing that plain band.
At Ivy’s welcome-home dinner earlier this year, Ivy sat to Ethan’s right, and I sat to his left. When we raised our glasses, the camera caught my hand.
That $9.99 ring looked cheap and shabby among all the diamonds.
But for two years, no one looked down.
“I didn’t just bring this up today to start trouble.”
I looked at Ethan.
“Mr. Hart, you just happened to ask me today.”
Ethan’s Adam’s apple moved.
Margaret’s face was sour.
She wanted to say something, but in the end, she just frowned at Ivy.
Ivy cried harder.
“Tessa, why didn’t you say something sooner? If you’d told me earlier, I definitely would have given the ring back. Now you’re bringing it up out of nowhere, and everyone’s going to misunderstand me.”
I nodded.
“Then give it back to me now.”
Ivy’s sobbing paused for half a beat.
Everyone turned to look at her again.
I held out my hand.
“Miss Ross, since you were just holding onto it for me, the real owner is right here.”
Her face drained of color, inch by inch.
“The ring… I don’t have it with me.”
Ethan’s eyes went completely dark.
“Where is it?”
Ivy clenched her phone. Her fingertips were white.
“At my house.”
“Liam.”
Ethan called coldly.
His assistant, who had been standing outside the door, stepped in immediately.
“Mr. Hart.”
“Go to the Ross house and get it.”
Ivy’s head shot up.
“Ethan!”
Ethan didn’t look at her.
“Now.”
Liam nodded and turned to leave.
Ivy shot to her feet in a panic. Tears hung on her face, and her voice cracked.
“You don’t trust me at all? We’ve known each other for over twenty years, and because of this misunderstanding, you send someone to go through my things in front of all the elders?”
Ethan looked at her.
“I didn’t tell him to go through anything.”
He paused.
“I told him to get it back.”
Ivy looked hurt by those words. She swayed and sat back down, about to collapse.
Margaret couldn’t sit still either.
“Ethan, we have guests in the house today. It won’t look good if this blows up.”
Ethan tucked the night market receipt into his inner suit pocket.
He moved slowly, as if afraid of wrinkling it.
“It already doesn’t look good.”
He turned to me.
“Do you still have the wedding video?”
I smiled.
“You’re asking me, Mr. Hart?”
A flicker of stiffness crossed his eyes.
I put my phone away.
“All the wedding materials are at the Hart house. My copy of the photo album — your mother said it took up too much space last year and had the maid move it to the basement.”
Ethan was silent for two seconds.
“Liam.”
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
“Get all the footage from the wedding day. The hotel, the photography team, backstage, the ceremony — everything.”
I don’t know what was said on the other end.
Ethan’s face got colder and colder.
Finally, he hung up.
Margaret couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong?”
Ethan looked up, scanning the long table.
“The hotel’s original surveillance footage still exists.”
Ivy’s fingers twitched.
He continued, “But the ten minutes around the ring exchange were cut out.”
After those ten minutes were cut, the air in the Hart family’s old mansion changed completely.
Things that could have been brushed off as “misunderstandings,” “being busy,” or “forgetting” suddenly felt different.
Ivy looked down, clutching a tissue, tears falling one after another.
Margaret sat beside her, wanting to comfort her but not quite daring to reach out.
Ethan stood by the window on the phone.
His back was to everyone, his voice very low.
“Where’s the head of the photography team?”
“Find him.”
“Backups.”
“Don’t tell me there aren’t any. All the footage from the Hart wedding was duplicated and saved.”
He paused for a few seconds, his knuckles white against the phone, his voice turning completely cold.
“If you can’t find the person, follow the money.”
He hung up and turned around.
I was about to pick up my bag and leave.
He walked over quickly and blocked my way.
“Where are you going?”
“To the wedding house to pack my things.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“No need.”
Ethan frowned.
I stepped around him.
He reached out as if to grab me, but stopped before his hand touched my wrist.
This was probably the first time in two years he realized he needed to hesitate before touching me.
Before, all he had to do was frown, and I would step aside automatically.
Today I didn’t.
His hand hovered in midair, then slowly lowered.
“Tessa. Give me some time.”
I looked back at him.
“Mr. Hart, two years is long enough.”
His eyes visibly flinched.
