Chapter 143: Two Identical Rings

Lucky cries out, and rubs his head against the back of Avery's hand. The fur makes her skin itch and she smiles in spite of herself.

"Alright, I'll open it," she stays to the dog, "Just stay away from me."

Carefully she lifts the box, hoping to keep Lucky's fur off the delicate velvet. She opens the box and instantly pink light dazzles her.

"Wow, it's a ring!" Sarah exclaims.

Sarah can't help but marvel at it; she has never seen such a big diamond before. Lucky leaps in the air and scratches the carpet with his sharp claws to express his excitement. Avery purses her lips in confusion.

"What is Leonie's ring doing in this box?" Avery wonders, "Did she return it? Are there two identical rings? If there are two rings and one is for Leonie, who is the second for? Could it be for Diana's?"

Avery rereads the message inscribed on the lid of the box and feels a sinking feeling in her stomach. It's obvious that Evan wants to express his unwavering love for the recipient.

"Mrs. Howel, try it on," Sarah urges.

She thinks that the ring is a perfect match for Avery. Rationally, she has her doubts about the ring, and she knows she shouldn't be encouraging Avery to wear something that might not have been meant for her. Somehow, the ring looks as if it just needs to be on the ring finger of her left hand. Hesitantly, Avery slides the ring onto her finger. It sparkles on her hand. It seems to be made for her.

"It's so beautiful, it really suits you!" Sarah says, "Mr. Howel must want to give it to you."

Avery sighs and looks at the ring refracting light on her finger. She has to admit that it is quite beautiful—if only Leonie didn't have the same ring. Avery smooths her dress and straightened her shoulders. She places the velvet box back into the gift bag, but keeps the ring on her finger.

The sun shines on the grass, and the breeze blows gently making the pink balloons flutter and sway. A caravan of luxurious cars arrive at the estate's gates, creating a spectacular scene. The guests step out of their cars dressed in their finest suits and gowns, and strut towards the house as if they're on the red carpet. Each guest carries an ornately wrapped box or bag, and they all deposit them on a large table in the yard.

The long dining table on the lawn practically groans under the weight of all the food and drink. A small stage sits next to the house, decorated with large photos of Leonie. Pink balloons and bouquets adorn everything. Every detail seems to indicate that the Howel family favors Leonie.

"Leonie, come here," Mrs. Florence Howel calls, "This is Mrs. Powell from the Powell Group."

Mrs. Howel introduces Leonie to the influential and famous people around her. The guests smile politely as Mrs. Florence Howel flatters and praises Leonie, and then they follow her lead.

"Miss Summers you're even more beautiful and graceful in person," Mrs. Powell says, "It's no wonder so many famous people admire you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Powell," Leonie says with a charming smile, "It's too kind of you."

"We all look forward to hearing the good news about you and Evan," Mrs. Powell said with a knowing smile.

Leonie shyly lowers her head, "Evan and I are just best friends."

"Well, we all know that Evan and Avery are going to get divorced," Mrs. Powell says, "I just want you to know that we're all on your side."

"Cheers, Mrs. Powell," Leonie says sweetly.

They clink glasses. The pink diamond ring on Leonie's finger sparkles in the sunlight. The ring dazzles a group of young women and they approach Leonie with bright smiles.

"Happy birthday, Leonie," they chorus.

"Thank you," Leonie replies.

"You look beautiful today," Lisa says without taking her eyes off the ring, "It's a beautiful ring. I heard that Mr. Howel bought it for 200 million dollars. He is so affectionate to you."

Eavesdropping guests gasp at Lisa's statement and draw closer to the group.

"Really? Wow, 200 million dollars," they whisper, "Mr. Howel is so generous."

Leonie seems to glow with all the attention. She raises her hand to show off the ring.

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"Why isn't Avery here today?" someone asks, "I've heard that it's her birthday, too."

"Oh, she's not feeling well today," Leonie says, "She's resting in her room."

"She must be too embarrassed to attend the party," another guest says maliciously, "The Howel family can hardly wait to kick her out."

"If I were her, I would be so embarrassed to still live in the Howel's house," whispers a guest to her friend, "It's shameless, really."

Leonie listens carefully to the gossip and wishes they would say more. Before she can say anything to encourage them, she sees a red figure standing near the gate. The woman walks gracefully and smiles warmly at the guests around her. Leonie stops talking to Lisa and freezes on the spot.

"Why is Avery here?" Leonie wonders, "She's supposed to be tied up. Damn it! I was supposed to check on her this morning, but I let preparations for the party distract me!"

As Avery approaches, Leonie turns to look for Mrs. Florence Howel. She spots her and makes a panicked expression.

"Mrs. Howel, Avery is here," she whispers.

Mrs. Florence Howel's eyes widen with surprise.

"Didn't you say she was tied up?" Florence asks, "Don't worry. I'll ask a servant to take her away quietly."

"No, the guests are watching," Leonie whispers back.

Mrs. Howel nods thoughtfully. She knows that Avery won't let herself be taken away quietly, and since she's appeared all eyes have been on her. It's a delicate situation. As the crowd stares on in amazement, Avery saunters up to Leonie.

"You look surprised," Avery says.

Leonie glares at her and quickly begins to shed tears.

"I'm sorry, Avery," Leonie blubbers, "I know our birthday is the same day and you also wanted Mrs. Howel to have a birthday party to you. But Mrs. Howel said Evan would have a separate party for you, so she planned this one for me alone."

Though Leonie's transformation is a little unexpected, Avery looks on with a cool smile. She's curious to see what game Leonie is playing. Leonie assesses Avery's indifference and continues to cry.

"Mrs. Howel is still mad at you because you forced her to have the party for you," Leonie stage whispers, "Or have you already forgotten about that?"

Leonie reaches into her purse and pulls out a phone. She presses a button and a recording begins to play. The assembled guests can clearly hear Avery's voice asking for a birthday party. Though the recording has been heavily edited, Avery recognizes it from her conversation with them the night before.

The guests turn to each other in surprise and begin to speculate about the recording. They all want to know why Avery is so petty, why she'd force Mrs. Florence Howel to have a party for her. Leonie smiles at the crowd's reaction.

"I don't have any improper desire towards Evan," Leonie sniffles, "You don't have to be so defensive with me. Even your jewelry is the same as mine but if you mind so much, I won't wear this ring anymore."

Everyone's eyes dart between Avery and Leonie's hands. Their whispers grow louder as they realize the rings look the same.

"No, they look similar, but the color is obviously different," one voice rings out above the rest, "Miss Summers' ring is obviously a fake."

"Fake?" gasps another guest, "Didn't she say Mr. Howel gave it to her?"

"Who knows?" says another.

Avery frowns. She knows a lot about gemstones, but diamonds have never been her specialty. Without examining Leonie's ring more closely, she can't tell if it's real or not.

"Is Leonie's ring really fake?" Avery wonders, "Evan would never give anyone a fake ring. Is it possible then, that he didn't actually give it to her?"

Avery feels something like hope rising in her chest.

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