The moment I noticed the delicate gold bracelet on Nurse Stephanie’s wrist, my heart skipped. It wasn’t just similar to my grandmother’s bracelet — it was hers, engraved with a tiny smiley face. I had searched everywhere before accepting it was gone. Seeing it again under the hospital lights felt unreal.
When I asked about it, Stephanie said her boyfriend had given it to her about a month earlier — the same time my bracelet disappeared. While I was recovering in the hospital with a broken leg, we had grown friendly. She often spoke fondly of her boyfriend. But when I showed her a photo of my husband, Toby, her face went pale.
The truth unraveled quickly. Toby had taken the bracelet and given it to her. Stephanie immediately returned it and stood by me as I confronted him. That night, his lies and betrayal came out in full.
I didn’t press charges, but I did choose myself. The marriage ended soon after. Today, the bracelet is back on my wrist — a reminder not just of my grandmother, but of the strength it took to walk away.