The Day I Kissed An Older Man by Cher the Cherished

Tears streamed down Karen's face as she glanced at Rita. Her voice trembled with emotion as she asked, "Why would you do
this, Rita? This bangle might not hold much value to you, but it's the last memento I have of my mother. I'm sorry if I have done
anything wrong to you in the past, but this bangle is precious to me. You can't use that to play one of your jokes on me. Please
give it back."
Before Rita could firmly grasp what was happening, her grip tightened around the champagne flute. She offered a shocked
smile. "What are you talking about? What bangle are you referring to? I didn't see any bangle."
Sadie added fuel to the fire. "Did you do it because I offended you? If I have, then I apologize too. This bangle is very important
to my mother. Return it right now. We're family, and we should resolve any differences between us through discussion, not this
sick practical joke."
Had it not been for the presence of so many guests, Rita would have erupted in anger. Sadie's statements contradicted their
actions, and it seemed that she and Karen were putting on an elaborate performance to besmirch her reputation.
"That's enough. Rita wouldn't do such a thing. There has to be some misunderstanding here." Vince's voice softened, and he
instinctively reached out to comfort Karen when he saw her crying.
"I'm not making accusations out of thin air. The surveillance footage speaks for itself. I don't know what happened between me
and your daughter, but please help us resolve this quickly. This bangle means a lot to me!" Karen pleaded.
Gina was not happy with the
development. She crossed her arms
and asked coldly, "Rita's not that petty. Besides, are we supposed to treat that surveillance as evidence that cannot be
questioned? Who's to say that it hadn't been tampered with?"
Seeing the three of them conspire against Rita elicited a pang of sympathy for her late friend's daughter. Rita's mother probably
never would have imagined that Rita would be alone in having to endure the treatment from them.
Some of the quests spoke in Rita's
defense, while others sided with Karen. Based on that situation, it was clear that the outcome would tip in Karen's favor. To an
outsider, Rita had fallen out of favor with her father Vince, or he would have intervened to help salvage what remained of her
dignity.

"You're being too biased, Gina. This incident occurred so suddenly that there couldn't have been any time to tamper with the
footage and
whatnot. Besides, isn't it obviousnet
that Miss Rita has a strained
relationship with her father? She could've gained some Dutch courage and acted impulsively to seek revenge on Madam Karen,"
remarked a guest.
Gina leveled a stern gaze at the speaker. "It's not your place to say anything. I will vouch for Rita, and I know the accusations
about her aren't true."
"Your words are worth nothing. I, too, can say that I vouch for Madam Karen. The surveillance footage is likely real. Miss Rita
destroyed the keepsake because she isn't on good terms with Madam Karen," another guest retorted.
Gina chuckled softly and glanced disdainfully at the individual. "Then I'll stake my family's stocks for the next half-year as
collateral to vouch for Rita. Are you brave enough to match that?"