Joe's expression brightened when he heard about the party.
He looked around at his friends. He hadn't enjoyed the tea party, but he accepted his mother had been right to arrange it. Once he made it big, he would be judged by the company he kept, and his old friends no longer suited his image.
Alex stood up, glancing at Joe in disappointment before turning to Caroline. "Mrs. Hall, why did you pay for the broken jade unicorn yesterday?" he asked.
"What unicorn?" Caroline asked. "Oh, yes. I vaguely remember that awkward little incident. I couldn't stand watching you embarrass yourself further, but you're honestly not worth the fifty thousand I spent on it. Don't worry; you won't have to deal with my generosity anymore."
She stood up. "Well, it's time for you all to leave. Don't blame Joe for this; I'm just acting in his best interests. Say your goodbyes, and then you should go."
"Well, this has been the most unpleasant tea party I've ever attended," Alex said. "I'll be happy to honor your request to have nothing more to do with your family. It appears that Joe doesn't care about his old friends anyway."
Alex had only accepted Caroline's invitation because he had wanted to support Joe and repay him for his kindness. He had realized how heartless Caroline was after she had been rude to him and Debbie, and he hadn't wanted to leave Joe alone with her.
But Caroline was determined to drive him away to protect Joe's image, and Joe was going along with it.
"I'm glad you understand," Caroline said, impatiently checking her watch. "Joe's future will be greatly improved if you stay out of his life."
Alex shook his head and didn't bother arguing.
"Well, we have that reception to get ready for," Caroline said, clearly hinting Alex should leave. "And no doubt you want to get back to your rental house and microwave yourself something for dinner. I'm sure our paths won't cross again."
She looked around at the students with an arrogant expression.
"Joe, how can you go along with this?" one young man asked, flushing with embarrassment. "Your father just died, and this is how you're behaving? You should be ashamed of yourself." He shook his head. "I'm not listening to any more of this. Goodbye."
He stood up and stalked from the room.
Caroline tutted. "There's no need for such an emotional display," she said. "It's just a fact of life. If you don't have any money, then you're of no use to us."
She had never had much time for poor people, and she preferred to surround herself with wealthy friends.
Alex faked a smile and excused himself, knowing there was no point in talking to Caroline or Joe. Instead, he decided to visit the cemetery where Neil's ashes had been interred.
He hadn't been close to Neil, but he felt connected to him, and he was sorry about how things had ended.
The cemetery was small and remote, and the tombstones were of a simple design. Many of them were so old that the inscriptions had faded and were barely legible.
Neil's stone merely bore his name and dates of birth and death. Apparently, Caroline hadn't bothered to arrange for an epitaph, and no flowers had been left to honor Neil's passing.
Alex was overcome with emotion as he sat on a bench, staring at the tombstone. He was furious at Caroline's lack of care for her husband, and he couldn't believe how cold she was.
Sighing, he walked over to the grave and crouched down to place the flowers he had brought with him, muttering a wish for Neil to be at peace. After all, despite everything that had happened, he remembered Neil for the kindness he had shown when Alex had been a struggling student.
He suspected that no one else would visit the grave once he had gone, and Neil would soon be forgotten.
He straightened up and took one last look at the memorial stone. Shaking his head, he turned and walked toward the exit.
**
Alex got home from the cemetery at noon. Debbie had already returned to her classes, so he grabbed something to eat in a small restaurant. Just as he had finished eating, the phone rang with a call from Rufus.
Somehow, Rufus had found out about the incident with the broken jade unicorn, and he was furious that anyone would attempt to cheat a member of his family. He arrived a short time later with some of his men, who were dragging five people behind them.
In the group of people, Alex spotted the woman Debbie had bumped into the previous day. She was clearly terrified, and she couldn't stop shaking. The others were also anxious as they stared at Alex.
"I found these thieves near the Serenity Gifts shop," Rufus said.
He waved his hand, and one of his men pulled the woman forward and pushed her to the ground.
"The woman's name is Heather Lennox, and she specializes in these kinds of scams. I ordered surveillance to be carried out in the area, and this woman appeared four times within a few hours. Every time she bought something from the shop, she collided with a passerby, and her purchase was broken."
He paused to order some food from a waiter, and then he continued. "The receipts are all here."
Alex took the receipts and looked them over. The purchases ranged from seven thousand to fifty thousand dollars. The jade unicorn Debbie had supposedly broken was the most expensive item.
"They have quite a system going," Rufus said. "They arrange for their items to be broken and then demand compensation from their victims. Some disguise themselves as passersby or companions to apply more pressure on the person they're trying to scam." He pointed his fork at the prisoners.
Alex looked at Heather. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he asked.
Heather kept her head down and said, "Sir, you don't have any right to detain us. It's against the law."
"You have no rights," Rufus yelled. "Just answer the question."
Heather flinched. She tried to get up, but one of the men pressed down on her shoulder, preventing her from moving.
Alex put down his cutlery and leaned closer to Heather. "My friends are a little bad tempered," he said casually. "It's better not to make them angry, so I advise you to tell the truth and not hold anything back. I wouldn't want them to get irritated with you."