While My Husband Cheated, I Married His Powerful Brother

Chapter 173: Chapter 173 The Girl’s New Beginning

​The main library remained completely silent around me.

​I sat back in the deep cushioned reading nook, holding my phone tightly in one hand while clutching my mother’s old photo in the other. On my phone screen, the detailed diagram of the Star Core Meteorite Gold structure was still fully zoomed in. Beside it, the small pendant around my mother’s neck in the photograph looked practically identical.

​I shook my head slowly, trying to clear my thoughts.

​This is completely impossible, I thought to myself. It has to be nothing more than a weird coincidence.

​I lifted the worn photograph closer to my face, staring directly at the pendant again. I looked at the strange, dark sheen of the metal, the unique way it absorbed the room light, and the intricate geometric pattern carved across its surface.

​It just couldn’t be the exact same material. A legendary space alloy lost for thirty years couldn’t possibly be sitting in my mother’s simple jewelry box.

​I tapped my phone screen, opened up a clean browser tab, and typed out a quick search: Star Core Meteorite Gold style necklace pattern.

​A massive list of web results popped up within seconds.

​I scrolled down through the top links, and my heart sank just a little deeper with every swipe of my thumb.

​There were dozens of cheap necklaces online featuring similar spiraling patterns. Some were mass-produced imitations, others were budget trinkets inspired by urban legends, and many were just modern jewelry pieces that happened to use similar geometric cuts.

​I clicked on one link, then another, and then a third.

​Nearly all of them carried a vague resemblance to the pendant my mother wore in that garden photo.

​I let out a long, heavy breath, my shoulders slumping back against the armchair.

​It really is just a total coincidence, I reassured myself. It isn’t some priceless space metal. It’s just a common decorative design that was popular back then.

​Carefully slipping the photograph back into my leather wallet, I zipped the pocket shut.

​Regardless of what metal it was made of, I was still going to cherish that photo forever. It belonged to my mother, and that was the only thing that actually mattered to me.

​I pulled the zipper tight and closed my wallet.

​Even though the picture was tucked away, the heavy memories attached to it came rushing back anyway. I could suddenly see the sharp image of my mother in that cold hospital room, surrounded by quiet monitoring machines and the smell of antiseptic.

​My chest tightened up instantly, making it hard to draw in a full breath. My hands began to shake uncontrollably against my lap.

​The ghost of that horrible phone call echoed in my head, along with the nurse’s soft, hesitant voice delivering the news I had tried so hard to bury.

​I’m so sorry, dear. Your mother has just passed away.

​Back then, I had completely collapsed on the hallway floor. I had screamed until my throat was raw and cried until I had zero tears left inside me.

​The sheer weight of that memory was way too vivid, hitting me with a wave of sharp, familiar pain.

​Without thinking, I bit down hard on the inside of my tongue.

​A sudden burst of pain shot through my mouth. It was sharp, immediate, and grounding, cutting straight through the panic like a cold blade.

​I slowly let out the air trapped in my lungs. My tight shoulders began to relax, and my rapid breathing gradually slowed down to a normal pace.

​I forced my mind to snap back to the present moment. I looked at the dark wooden bookshelves around me, the heavy velvet curtains, and the organized stack of design manuals sitting beside me.

​I wasn’t standing in a sterile hospital corridor anymore. I wasn’t trapped in the worst day of my past.

​I was right here in the manor library, completely safe and in control of my own life.

​I took one deep breath, then another.

​I was going to be completely okay.

​I ended up staying awake far past my usual bedtime.

​The library stayed dead quiet as the night went on, with only the soft crackle of the fireplace breaking the silence while shadows danced across the high walls.

​I spent hours flipping through the space planning guides, jotting down quick lists in my notepad, and drawing rough floor plan sketches.

​The first floor would serve as our primary customer service area. We needed a clean ordering counter, a clear glass display case for fresh toppings, and an overhead digital menu board. The wall colors needed to feel warm, bright, and genuinely inviting to anyone stepping in off the sidewalk.

​The second floor was going to be our main sitting lounge. I wanted plush armchairs, soft warm lighting, a small decorative bookshelf, and a comfortable atmosphere where customers could sit for hours to work or chat.

​I redrew the main floor layout twice, adding small details and tweaking the counter proportions until everything fit comfortably.

​By the time I finally closed the thick hardcover manual, the clock on the mantel showed it was way past midnight.

​I stood up from the armchair and stretched my arms high over my head. My lower back was stiff from sitting so long, and my eyes felt scratchy from reading under dim light.

​Even so, a deep sense of satisfaction filled my chest.

​I finally had a solid, workable blueprint for our business.

​The next morning, I decided to treat the whole crew to a massive breakfast spread from KFC.

​The fast-food restaurant was noisy and packed with morning customers when we arrived. The mouth-watering smell of fried chicken hung thick in the air, the floor tiles were a bit slick, and upbeat pop music was blaring from the ceiling speakers.

​Mia was already sitting in a corner booth, with Megan squeezed in right beside her and Jade sitting across the table.

​I walked over to their table accompanied by Leon, setting down two huge plastic trays loaded with food. There were buckets of crispy chicken, large fries, warm biscuits, and tubs of coleslaw.

​"Here you go," I announced with a smile. "The absolute breakfast of champions."

​Megan gasped, her eyes going wide as she reached for a biscuit. "This is literally the greatest breakfast setup ever!"

​Jade immediately grabbed a fried drumstick, taking a big bite. "I was so hungry on the drive over I could have eaten an entire horse."

​Mia laughed, shaking her head as she unwrapped a chicken sandwich. "Honestly, this is the last way I expected us to start our workday."

​I slid into the booth next to Jade. "It’s a celebration. We officially signed the lease, we have a clear floor plan, and we have a solid team to pull it off."

​I lifted my large soda cup into the air. "To Vey-Mia Tea!"

​Everyone immediately raised their cups together, clinking them in the middle of the table. "To Vey-Mia Tea!"

​We spent the next hour eating, catching up, and laughing until our stomachs hurt.

​Mia went over her ideas for our custom drink menu, Megan explained how we could haul the extra furniture over from her mom’s storage unit, and Jade showed us three new layout sketches she had drawn up late last night.

​I sat back and listened to them, nodding along and jumping in whenever I had a quick suggestion to add.

​A genuine wave of happiness washed over me. I felt completely content, relaxed, and deeply grateful.

​After everything I had been through, I had finally found my own circle of real friends.

​Once we finished up breakfast, we all headed straight over to the new commercial spot to meet the contractor team.

​A line of three black luxury cars pulled up smoothly near the main curb in front of the building. I stepped out of the lead vehicle first, with Leon holding the door open and stepping out right behind me.

​Our storefront was waiting for us across the pavement, quiet, vacant, and completely ready for its transformation.

​I stood on the sidewalk for a moment, looking up at the high glass windows, the spacious double door entrance, and the empty sign frame hanging above the entry.

​My heart swelled with overwhelming pride.

​This place wasn’t just a random building. It was mine, it was ours, and it represented our fresh start.

​I turned around to face Mia, Megan, and Jade with a bright smile.

​"Alright, everyone," I said, waving them toward the entrance. "Let’s get right to work."

​With three black sedans dropping Veyra and Leon off at the front curb, the whole team gathered inside the empty space to officially go over the final renovation plans.

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