Marrying The Supposed Gold Digger (Valerie) novel Chapter 67

Julian's expression shifted from confusion to shock as he examined the diamond ring. "This is fake?"

Valerie was caught off guard by Ashley's sharp eye. She tried to laugh it off, shaking her head. "You must be joking, Ashley. It's definitely real."

Ashley wasn't about to let Valerie off the hook. Still remembering an earlier embarrassment involving a crab incident, she saw an opportunity to assert herself. "Valerie, just stop. You might not know this, but I used to work at a jewelry store before I got married. I've seen more diamond rings than I can count, and I can tell yours is a fake. Did Matthew trick you into thinking it was real? If so, that's on him. A real gold ring costs no more than 500 dollars, so why the deception?"

As Ashley vented, Valerie's expression grew more troubled. She cut in. "It's not about Matthew. I bought the ring myself."

"You bought it?" Ashley's tone was incredulous. "Valerie, I can't believe you'd go to such lengths. We all know money's tight. Why humiliate yourself with a fake ring? If you end up looking foolish, that's on you."

Valerie squirmed under Ashley's scrutiny, regretting her decision. She hadn't bought the ring out of vanity; she was trying to deflect any doubts about her relationship with Matthew. Now, the fake ring only made things worse.

"Valerie, why on earth would you buy a fake ring? Come clean to me." Julian looked at Valerie seriously, then at Matthew, feeling uneasy. He liked Matthew, but he didn't know him well enough yet, and his main concern was for Valerie's well-being.

"Why do we even need the truth? Buying a fake ring is just plain vanity. We need to be more down-to-earth, Valerie," Ashley persisted.

"Enough!" Matthew's deep voice suddenly cut through the tension. He had been silent until now but felt compelled to intervene. "Valerie bought the fake ring because she was afraid of losing a real one. She wears it every day to avoid losing something more valuable."