My aunt took a deep breath before continuing.
“Jen, I knew Sandra was obsessed with your mother’s crystal set. Every time she came over, she’d stare at it and make comments about how ‘overrated’ it was. I had a feeling she’d eventually try to destroy it.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“A few months ago, while you were busy with wedding planning, I asked to borrow the crystal set. I secretly took every original piece and stored it safely in my house. Then I found an inexpensive vintage crystal set that looked almost identical and put it back in the cabinet.”
I was speechless.
“You mean…”
“The pieces Sandra smashed weren’t your mother’s.”
For the first time since seeing the broken glass, I smiled through my tears.
“But how did you know she’d do something like that?”
“Because jealousy doesn’t stay hidden forever,” Aunt Marlene replied. “Sandra couldn’t stand that your mother was still part of your life.”
The next morning, my aunt came over carrying several carefully wrapped boxes. Inside was every single piece of my mother’s real crystal set, sparkling exactly as I remembered.
I cried as I held one of the glasses.
