“On Teacher’s Day, I Received Furious Messages from My Business Partners — The One-of-a-Kind ‘Heart of the Deep Sea’ Brooch I Designed Was Suddenly Seen in a Livestream Worn by My Daughter’s Ballet Teacher”
The Brooch That Shouldn’t Exist
Success always looks glamorous — until the glitter starts burning holes in your life.
On Teacher’s Day, while the city filled with flowers and thank-you cards, I sat in my office surrounded by chaos — not the usual kind of business emergency, but something far stranger.
Chapter 1: The Messages
My phone buzzed relentlessly.
The first message came from Director Zhou, one of my top partners.
“Lý, what’s going on? The exclusive brooch we gifted you — ‘Heart of the Deep Sea’ — it’s in someone else’s hands!”
Another message followed from Mrs. Fang, head of our international jewelry affiliate.
“This is a PR disaster. That brooch was supposed to premiere during our joint broadcast next week. Why is it on a random livestream?”
My stomach dropped.
Then came the links.
Dozens of them.
Each leading to the same thing — a livestream room, tagged “Elegant Ballet Moments”.
Chapter 2: The Livestream
I hesitated before opening it.
Inside the frame was Ms. Yu, my daughter’s ballet teacher — graceful, poised, sitting before a soft pink backdrop.
And pinned to her chest was my brooch — the one I’d personally designed, handcrafted with deep-blue sapphire and platinum, shaped like a heart swirling into the ocean.
The Heart of the Deep Sea.
She was smiling shyly, responding to the barrage of comments.
“Oh, this?” she said, brushing her fingers over the jewel. “Just a small gift… from someone with refined taste. I feel very grateful.”
The comments exploded.
“Ooooh, secret admirer?”
“Looks expensive! Must be a CEO or something!”
“She must be special to him.”
I stared at the screen, pulse racing.
Because that brooch wasn’t a casual gift. It was one-of-a-kind — insured, registered under my name, designed for company presentation use only.
And yet here it was, shining under studio lights on someone else’s blouse.
Chapter 3: The Accusation
Within an hour, my inbox flooded.
Business partners demanded an explanation, PR managers panicked, and our brand’s reputation teetered on the edge.
By noon, I had three missed calls from the press office.
Then came a text from my assistant:
“Boss, internal rumor says you gave the brooch to that ballet teacher personally. People are asking if she’s our new brand ambassador.”
I froze.
The rumor had already taken shape — and in the business world, perception is reality.
I had to find out how she got it, fast.
Chapter 4: The Teacher
That evening, I went to the dance studio where my daughter, Ning, was having her rehearsal.
When the music ended, Ms. Yu approached me politely, smiling as always.
“Mrs. Li,” she said warmly, “it’s such a pleasure to see you in person today. Ning is improving beautifully.”
My gaze fell to the brooch still pinned on her dress.
Up close, the deep sapphire gleamed like a dark secret.
“Beautiful piece, isn’t it?” I said evenly.
She blinked, surprised. “You recognize it?”
“Of course. I designed it.”
The smile faltered. “Oh… then you must know it was a gift. From someone dear to me.”
“From whom exactly?”
She hesitated, eyes flickering. “He didn’t give a name. Just said he admired my dedication as a teacher.”
I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.
The he in her voice made my stomach twist.
Chapter 5: The Box
Back home, I went straight to my private vault — where the brooch should’ve been stored.
The display case was empty.
But beside it lay the box — open, velvet torn.
A faint smell of cologne lingered in the air.
My husband, Zhang, was working late as usual. Or so he claimed.
I stood in the dark, staring at the empty case, and thought: Either she’s lying… or someone wanted me to see this.
Chapter 6: The Call
The next morning, I received another message from Director Zhou.
“The press wants a statement. Are you going to deny gifting the brooch? Or confirm it was stolen?”
Stolen.
That word made everything real.
I decided to make a quiet report — not to the police, but to a private investigator we’d used for brand security before.
He arrived that evening, a discreet man named Chen with tired eyes and a small notepad.
“Check the delivery records,” I said. “The brooch was last logged at our home vault. Find out who touched it.”
Chen nodded. “I’ll start with staff access and surveillance.”
Chapter 7: The Footage
Three days later, he returned with a USB drive.
I plugged it into my laptop.
The footage showed my living room, late at night — timestamped two weeks ago.
My husband entering, glancing around.
He unlocked the display cabinet, took out the brooch, and held it up to the light.
Then, he placed it into a small gift box and slipped it into his briefcase.
The next clip showed him walking into the ballet studio the following morning.
Handing the box — to Ms. Yu.
She opened it, covered her mouth in surprise, and smiled.
I couldn’t breathe.
Chapter 8: The Silence
I didn’t confront him immediately.
Instead, I called my PR manager.
“Draft a statement,” I said. “The brooch was loaned without authorization for a creative collaboration. It has since been reclaimed.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
By nightfall, our official page posted the announcement. The scandal cooled. Comments turned skeptical.
“So it wasn’t a gift?”
“Poor teacher, maybe she misunderstood.”
“Business drama — never boring.”
Ms. Yu’s account went silent after that. The livestream disappeared.
But something in me refused to rest.
Chapter 9: The Truth Behind the Brooch
That weekend, I went to the studio again, unannounced.
I found her alone, packing costumes.
“I’ve come for the brooch,” I said.
She turned, startled, then sighed softly. “I returned it already. Your husband came to collect it.”
My voice turned to ice. “When?”
“Yesterday,” she said. “He told me you were angry. I apologized. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
I wanted to ask why he gave it to her, but something in her face — confusion, fear — told me she didn’t fully understand either.
So I left.
But when I reached home, the vault was still empty.
Chapter 10: The Revelation
That night, my daughter came to me quietly.
“Mom,” she said, “did you and Dad fight?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because Ms. Yu told me something strange. She said Dad gave her the brooch because it belonged to her mother once.”
I froze. “What did she mean?”
Ning shrugged. “She said her mother used to work for Dad’s company years ago. He said the brooch reminded him of her.”
I felt the ground slip beneath me.
Her mother.
A piece of the past my husband had never mentioned.
Chapter 11: The Confession
When he came home that night, I was waiting.
“I saw the footage,” I said. “And I know who she is.”
He didn’t deny it.
He just sat down heavily, rubbing his face.
“She’s not who you think,” he said. “Her mother… she used to be my mentor. When she died, I promised to look after her daughter. The brooch — it was symbolic. Nothing else.”
“You promised to look after her,” I said quietly. “By making my partners think I was reckless and deceitful?”
He looked up, eyes weary. “I didn’t think it would reach that far. I just wanted to fulfill an old debt.”
“By lying to me?”
He sighed. “Would you have let me?”
Chapter 12: The Broadcast
The next week, the company went ahead with the scheduled livestream — featuring the brooch.
It had been recovered, polished, restored. The host introduced it dramatically as “a piece that survived a scandal, proving authenticity through chaos.”
Sales tripled.
Ironically, the controversy had made it more valuable.
But when I looked at the sapphire under the studio lights, I no longer saw beauty. Only reflection — sharp, deep, merciless.
Epilogue: The Teacher’s Message
A month later, Ms. Yu sent me a message.
“Mrs. Li, thank you for not destroying my reputation. I understand now that the brooch wasn’t meant for me. I’ve resigned from the academy and will return to my hometown.”
Attached was a photo — her hand returning the brooch, resting gently on the velvet box.
I stared at it for a long time before typing back:
“Take care of yourself. And remember — sometimes gifts are just debts wearing pretty clothes.”
Then I deleted the chat.
When I closed my eyes, I could still see the blue heart gleaming — not as a jewel, but as a mirror reflecting everything people hide behind success: pride, secrecy, and the price of loyalty.
End.
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