In the end, Charlotte stepped off the stage in disgrace, wishing she could find a hole in the ground to hide herself.

In the front row, Liam finally breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that his respected and admired Boss would never be so easy to bully.

�Since my cousin-in-law donated a fake,� Renee suddenly announced, �then I owe it to you to donate something authentic myself. Please take it as an honest apology on her behalf.�

Once again, Renee had completely captured the audience�s attention.

There was a slight shift in Stefan�s expressions. He wondered what Renee could possibly donate to charity. Judging by his limited knowledge of her, she probably had not saved up much money in herfour-year marriage to himself. He worried that if she donated something too shabby, she would only end up humiliating herself.

The next moment, he saw Renee lifting her fair right hand and removing the huge diamond ring on her ring finger.

�This is my wedding ring, which symbolizes my marriage to my husband. Although it might not be the most priceless item here, it is still endowed with a special meaning. Now, I would like to donate it, and I hope it would garner a good price and help as many people who needed help as possible.�

This move instantly stirred the crowd into a flurry. How could she so easily decide to donate hernwedding ring?!

Some people praised her generosity and charitable nature and for not binding herself to sentimental attachment to objects. But others were beginning to suspect if the rumors about the rift in the marriage between Stefan and Renee were true after all.

Stefan, who was right in the center of the audience, exuded a chilling aura that warned people from approaching him. His dashing face betrayed no signs of emotions.

Meanwhile, Liam could not be more delighted. With a wicked smile, he uttered the following words as if they were cuts from a dagger aimed at Stefan�s heart, �Tsk tsk tsk, my own Miss Everheart used to treasure that ring above anything else! No matter what she did, she was never willing to take it off. Yet now, she donated it without giving it a second thought. It looks like she is extremely disappointed in you and her marriage to you, Master Hunt! But I�m glad that she�s finally ready to move on now.

Congratulations, Ren!�

As soon as he uttered his last word, he shot up on his feet and whistled approvingly at Renee, who was still onstage.

�Don�t worry, Ren! Even if I had to sacrifice half of the Osborne family�s fortune today, I would do anything in my power to get that ring back for you!�

Liam�s dramatic declaration of his love for Renee again blew up the scene like a bombshell. The crowd never expected that Mrs. Hunt, who had always appeared so dignified and prim and proper, would be so suspiciously close with the infamous playboy, Liam Osborne!

Onstage, Renee looked at Liam with an appreciative expression. She could not deny that this junior of hers had been. very helpful in preserving her dignity and reputation today. She could not be more grateful to him!

�Mrs. Hunt,� the host interrupted, �this diamond obviously carries much meaning to you. Are you absolutely sure that you want to donate it?�

Renee stared at the ring and the diamond on it that was almost the size of a pigeon�s egg. She fellsilent. Images of her life in the past four years raced through her mind. She remembered how, in the past, she had treasured this ring as if it was the most precious thing in her life. She treasured it so much that she would not take it off even when she was taking a shower, eating, and sleeping. She treasured this ring just as much as her marriage to Stefan Hunt.

Yet all she got in exchange was herself being discarded and left high and dry.

Now, as she took off the ring, she finally realized that the only things this extravagant object ever brought her were not love or hope but merely the shackles that bound her in a cage. JrNovels.com