Chapter 27
Nancy took a deep breath and stepped out of the fitting room with her decision already made. She grabbed a long black dress off the rack and held it up against Charlotte’s frame. “Charlotte, this one is perfect for you. Just get it.”
Charlotte stared at the dress in her hands. Black lace, a high slit, way too mature for her. She didn’t say a word.
“Trust me, you’ll look amazing,” Nancy said, not even waiting for a response. She handed both dresses to the store manager and lowered her voice. “Could you ring these up together with the one I’m wearing? Just put it all on Elizabeth’s account.”
The saleswoman’s brows drew together. She pressed her lips tight, looking like she’d just tasted something sour. Was this girl for real?
Sure, Elizabeth had a store account, but these dresses were from the premium collection. Together, they cost nearly three million yuan.
“I’ll need to call Elizabeth and confirm,” the saleswoman said, shooting Charlotte a look that barely hid her disdain. She couldn’t remember anyone named Charlotte from the Main family. Was this girl just pretending?
The moment she heard about the call, Nancy got jumpy. She clung to Charlotte’s arm, her voice turning sweet. “Charlotte, we’ve been friends forever. You just got back in town. Isn’t it fair for you to buy me a dress as a welcome gift?”
Charlotte lifted her head, her pale face calm, eyes meeting Nancy’s with quiet patience. “It’s not unfair,” she said softly.
Nancy’s eyes brightened, a smile forming, but Charlotte kept going.
“But I don’t have any money.”
Nancy almost choked. “But your dad does!” She circled Charlotte, pushing harder. “Just put it on your mom’s account. Your dad can transfer the money later.”
Charlotte stayed quiet.
Nancy’s voice rose in frustration. “Charlotte, are we even friends? Remember when you got bullied? I was the one who stood up for you.”
Charlotte just looked at her, eyes cold as ice, not saying a word.
“But I really am broke. I can’t afford it,” Charlotte said quietly.
Nancy’s patience snapped. “Come on, it’s just a dress! Your family is loaded. What’s the big deal about spending a little on me?”
“If your dad won’t give you the money, can’t you figure something out? Sneak a credit card out of his wallet or something. With one card, you could buy way more than these two dresses. You could probably buy the whole store.”
She waved at the saleswoman. “Stop wasting time. Let’s get this paid for.”
Nancy turned to check her reflection in the mirror, still admiring herself. Suddenly there was a loud tearing sound.
Everyone froze. Nancy’s pink silk dress had split open across the back, the rip stretching wide.
Nancy and the saleswoman stared in shock.
Charlotte was already sitting on the sofa, playing with her fingers, watching the scene with amused interest.
“Miss, you’ve damaged the dress. This one costs one point five million yuan. You’ll need to pay for it,” the saleswoman said.
One point five million.
Nancy’s smile vanished. Her face went ghostly pale. She stammered, “What kind of cheap dress is this? Did you make it out of tissue paper? It tore just like that. Pay? Are you trying to scam me?”
The saleswoman had had enough.
She raised her voice. “You know your
own size, right? Your body was about to burst out of We have
cameras in here. It’s obvious you broke the dress. If you don’t pay, we’ll have to call the police.
The police? Nancy’s heart pounded. She was still in her last year of high school, final exams coming up soon. There was no way she could risk getting the police involved. Her family was just average. Her parents would never buy her a dress that
expensive.
She stood frozen, knees shaking, panic rising.
Then she remembered Charlotte.
Nancy scanned the room and spotted Charlotte lounging in the seating area, watching everything unfold.