Chapter 151: I’ll Willingly Leave This Place
"Madam, where I want to be is totally my choice, and I don’t want others to interfere with it." Thea responded, her tone calm and collected, but with a hint of defiance.
"You sure have guts.." Alexia sneered. "I’ll let you have a taste of where you belong."
"Hey, you! Call security and throw this person out." Alexia ordered, turning to the saleswoman who was accompanying Thea.
"Madam, we have the right to refuse service to anyone who is causing a disturbance or disrupting our business..But we can’t chase anyone out of our store." the saleswoman replied, her voice firm, without any hesitation.
"Do you know who I am?" Alexia demanded, her eyes blazing with indignation and her voice rising in outrage, as if her social status and influence should be enough to intimidate the saleswoman into doing her bidding.
"Fine, you won’t listen to my words? I’ll make sure you’re removed from your position right now." Alexia spat out, her face twisted in a scowl.
"Madam, you don’t have to do that. I’ll willingly leave this place." Thea replied, her voice calm and measured.
She wasn’t afraid of Alexia’s threat, but she didn’t want others to be affected on her behalf. She was truly grateful to the saleswoman for her kindness and didn’t want to cause her any trouble.
Alexia’s expression turned even uglier as she sneered at Thea. "Did you see? Who has the power here? You are nothing to us. Do you have money? Oh, I forgot, you’re just an orphan who likes to leech off other people." Her words were laced with venom, and she seemed to take great pleasure in hurling insults at Thea.
Thea just gave her a look, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and sadness. She couldn’t understand why this lady in front of her hated her so much. She hadn’t done anything to provoke her, and yet Alexia seemed to take great delight in belittling her.
Without responding to Alexia’s jibes, Thea smiled at the saleswoman and nodded in appreciation. "Thank you.." she said softly, before turning to make her way to the exit.
"Thea, wait..." A voice as chilling as ice spoke up, stopping Thea in her tracks. She turned back to find Charlotte standing with the red dress in her hand, her eyes fixed intently on Thea.
Charlotte handed the dress to the saleswoman who had accompanied them, her movements deliberate and calculated. The saleswoman, recognizing the dress as the one Charlotte had admired, nodded and handed it to another assistant. "Please pack this dress for Miss." she instructed, her voice professional and courteous.
The assistant went to pack the dress as she was instructed, and Charlotte followed her, her eyes fixed on Alexia. "You asked her to leave the store?" Charlotte asked, her voice low and even.
"Yes." Alexia replied, her anger and indignation still simmering just below the surface. But despite her bravado, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of fear that had settled in the pit of her stomach as she gazed at Charlotte. There was something about this young woman that unnerved her, something that made her feel like she was losing control of the situation.
"Thea, do you know this lady?" Charlotte asked, turning to Thea.
"She’s Savannah’s mother... Ryder’s friend, Savannah." Thea whispered softly in her ear.
"That lady...ooh I remembered.." Charlotte exclaimed, her eyes narrowing as she turned back to Alexia.
"Who are you?" Charlotte asked, her voice firm and commanding.
Alexia sneered at her, still under the assumption that Charlotte was just an ordinary person, and therefore, beneath her. "You don’t know me," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "Even if I tell you my name, you won’t recognize it. And moreover, do we belong to the same status?" she mocked, looking at Charlotte and Thea with disdain.
Thinking that Charlotte was from a poor community, just like Thea, Alexia continued to belittle them. "You." she said, turning to the saleswoman who had been accompanying Charlotte and Thea, "Don’t you know the status of this shop? Why are you allowing poor people to come and enter the store? They’re just some kind of people... you people shouldn’t allow them to enter."
Alexia’s words were laced with venom, and she seemed to take great pleasure in looking down on Charlotte and Thea. But as she gazed at Charlotte, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was making a grave mistake. There was something about Charlotte that didn’t quite add up, something that made Alexia feel like she was playing with fire.
"Oh, you are of a higher status than us?" Charlotte calmly replied, her words laced with a subtle mocking vibe that made Alexia’s eyes narrow slightly.
"Yeah, do you think you’re a rich person?" Alexia continued to mock her, her tone dripping with condescension.
"You’re so rich, then surely you can buy that dress, right?" Charlotte pointed out, her gaze drifting in the direction of the dress, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.
Alexia turned around, her eyes following Charlotte’s gaze to the dress she had pointed out. The dress was a breathtakingly beautiful creation, a true masterpiece of fashion design. Its delicate silk fabric shimmered and rustled softly in the light, like the gentle lapping of waves on a moonlit beach. The deep, rich blue color of the dress seemed to shift and change as the light caught it, like the subtle nuances of a summer sky at dusk.
Intricate embroidery adorned the bodice, delicate threads of silver and gold weaving together in a intricate pattern that seemed to dance across the fabric. The embroidery was so fine, so delicate, that it seemed to shimmer and glow with a soft, ethereal light. The skirt fell in soft, flowing folds to the floor, its delicate layers rustling softly as the air stirred.
A delicate sprinkle of diamonds and pearls encircled the neckline, adding a touch of subtle sparkle to the overall design. The diamonds and pearls seemed to catch the light, sending tiny shafts of glittering light dancing across the fabric. The dress was a true work of art, a creation of breathtaking beauty that seemed to radiate an aura of luxury and refinement.
As Alexia gazed at the dress, her expression softened ever so slightly. For a moment, she seemed to forget her animosity towards Charlotte and Thea, her attention captivated by the stunning gown that seemed to hold her spellbound. She reached out a hand, her fingers brushing against the delicate fabric, and for a moment, she seemed to be transported to a world of glamour and sophistication.
But as she gazed deeper into the dress, she seemed to remember herself, and her expression hardened once again. She turned to Charlotte, a sneer twisting her lips. "Yes, I can buy this dress easily." she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "And I will, just to show you that I can afford it, and you can’t."
"Please pack the dress for this rich lady." Charlotte said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she looked at the saleswoman and winked at her. The saleswoman, seeming to understand the underlying tone, nodded and went to pack the dress for Alexia.
As she passed by Alexia, the saleswoman couldn’t help but hide her disdain for the woman. Her expression remained professional, but her eyes betrayed a hint of disgust, as if she was forced to cater to someone she didn’t particularly like.
Charlotte, meanwhile, turned to Thea and whispered, "Let’s go and see the drama." She laughed softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement, as if she was enjoying the spectacle unfolding before her.
Thea remained silent, her expression unreadable, but she followed Charlotte as they both walked to the payment section. Charlotte’s words seemed to hint at a deeper understanding of the situation, and Thea’s silence suggested that she was waiting to see how things would unfold.
As they approached the payment section. "So, you came to see whether I can purchase it or not?" she said, her eyes fixed on Charlotte with a hint of challenge.
Charlotte turned to face her, a calm and collected smile spreading across her face. "We have our own business," she replied, her voice even and measured. "You carry on with what you’re doing." The implication was clear: Charlotte and Thea were not intimidated by Alexia’s wealth or status, and they were not interested in competing with her.
