Chapter 6: Chapter 6: She’s Determined to Spend This Money
"Sis, let’s not go in and look. Let’s go."
The sales associate’s attitude made Lily Sterling even more timid. She gently tugged on Cecilia Sterling’s arm, her expression tense.
But at the words "Let’s go," before Cecilia could even speak, the sales associate gave another bow and mechanically recited, "Take care, you two. Welcome back anytime."
With that, she turned and called out to her colleague behind the counter, "Riley, it’s your turn at the door."
And just like that, she left Cecilia and Lily standing at the entrance, walking away without a backward glance.
Cecilia was so angry she had to laugh.
’So those videos I’ve seen online of snobby luxury store associates who look down on people aren’t just skits—they’re real.’
’What is she so smug about?’
’Cartier is the expensive one, not her!’
The sales associate named Riley came to the entrance for her shift. Not knowing what had just happened, she saw Cecilia and Lily and hurried over to greet them.
"Welcome to Cartier. I’m Riley, and it’s my pleasure to assist you both."
Lily had been completely put off by the previous associate’s attitude, so even though this new one was perfectly nice, she said apologetically, "I’m sorry, we’re not buying anything."
"Sis, let’s just go. It’s really too expensive; there’s no need."
It wasn’t that she worried her sister couldn’t afford it; deep down, she just felt that spending several Dollars on a piece of jewelry was too extravagant for her right now. In those creative accessory shops online, you could get something really nice for just one or two cents.
But this associate, despite also hearing the complete lack of interest in Lily’s voice, simply gave a polite smile. "That’s perfectly fine," she said courteously. "You’re welcome to come in and browse. If you see anything you like, you can try it on. You can just contact me later when you do need to make a purchase."
Cecilia looked at the pleasant-looking sales associate before her and suddenly asked, "What did you say your name was again?"
"You can just call me Riley."
Cecilia nodded lightly. She took her sister’s hand and looked at Riley. "Riley, is it? Today, I’m going to make sure you earn a ten-Dollar commission!"
"Huh?"
Riley looked astonished, as if unsure of what she’d just heard. Seeing that Cecilia and her sister had already entered the store, she hurried after them.
At the ring display, Cecilia had Lily sit down. She glanced over the selection. The styles were plentiful, but the prices were all generally under ten Dollars. This case clearly displayed the basic models.
’But there’s no rush,’ she thought. ’Shopping is all about the emotional satisfaction. If you max out the excitement all at once, you lose the fun of it. I want my sister to take her time choosing.’
When Lily saw the prices, she grew even more restless. She had been wanting to leave from the very beginning.
’A plain band with nothing on it costs almost two Dollars?’
’She knew Cartier was a top luxury jewelry brand, but sitting here, she couldn’t even feign composure. She just wanted to escape!’
"That one. Take it out for my sister to try on."
Cecilia lifted her chin slightly, her gaze falling on the most expensive ring in the case. The price tag read: 8.8888 Dollars.
"This one? Of course!"
Wearing professional white silk gloves, Riley took out the ring and placed it in front of Lily. She introduced it with a smile, "This is the Carlock diamond ring. The band is solid platinum, and the diamond is 0.58 carats."
Riley personally placed it on Lily’s finger. "See how it looks? It’s quite beautiful."
Lily couldn’t tell if it was beautiful or not; all she felt was the burn on her hand.
She gave it a cursory glance before hastily taking it off, placing it back in its box, and shaking her head. "N-No, not this one."
"Wrap it up."
Cecilia’s calm command made both Lily and the sales associate freeze for a moment.
"Sis, I..."
"I’m buying this for you, and you’re not allowed to refuse. You’re listening to me today!" Cecilia’s tone was gentle, but it carried an undeniable authority.
Lily had adored her older sister since they were little and always listened to her. Of course she was happy that her sister was buying her something, but this place was just too expensive.
"It’s so expensive."
She felt a pang of guilt over her sister’s money.
But Cecilia gently squeezed her hand, smiling softly. "For you, nothing is too expensive. I’d be willing to buy you anything!"
The first sales associate had been standing at a distant counter, watching the show and waiting for the two of them to leave in disgrace. But then she saw that Riley was actually wrapping something up.
’A sale?’
’And so quickly?’
Another associate, one who was on good terms with Riley, walked over and said with schadenfreude, "Are those the ’unlucky’ customers you were just talking about? Riley barely had to say a word and she’s already sold a Carlock."
The woman froze on the spot, sick with regret. The commission on a Carlock was nearly twenty cents, and... and now it belonged to someone else!
However, it wasn’t over yet.
Cecilia then led Lily to another counter to look at necklaces.
The necklaces were generally more expensive. Most in the display case were over ten Dollars, with the cheapest still costing more than five.
"Since we’re spending money anyway, you should pick something you really like," Cecilia said to Lily.
Lily could see that her sister was determined to spend money on her today, and her heart calmed down a little. She nodded and began to choose in earnest.
In the end, she chose a Begonia platinum and diamond necklace priced at 16.9888 Dollars. The price wasn’t considered high for the brand, but Cecilia could tell her sister genuinely loved it, so she told the associate to wrap it up immediately.
The first sales associate once again watched helplessly as the customers she had scornfully dismissed at the door made another purchase. She was completely rattled.
A Begonia platinum and diamond necklace... the commission was almost fifty cents!
As a professional sales associate, Riley had a certain knack for sizing up customers.
Although Cecilia’s attire today had initially clouded her judgment, after these two quick sales, she immediately identified Cecilia as a "whale" in disguise.
So, after she finished packing the necklace, she said to Cecilia, "Ma’am, our display cases mostly feature the brand’s more basic and classic styles. We also have high-luxury pieces that are reserved for VIP clients. It seems you’re here to do some serious shopping today. If you’d be interested in seeing our high-luxury collection, I can ask my manager to grant you special access so you can enjoy our full VIP treatment."
Hearing this, Cecilia raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? Sounds good. After all, I did say I’d make sure you earned a ten-Dollar commission. I’d have to buy a lot of these basic pieces to make that happen, wouldn’t I?"
Riley smiled. "Ma’am, you don’t need to worry about me. The most important thing is that you buy what you love. Please wait a moment while I go speak with my manager."
Once the associate had left, Lily turned to her sister again. "Sis, if it’s too expensive, I’ll be scared to even keep it in my dorm."
"Then wear it every day."
Lily pressed her lips together, her heart overflowing with emotion. She couldn’t stop her eyes from welling up with tears.
Her sister hadn’t come home for two years because of a fight with their mother, and Lily had been constantly worried that she wasn’t doing well on her own in Lorcain.
But now, it seemed her sister was doing very well. ’She must have earned a lot of money.’
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