A Lesson At The Mall

The legendary jewelry I ordered for my little sister had finally arrived at the boutique, so I brought her to pick it up. The moment we stepped into the mall, someone walked straight into me from the opposite direction. A cup of scalding hot coffee in her hand splashed all over my clothes.

Seeing that the other person was a woman, I was just about to brush it off and say it was fine. However, the very next second, her crimson-painted fingernail jabbed straight at my forehead, and she spat right into my face.

“Are you blind? Can’t you see where you’re going? Do you know how expensive this coffee is? It’s a special blend from the jewelry boutique! Someone like you can’t afford to drink it in your entire life!”

She kept going, her words getting harsher by the second. Beside me, my sister’s eyes immediately turned red with fright.

Not wanting to argue in front of her, I decided to call the police and let them deal with it. However, before I could do anything, the woman suddenly grabbed my sister by the arm.

“So young and already with a kid so big, huh? Did you finish school before becoming someone’s mistress? Since you bumped into me in a mall owned by my family’s company, Jennings Group, I shall educate you on behalf of your parents today! Or you might cause even bigger trouble out there someday!”

I froze. Jennings Group? As a daughter of the Jennings family, why haven’t I seen this so-called relative before?

My chest burned, and anger surged up inside me. However, even that humiliation couldn’t compare to the sight of my sister’s red, teary eyes. That alone nearly broke me.

I forced down my anger and asked, “Are you part of the Jennings family?”

I had spent many years studying overseas, so my understanding of the family’s affairs back home was somewhat out of date. I didn’t want to start a conflict with someone who might be related to us. If there were a misunderstanding, it would be better to clear it up.

However, the woman froze for a moment after hearing my question. Then, as if she had just heard the biggest joke in the world, she burst out laughing. Her crimson fingernail shot up again, nearly poking me in the eye.

“Who the hell do you think you are? You think you’re worthy of asking about the Jennings family?”

I grabbed her wrist and told her, “If you want to talk, talk. Pointing fingers at people isn’t exactly good manners.”

Her wrist was caught in my hand. I wasn’t even using much force, yet she suddenly screamed as if in pain and started slapping my arm with her other hand.

“How dare you touch me? Do you even know who I am? I’m Mr. Jennings’s fiancée! You picked the wrong person to mess with today. You’ve offended me, Linda Miranda! You must be a country bumpkin visiting Harbor City for the first time, huh? In this city, everyone bows their head when they see the Jennings family. Believe it or not, one phone call from me and you two won’t even find a bridge to sleep under in this city!”

Beside me, my sister’s eyes filled with tears. She tugged gently at my sleeve, her small hand trembling.

She choked as she said, “It’s okay… Let’s just forget it…”

My heart skipped a beat. My sister had always been born frail, so the entire family cherished her dearly. The doctors had repeatedly warned us that she shouldn’t be frightened or stressed. Yet now, her little face had gone pale, and tears rolled down like broken pearls as she sniffled quietly.

In that moment, I completely lost the will to argue with that woman.

“Come on. I’ll take you home,” I said softly.

I bent down, lifted my sister into my arms, and turned to leave. At the same time, I quickly sent a message to my assistant, telling him to bring the car around immediately to pick us up.

When I shook off the woman’s hand, I used a bit more strength than before. Linda staggered back two steps, nearly falling to the ground.

She shrieked angrily, “Why are you running? Feeling guilty, huh? Without my permission, no one leaves! You think you can just walk into a Jennings family-owned mall wearing some cheap knockoff dress like that? Which man gave you that outfit as charity? It looks like the man you found isn’t that impressive either, only buying you bargain trash.”

My breathing hitched for a moment when I heard that. The dress I was wearing could easily buy an entire jewelry set. Only someone completely ignorant would say something like that.

Still cursing loudly, she stepped forward and blocked my path. Her sharp nails pointed straight toward my sister’s face.

“And you, you little brat, why are you crying? I know the tricks that girls like you play. Am I wrong? Hanging around a shameless woman like this. Sooner or later, you’ll end up selling yourself too–”

“Move!”

I held my sister tighter. The coffee soaking my chest still burned, its sting mingling with my anger to set my nerves ablaze.

“What if I don’t?” She lifted her chin, the contempt on her face undisguised. “This is Jennings Mall. Do you think you can just come and go whenever you want? I bet you came here looking for trouble. And once you realized I was Mr. Jennings’s fiancée, you thought you could scam some money out of me, didn’t you? Or are you secretly in love with Henry Jennings, and you’re trying to steal my man?”

In just a few sentences, Linda had painted me as some shameless woman trying to seduce her fiancé.

I frowned, repeating the name Henry Jennings in my mind. Just as I was about to respond, I realized the crowd around us had grown in size. Some people had taken out their phones and started recording the commotion. Seeing that, she became even more smug.

Facing the cameras, she shouted dramatically, “Everyone, come take a look! This woman bumped into me and tried to run away. When I exposed her, she even got violent, and now she’s trying to seduce my fiancé! When my fiancé gets here, I’d love to see whether he’d ever look twice at a woman like her!”