A Lesson At The Mall

Linda’s eyes lit up, and the arrogant attitude she had just moments ago vanished instantly. In its place, she put on a tearful expression, as if she might cry at any second. Swaying her hips, she hurried over in small steps.

“Henry! You’re finally here! These two bullied me!” As she spoke, she pointed at the coffee on her clothes while pretending to sob. “Look! They ran into me and spilled the special coffee the jewelry boutique had prepared for me all over me. It was so hot! I tried to reason with them, but they even got physical.”

Linda rolled up her sleeve and showed him her arm.

“See? She twisted my arm until it turned red! And with this little girl crying, anyone who didn’t see what happened would think I was the one bullying them!”

Hearing that, I gasped. Most of the coffee had splashed onto me; only a few drops had landed on her, and she had the nerve to twist the story like that.

Henry frowned as he helped to steady her. When his gaze swept over my sister and me, there was not a hint of familiarity in his eyes. His brow furrowed even deeper as his gaze landed on my stained skirt and my sister’s tear-streaked face.

He said with contempt, “So it was you two who bullied Linda?”

“Mr. Jennings,” I cut in, “you can check the surveillance cameras and see exactly what happened.”

I forced down the anger rising in my chest.

The last time I saw Henry was years ago, the year he managed to study his way out of that remote mountain village. Back then, he had stood outside the gates of our family manor with a heavy sack of sweet potatoes slung over his shoulder. He had rubbed the corner of his shirt nervously, his face red as he tried to thank my grandfather. At that time, there had still been a kind of rustic innocence in his features. His eyes were filled with hope for the future, nothing like the slick opportunism he carried now.

Grandpa had always cared deeply about the village where he was born and raised. That was why he had been funding the education of that village’s students for years.

Thinking of Grandpa, I slowly unclenched my fists. Fine. For Grandpa’s sake, I would give him one more chance. Whether he seized it or not would depend entirely on him.

Henry gave me a cold stare, his gaze fixed on the large dark coffee stain across my chest. His expression was flippant, and his tone was thick with disgust.

“Surveillance? Why would I need to check that? I trust my girlfriend’s word. An adult who can’t even walk properly? I’d say you did it on purpose.”

Linda immediately cried even harder and shrank into his arms. Her fingertip brushed across the barely visible coffee speck on the hem of her dress.

“Henry, it’s not that I care about the coffee. I’m just worried they might have gotten burned. After all, if something happened in our own mall, it wouldn’t sound good. But they pushed me. Look at this dress, it’s the one you gave me.”

Henry’s brows knitted tightly together as if he had just heard something unforgivable.

“This dress was custom-made for Linda by an Italian designer. It’s the only one in the world, and it’s worth a million. Now that you’ve dirtied it with coffee, even repairs won’t restore it to its original state.”

My grip around my sister’s arm tightened, disbelief washing over me. I had seen that dress in a fashion magazine just last week. It was an entry-level luxury brand piece, listed on the official website for only three thousand dollars.

How was it worth a million now?

“Mr. Jennings, are you sure you weren’t scammed? A million for that dress?”

I suppressed the bitter taste in my mouth. Even my voice trembled slightly.

Back then, Grandpa had pulled them out of the mud by funding his education, paving the way for his future, and even bringing him into Jennings Group to work. And now, for the sake of a compulsive liar, he was humiliating the granddaughter whom Grandpa cherished the most.

“What did you say?” Henry snapped, as if someone had stepped on a sore spot. “How would a country bumpkin like you know? Who are you to comment on Linda’s clothes? I think you’re just trying to dodge responsibility! Apologize to Linda right now and compensate us one million dollars. Or I’ll call the police immediately and have you arrested!”

I took a deep breath. Then, deciding to give him one final chance, I said, “Henry Jennings, my name is Joni Jennings.”