Chapter 288 Some People Are Masters of Self-Sabotage
Upon hearing that, Aaron lowered his gaze to the red wine in his hand, its deep crimson hue carrying the captivating scent of grapes. "Man, I got no clue," he muttered.
"Dude, you're totally in love with her," Sam shot back.
Aaron lit up a cigarette, the whole situation was a mess. Susanna was pregnant, and who knows if the kid was even his.
'Who says Aaron's a cold-hearted jerk?' Sam thought. 'Guys like him don't fall easy, but when they do, it's all in, no holding back.'
"Hand me one," Aaron said, grabbing a cigarette, lighting it, and blowing out a smoke ring.
His eyes were dark and complicated, filled with disgust. He never thought he'd catch feelings for anyone, let alone Susanna. If he had seen this coming, he would've kept his distance when they got hitched.
Sam couldn't help but ask, "What's so special about Susanna that got you hooked?"
Aaron's voice was heavy. "I can't explain it, man. There's just no one like her."
"You're screwed," Sam laughed.
Sam was right; Aaron was in deep.
If Susanna was still just an orphan, things would be easier. But now, as the heiress of the Jones family in Novaria, she could cause a lot of trouble if things went south.
Aaron finally spoke, "How do I show her how I really feel?"
Sam put out his cigarette, unable to stand seeing Aaron like this.
With her exams done, Susanna felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. All that was left was her graduation thesis. She was almost there.
Three years ago, after marrying Aaron, Maud had made her take a break from school, and she always regretted it. Now, she was finally making up for lost time.
Flandre had invited her out for some shopping, and they planned to meet at the mall.
"Congrats on passing your exam today, Susanna!" Flandre cheered.
"The results aren't out yet."
"I know you'll ace it, no doubt."
Susanna smiled. "Let's go, let's hit the shops!"
This weekend, she had a party at the Abbott Mansion. Aviana, who couldn't make it to Novaria lately, had been bugging her to try on the latest dresses at DivineDynasty and had already set it up for her. If she didn't go, Aviana would keep nagging.
Flandre linked arms with her. "I've been dying to shop at a fancy store with you. Gonna post all about it later!"
They used to joke about Susanna getting rich so they could live it up together. Now, it was actually happening.
Laughing and chatting, they walked into DivineDynasty. Susanna told Flandre, "If you see anything you like, try it on. I've got Aviana's membership card."
Aviana's card was top-tier.
"Cool, I won't hold back. I can't buy it, but I can still try it on." Flandre whispered, looking thrilled, not jealous at all.
"Is DivineDynasty lowering its standards? Anyone can just stroll in now?"
A sharp voice cut through the air, and Susanna turned to see Sienna and Lvy, the mother-daughter duo she last saw at the Abbott Mansion.
Sienna strutted into the store with an air of arrogance and said to the clerk, "Your store needs to up its game. Don't let in people who clearly can't afford anything. It ruins the brand's image."
Lvy chimed in, "Yeah, what if they damage the clothes? They couldn't pay for them in a million years."
Susanna laughed and said, "Then people like you, who always buy fakes and pretend they're real, shouldn't come here either. Wouldn't want folks thinking this place sells knock-offs."
She was throwing shade about the time Sienna and Lvy bought a fake scarf for Maria and got called out.
Sienna and Lvy's faces turned sour. Lvy huffed, "I got tricked by a friend. How was I supposed to know it was fake?"
"Yeah, Lvy just trusted her friend too much. Unlike some poor, homeless orphans who can't afford anything here," Sienna said, backing up Lvy.
Lvy added smugly, "Susanna, don't you know this place is members-only? Only members can shop here."
Before Susanna could respond, Flandre jumped in, "As if we don't have a membership. Maybe your card is as fake as those designer knock-offs you love to show off. Always flaunting fake stuff, never buying the real deal, and then coming back for more fakes."
After Flandre's outburst, Sienna and Lvy looked guilty but quickly snapped back, "Who are you to accuse us of having fake cards? You don't even have a card yourself, so you have no right to talk."
Sienna turned to a familiar clerk. "Juliette, don't let them ruin our shopping experience."
Juliette, who had always been chummy with Sienna and Lvy, instinctively sided with them. She looked at Susanna with some hostility and said, "Sorry, if you don't have a membership, you can't shop here. Would you like to apply for one first?"
"Don't be ridiculous, they can't afford a membership card. They have no money!"
Susanna calmly pulled out a gold membership card from her bag. "Who said I don't have a membership card?"
Juliette's face changed instantly when she saw the card, and her attitude flipped. "Ma'am, would you like me to call the manager to assist you?"
Usually, members with this level of card got personal attention from the manager.
Sienna looked confused. "You should check that card. What if it's fake?"
Lvy raised her voice on purpose. "Exactly, that card looks different from ours. I've never seen DivineDynasty have such a card. Susanna, if you're going to fake it, at least make it look real."
Susanna smirked, "It's normal that you haven't seen this card. After all, you're not qualified!"
'Some people are masters of self-sabotage,' Susanna thought, rolling her eyes.
At that moment, the manager hurried over and respectfully stood by Susanna. "Ms. Jones, sorry I'm late. As our esteemed Super VIP customer, would you prefer me to clear the store for you?"
