Chapter 20
James's words struck a nerve with Ava; she couldn't believe that a son-in-law would dare to be so insolent.
After all, not only was she Mary's best friend, but she was also a wealthy heiress with a net worth of over a hundred million dollars—far beyond what James could compare to.
She didn't confront him immediately, though. After cooling down a bit, she dismissed James's words as an overcompensation for his inferiority complex.
Regardless of whatever arrogant attitude James displayed, he was still a poor boy with no background in their eyes. They looked down on him.
How could a mere son-in-law compare with them?
Having come to this realization, Ava couldn't be bothered to engage in a war of words with James any longer.
Soon, the four of them made their way up to the fifth floor.
Pushing the door, James immediately saw a group of men and women gathered inside, each one decked out in jewelry, exuding affluence and status.
When Mary and her group appeared, the crowd turned their heads to look, their eyes lighting up slightly.
Clearly, Mary's beauty had quite an impact.
"Mary, Madelyn, Ava, you've arrived." A chubby young man laughed heartily and strode forward to greet them.
The chubby man had a high nose bridge and a large frame, clad in designer clothes, and the gold chains around his neck and the three gold rings on his fingers gave off an aura of a parvenu.
"Samuel, you really haven't changed in ten years; still as tasteless as ever," Madelyn huffed, criticizing his showy gold rings and chains.
Mary quietly introduced Samuel to James, "That's Samuel, the former sports committee member, son of the owner of the Coal Mine, but they've gone bankrupt."
James nodded slightly.
"I'd love to throw them all away," Samuel said with a vibrant smile, "Unfortunately, the coal mine has been exhausted, and my family's fortune has nearly dissipated."
"All I have left is this set of gold jewelry."
"It's my last asset for mingling in the circles of the rich. Without it, I probably couldn't even get through the doors of this club."
Despite his nouveau riche demeanor, Samuel's straightforwardness added a layer of likability in James's eyes.
Madelyn scoffed, "Such a country bumpkin, so vain."
"Mary, you are truly a campus belle; you're becoming more beautiful by the day." Samuel ignored Madelyn and turned to Mary with a friendly face. "It's a shame my family went bankrupt. Otherwise, I would definitely pursue you."
"Don't even dream about it," Ava interjected, "Mary's already married."
"That's right, this one here, the son-in-law, James, is Mary's husband."
The group gasped in disbelief, turning their incredulous gazes toward James.
It seemed they hadn't expected this unremarkable man to be Mary's husband.
"Don't be so surprised; he is Mary's husband, but he's really just a servant," Ava said, filled with hostility toward James, "Mary could kick him to the curb at any moment."
"Ava!" Mary frowned slightly, chiding Ava for her tactless comments.
However, James didn't mind and greeted everyone casually, "Hello, everyone."
The group of stylish men and women glanced away dismissively, not bothering to acknowledge James.
However, Samuel stepped forward and handed James a business card, saying, "Hello, James, I'm Samuel. Nice to meet you."
Even though James looked even more down on his luck than him, without even a gold necklace, Samuel believed in the value of making more friends.
James accepted the business card with a smile, saying, "Nice to meet you."
"Alright, Madelyn, don't talk about them anymore. When is Mr. Sullivan coming?" Ava glanced at James disdainfully and said, "We need to resolve Mary's financial issues soon."
James was taken aback, not expecting Mary's company to be in trouble.
Samuel also widened his eyes in surprise and said, "Mary, are you having cash flow problems?"
"Yes, a small issue." Mary's lips twitched as she met James's gaze, a subtle sign she didn't mind him knowing her situation, having attended the gathering regardless.
At the same time, she felt a twinge of complexity—if only James hadn't been so useless, she wouldn't have to ask her best friend to arrange a loan.
"How much are you short?" Samuel asked boldly.
"Samuel, what does it matter to you?" Madelyn sneered, "Your family is just an empty shell now. Are you going to sell that shell to lend to Mary?"
Samuel's eyes bulged, and he said, "I am indeed an empty shell, but it's still worth something. If Mary needs it, I'll sell it right away."
James was taken aback by Samuel's generosity, wondering why he was so willing to help without hesitation.
Mary waved him off with a smile and said, "No need, Samuel. Ava has helped me find a solution."
James asked softly, "Is the shortfall very large?"
"Fifty million dollars." Madelyn looked at James and Samuel with a cold laugh. "Do you have this money?"
Samuel immediately fell silent. Fifty million dollars was not a problem during his heyday, but now he could barely scrape together five million dollars.
As for other friends, two or three million dollars wouldn't be an issue, but borrowing fifty million dollars would likely get him blocked.
James frowned slightly, surprised at the size of Mary's financial gap.
He excused himself and stepped outside to the corridor, then took out his WH Group VIP card and dialed the customer service number on the back...
"When it counts, you men are useless," Ava said with disdain as she saw Samuel silent and James stepping out to make a call, "I didn't expect anything from you anyway."
She proudly stated, "I've already connected with Stanley Sullivan. He'll be here soon to meet with Mary."
Samuel was shocked and said, "Stanley? The Stanley of Sullivan Group?"
"You've got some sense," Ava confirmed, "Yes, Stanley, who has over a dozen construction teams and dozens of projects worth over two billion dollars."
Ava spoke indifferently, "I've gone through a lot of trouble to set this up. When he arrives, make sure you're all courteous. It's the least you can do to help Mary."
"Mary, Stanley is a scoundrel. You shouldn't borrow his money," Samuel frowned and said, "I had a friend who borrowed a million dollars from him and ended up selling his house and car to pay back over ten times. His newlywed wife even ended up in Sullivan's bed."
"Shut up!" Ava shouted, "Don't slander Mr. Sullivan."
"Mary, you can't borrow this money..." Samuel persisted, "I'll find a way to help you. Fifty million dollars is a lot for me, but I can sell everything and scrape together twenty million dollars."
"I'll ask other friends, get a loan, and thirty million dollars shouldn't be a problem."
Samuel was serious and said, "Yes, I'll get you thirty million dollars to tide you over. You should not borrow from Stanley."
Mary quickly waved hands and said, "No need, Samuel. I can't take your money."
"We're friends," Samuel stood tall and said, "If it weren't for the money you lent me for the lawsuit, I'd probably still be in jail picking up soap."
After his family went bankrupt and his stepmother attempted to claim their remaining fortune, Samuel was on the brink of debt imprisonment. Mary stepped in, lending him money for legal defense and connecting him with competent lawyers. This allowed him to evade the debts and retain some family assets. He was forever indebted to Mary.
"Fatso, will you ever stop?" Ava shouted impatiently, "That little money of yours won't even be enough for your weight loss."
Samuel's face was resolute. He said, "No matter what, Mary must not borrow money from Stanley."
Before he could finish, the tightly closed private room door was suddenly kicked open.
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