Chapter 29
Troy, with Marcus and others, fled in disarray.
James received cheers and applause from the entire market.
Troy's group had been pressing them hard, and now that James had helped them vent and even waived the management fee, the vendors were grateful.
So they all came up, not only buying all the coffee but also giving away their goods.
James wanted to return the gifts but was scolded by them for being ignorant.
James and Michelle had no choice but to accept the gifts.
They wouldn't need to go shopping for half a month.
Michelle was in high spirits, beaming like never before, and then she took James and Mary home with a smile on her face.
At noon, the dining table was set with dishes that were all delicious, and James and Mary feasted to their hearts' content.
James and Mary stayed until 5:00 p.m. before heading back to the Smith family. But just as they arrived at the bottom of their apartment building, Mary received a call and then pulled James into the car.
During the drive, Mary informed them that Christopher was hosting dinner tonight.
Christopher's business was thriving with a new big project, and his sister Stella had just been promoted to head of department - a reason for double celebration.
So the Clark family invited Addison and others to dine at the Wealthy Restaurant.
Addison and Charles were occupied, so Mary and James were to represent them.
Hearing this, James was reluctant and asked, "Do I have to go?"
The Rolex incident had caused Christopher and Abigail to lose face, and James was worried about being targeted if he went.
Mary joked and said, "Christopher and Abigail specifically asked for you to be there; if you don't go, they'll say the Smith family is rude."
"Besides, if you don't draw the fire, won't they mock me?"
James playfully slapped Mary's thigh and said, "You're trying to save your skin at my expense."
His palm felt the silk stockings, a great texture with a hint of warmth.
Mary's body visibly shivered, clearly resistant to a man's touch, but unusually, she didn't slap James's hand away. She didn't scream or get angry either; she just pretended not to notice and kept her eyes on the road ahead.
Unconsciously, she had grown to accept this man.
James took the opportunity to rub a little more...
Mary didn't react.
James rubbed higher...
Mary's eyelids twitched, but she remained silent.
James rubbed even higher.
"Is that enough?" Mary shouted at James.
Startled, James withdrew his hand...
At 7:00 p.m., James and Mary appeared in a private room at the Wealthy Restaurant.
The room was luxuriously decorated, with three large round tables accommodating thirty people and a minimum spend of eight thousand dollars per table, showing the Clark family had really splurged.
The tables were already full, and people were chatting happily.
Mary and James greeted everyone one by one, but the Clark family's people were indifferent and impatient, which made Mary quite disheartened.
Christopher's parents, though hosts, were lukewarm and pointed to seats near the entrance.
Abigail and Stella didn't even give James a proper look.
James didn't mind it and sat down with Mary at the edge.
Mary glanced at him and said, "You're really laid-back. Can you eat like this? Can't you have some dignity and leave?"
James just smiled. "I gave a gift, so I should at least have a meal."
Mary wanted to scold him.
Seeing everyone gathered, Christopher and Stella's mother, Kylie, stood up with pride and satisfaction.
She said, "Today's party is to toast Christopher's $30 million deal with the Sullivan family business and Stella's promotion to admin head at WH Group - two big reasons to celebrate !"
Christopher and Stella's father, Frank, also stood up smiling. "Enjoy the food and drinks tonight, and feel free to ask for anything you need."
Frank and Kylie were beaming with pride.
"That..." Abigail suddenly looked at James, who was eating voraciously.
She said, "Mary, no offense, but you should really push James."
"Christopher is only three years older than James. He may not be a Forbes tycoon, but he has a car, a house, and a company."
"And James has achieved nothing and still depends on the Smith family."
She vented her frustration from the Rolex incident, saying, "Aren't you ashamed? I'm ashamed for the Smith family."
"You can't blame James; he's been trying hard," Christopher smirked. "But his abilities are really limited. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a live-in son-in-law."
Mary's complexion changed slightly, and she wanted to say something, but James shook his head to stop her.
He wasn't done eating.
Frank and Kylie looked over with deep disdain.
Both sons-in-law, but their son was a big boss, while James relied on the Smith family. How could they not look down on him?
Abigail didn't say anything to clarify.
Mary's pretty face turned angry. She said, "It's not like that..."
"If you're not capable, at least be content and stop causing trouble for the Smith family."
As the elder, Benjamin scolded James, "Be down-to-earth; don't aim too high."
James, gnawing on a chicken leg, nodded repeatedly. "Yes."
Stella glanced at James with arrogance and disdain.
"Stella, now that you're a manager, you see if the WH Group needs any odd jobs done; let James do some; at least he'll sustain his basic living conditions," Abigail suggested mockingly, "We're all family; we should help if we can."
"What are you talking about?" Kylie responded haughtily, "Stella is at the WH Group, a big company; Nepotism in hiring should not be allowed."
Stella said, "That's right, you are correct, Mom."
"The WH Group is a big corporation, and although I'm an administrative head managing over a dozen people, it's not a place where you can just stuff people in."
Stella looked down on James and said, "Even though our janitors have a bachelor degree, someone like James really can't fit in."
In her eyes, James was a hopeless case, never able to stand tall.
"Come work with me." Christopher waved grandly. "I'm collaborating with the Sullivan family on a Disney project. It's a huge undertaking, and I need a lot of people."
"James, come to Disney tomorrow to find me; I'll pay you five thousand dollars a month for bricklaying."
Abigail's smile was teasing. "James, you should thank your brother-in-law right away."
James put down his cutlery, looking surprised. He said, "Sorry, I was thinking about something just now; I didn't catch what you were saying."
Christopher and the others were speechless.
"What's wrong with you? Christopher kindly arranged a decent job for you, but didn't you hear anything?" Benjamin scolded, "Are you deaf?"
Mary's cheeks were hot; she wanted to say something, but James held her down.
James continued to eat and drink, having been given a two-thousand-dollar gift; he had to eat more to make it worth it.
The Clark family's relatives scolded James for his ignorance, "All you do is eat; you don't even answer when the elders talk to you."
"Don't blame him; when does he have the chance to eat at a fancy hotel? Of course, he's going to eat all he can."
Stella also looked down on James with her long, silky legs crossed.
Mary's pretty face looked upset, and if James had not held her back, she would have flipped the table and left.
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.
James, sitting in the corner, was bumped, and the chicken leg he was gnawing on fell to the ground.
Then, a few defiant black men barged into the room, one with long hair and a panda bear, shouting at Christopher and his family, "Everyone out, we're taking this room."
Christopher slammed the table and said, "We're not finished eating."
"Mr. Sullivan wants to sit here; even the god would give way." The arrogant young man with a cigarette looked down on Christopher and said, "Won't you give up the seat?"
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