Chapter 141: Keeping Up Appearances
As a resident of Lindwood City, Barbara knew Joe. In fact, Joe was the highest-ranking official in the entire Lindwood City. Despite her high social standing, Barbara couldn't even get acquainted with Joe. So, how could Jennifer's husband possibly know Joe?
Initially, she felt a sense of jealousy and discontent. Then she doubted it: if James really knew Joe, would he still be struggling to find a job?
Loren, standing beside her, immediately laughed. "Really? Jennifer, you're joking, right? If James knows Joe, I must know the President."
Hearing this, Barbara started to come around.
'What's so special about James knowing Joe? In all of Lindwood City, who doesn’t know Joe? But does Joe know you? It's quite amusing,' she thought.
Suddenly, Barbara's mood improved, and the sarcasm on her face became more pronounced. She mocked, "Jennifer, I forgot to tell you, I also know the mayor of Emerald Isle City; after all, he is a famous man who is always shown on TV."
Jennifer frowned and emphasized, "I'm not joking. James really knows Joe, and Joe knows him too!"
Barbara waved her hand dismissively. "Got it, got it, Jennifer. Why have you become so boastful? Is knowing Joe really worth mentioning? Look, I know Joe too, but you don't see me bragging about it everywhere."
Jennifer was infuriated and felt extremely aggrieved.
She glared at James, hoping he would say something to defend himself, but James remained indifferent. He was looking at two young women walking in the distance, which made her even angrier. If it weren't for the crowd, she would have pinched James. She felt very upset that James always backed down at critical moments.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Can't you see how much they're looking down on you?" Jennifer secretly pinched James and said angrily.
James smiled meaningfully and said, "Don't worry; we don't need to do anything. They won't be laughing for long."
Jennifer said excitedly, "Did you secretly call Joe and ask him to come over?"
James rolled his eyes and thought that Joe wasn't someone he could just call over, especially for something so trivial.
"No," he answered.
Jennifer's expression instantly darkened. "James, are you kidding me?"
James found Jennifer's angry look quite charming, and he was momentarily entranced.
After dinner, the four of them went shopping at the mall and caught up. Jennifer suppressed her annoyance and lowered her stance to discuss issues about business partners with Barbara. Still, Barbara kept talking about other things, constantly bragging about how good her husband was to her.
When they reached a high-end jewelry store, Barbara immediately spotted the most dazzling diamond necklace in the display case. The diamond was large, bright, and radiant, instantly capturing Barbara's attention.
She grabbed Loren's arm and said, "Honey, it's been a long time since you bought me any jewelry. Let's go in and take a look!"
Loren naturally understood what Barbara meant. He also wanted to show off his financial power in front of Jennifer. He had made quite a bit of money recently, so he nodded and said generously, "Sure, let's go in. Anything you like, I'll buy it."
Barbara beamed with joy and excitedly kissed Loren on the cheek. "You're so sweet. I love you so much!"
As she said this, she glanced at Jennifer with a hint of provocation in her eyes and said, "Jennifer, why don't you come in and take a look? Your wedding anniversary is coming up, right? Maybe your husband can buy you something in advance."
Jennifer understood the underlying message in Barbara's words; Barbara was trying to outshine her.
To be honest, Jennifer wasn't someone who liked to compete. She wasn't as passionate about jewelry as other women, but as a woman, she did have a fondness for diamonds. After all, women tend to be captivated by the glitter of such items..
Jennifer had never worn jewelry other than a shabby and small diamond ring.
So when she heard Barbara's words, her first instinct was to back down because she knew James couldn't afford to buy her any jewelry. He probably didn't even have five hundred in his pocket.
Jennifer awkwardly said, "I'll pass. I'm not really interested in jewelry."
Barbara's smile grew even brighter as she said, "You're lying. What woman wouldn’t like jewelry? Your husband can't afford it?"
Jennifer felt extremely embarrassed. Barbara would never have dared to speak to her like this before. Now that Barbara had married a wealthy husband, and she had changed.
Jennifer regretted coming to see Barbara. People really changed as they grew up, and Barbara changed completely.
Just then, James, who had been silent, was about to speak up.
He gently held Jennifer's hand, interlocking their fingers, and smiled. "Barbara is right. Our wedding anniversary is coming up. Let's go in and see if there's anything you like."
Jennifer was stunned. She didn't understand where James got his confidence from. She gave him a look that said, "Do you have money?"
James smiled slightly and didn't directly answer Jennifer. He led her into the jewelry store.
Did James have money? Of course, he did. In addition to the money Michael had given him last time, the two million he got from Curtis last night was enough to buy Jennifer the most expensive jewelry in the store. So he wasn't worried at all.
Barbara saw that James actually dared to go in and gave a mocking sneer, thinking James was just asking for trouble. She decided to humiliate James throughout.
Loren also sneered disdainfully. After learning about James's situation, he looked down on him from the depths of his soul, thinking James was just trying to bluff. He had seen many people like that, and they always ended up embarrassing themselves.
He had an innate hostility towards James.
This hostility came from jealousy. Loren didn't understand why he, an excellent and wealthy man, should marry someone as ordinary as Barbara; while James, who couldn’t be more average, could marry a beauty like Jennifer.
Loren had already decided that he would specifically choose expensive jewelry, just to humiliate James.
"Sir, Ma'am, what kind of jewelry are you looking for?" a pretty saleswoman asked kindly as she walked over.
However, her gaze lingered on James for only two seconds before shifting to Loren. She smiled at Loren. As an experienced jewelry salesperson, she had a unique way of assessing people. She could tell at a glance that James was the kind of man who didn't have much money and was probably only able to afford jewelry worth a few thousand dollars at most. On the other hand, the saleswoman thought Loren was a wealthy man.
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