The invitation
The manager could no longer hide and he hurried out with his pot belly jiggling around, his forehead was soaked with sweat and his body trembled in fear. He looked at Lily who was casually standing to the side with her arms folded and his eyes shrank, with regret.
If I had known this person was a VVIP guest I would not have treated her with such disrespect?! I would have welcomed her myself! How could I have been so foolish? Those low-class peasants normally feel intimidated by the grandeur of this building. How could they have come to cause trouble?
He thought as he fell on his knees in front of Lily with his head touching the ground, “Please Young Mistress. I was blind and I could not see, please forgive me. I have three daughters to take care of at home, I can’t afford to lose my job!” he pleaded with a trembling voice.
As he reached out to grab Lily’s cloth, she sidestepped him and he fell on his face with a sickening thud, “Please respect yourself and do not touch me!” she sneered and glared down at him.
The diners around watched with bated breath, everyone shocked and horrified as the scene played out.
At least one out of five of them had an encounter with the bald pot-bellied and shrewd manager. The man was well known to be haughty and difficult to deal with. He was well known for his favouritism, to make the VIP guest look good and respected he would embarrass the regular diners.
Seeing him grovelling at the feet of a peasant made everyone feel contented and happy. At least someone has dealt with him on their behalf.
However, as their thoughts drifted back to the gold card in Lily’s hand they swallowed their name-calling and unconsciously began to see her as one of them.
Can a peasant own a card that not even the top brass family can get easily? Impossible!
“She and her family must be one of those hidden families with huge backgrounds who came out to experience life!” Someone muttered and everyone agreed without a second thought.
Merissa, who had been trying to use the opportunity to ruin Lily’s reputation and regain public opinion, stood with a pale face outside the restaurant after being kicked out, her body trembling with fear and shock.
‘How can that country bumpkin own such a valuable thing?’
‘Even my father had to toil and flatter before he got the smallest black card!’
‘It must be fake! It has to be!’ she repeated in her head. While watching the scene. Nancy, one of her friends stepped forward with an accusing expression while pointing her phone in Merissa’s face, “Didn’t you say that your family is the one sponsoring Lily to school?” She demanded.
“Of course, it’s my family. How can she afford to be here without the help of my family? Did I not show you the kind of shabby house they live in? I was so disgusted that I couldn’t take another step away from my car!” She hurriedly explained, “Don’t be deceived by the gold card she’s holding, it’s fake!” She added firmly, already concluding in her heart that Lily forged the card pretending to be rich so she could get mixed in with the upper class.
Nancy sneered and shoved the phone closer to Merissa’s face, “Then explain this to me!” She demanded “My brother works in the School’s administration office and after asking him, he told me Lily is one of the half scholarship students and the other half is paid by her family. He even sent a picture to prove it! See? Is your family spending such crumpled-up money?!” Nancy demanded.
“I never knew your family has such a hobby of spending money that can only be gotten by those street vendors! How can you be so shameless? Just to make yourself look good, you tried ruining her reputation!” Nancy exclaimed, causing another set of people to gather around.
Although she wasn’t innocent, Nancy knew the struggles of those on the lower rank of society, after all her family had just recently gotten rich and she wasn’t like those whose families had centuries and generational wealth.
She had initially gotten close to Merissa because she was an easy target to get close to while surfing the deep waters of the school, always putting up with her attitude and character. After all, her father always preached the importance of connection but why would she need to make connections with such a two-faced person?
“What are you talking about? Are you believing that peasant over your friend?” Gia snapped and dragged Nancy away from Merissa.
“What is there not to believe? Isn’t the evidence right here? She had been lying to everyone all over the school about the innocent girl. What’s to say that the post circulating the internet right now was not planned by her just to ruin the girl’s reputation further?” Nancy demanded angrily and Gia scoffed.
“So what if it’s all a lie? Huh? Was it our fault she was poor? She deserves everything that comes to her and even more! Peasants like her should only sit around and get bullied by us!” Gia countered, leaving Nancy speechless.
“Both of you are unbelievable!” she exclaimed, “I want nothing to do with you two! I’m afraid I’ll one day die in my sleep if I continue being your friend” She glared and walked away.
Merissa looked around and saw some people whispering around while giving her dirty looks. Nancy’s voice was not low when she was talking and her words could be heard by those passing by, seeing the looks she was receiving, Merissa shrank in on herself and pulled Gia away as she hurried off the campus to hide in the confinement of her house.
Lily sneered as she saw her leaving and sent a message to the system, “Send her a text from my other number, telling her this is just the beginning”
{Hehehe… that’s what I’m talking about! You have to enjoy the look of panic and defeat in your opponent’s face, and watch them struggle fruitlessly! That’s the true way of revenge! You are learning quickly!}
“I’m sorry for the way you were treated by our family establishment, to apologise, let me treat you to breakfast” Celina smiled politely, her eyes full of hope.
Due to both their busy schedules, they have not been able to have their lunch date and she had been looking forward to it. However, she was more interested in the low-key girl who casually brought out the gold card.
If 10 million was the only thing needed to get the card then almost everyone in the city full of rich people would have it. However, the ten million was just a small requirement for having the card and the requirement gets even more impossible as time goes on.
Not only does it require the holder of the card to have at least a hundred million in their account, but they also need to have at least five per cent shares in the Watson group.
The system had somehow managed to get all those done in less than five minutes. If Lily heard it, she would be horrified at the power the system wields.
Seeing the gold card in Lily’s hand, Celina became even more determined to find out the origin of the beauty-improving medicine the lady had given her the other day.
Lily thought about her reason for coming and realising it was already achieved even beyond her calculations she decided to join Celina for breakfast.
Her intention for coming was to plant the seed of doubt into people’s hearts about her identity as a pauper, can a pauper afford to eat in a restaurant where their minimum dish is a hundred dollars?
She had not been expecting the waitress to cause a scene, nor was she expecting Merissa to come at the time she did, but everything had worked well and boosted her goal all thanks to the system.
As she walked into the VIP booth she saw Mark casually sitting by the table and froze in her steps, seeing this, Celina smiled awkwardly and quickly apologized, “Sorry about this, I had a breakfast appointment with my cousin previously. I hope you don’t mind eating with us?” she asked hopefully and Lily shrugged.
“It’s fine, food is best eaten with more company” She replied and sat opposite Mark who acknowledged her with a nod, “I’m sorry for the way our staff treated you miss” he apologized and she waved him off, “It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault anyways. Those kinds of things happen every once in a while we can’t change it” she replied with a smile and Mark nodded in satisfaction.
He wanted to see if she would make things difficult for them, after all as a gold card owner, she had the right to demand more compensation for the scene earlier. Seeing how laid back she is he immediately approved of her being friends with his dearest cousin.
“If I may ask Miss, what family are you from? I’m familiar with most upper-class families but I’ve never seen your face before” he probed, intending to check her identity as soon as possible.
Lily also caught on to his thought, she could tell how the mind of the rich works. Have been one in her last life. She shrugged and picked up the tablet used for placing orders, “My family is from the lower class, that’s probably why you haven’t seen my face before now. I just so happened to casually pick up the card on the roadside” she replied innocently making Celina snicker in amusement.
Mark chuckled, “You didn’t have to tell lies to cover your identity, Miss, the card is worth more than people know and no one would dare drop it anyhow. I understand you aren’t comfortable with sharing your identity” he pointed out and Lily grinned cheekily.
Soon their orders were brought in and the three immediately dug in to eat, “Can you please tell Mother I don’t want to go to Paris with her?” Celina asked with a mouth full of food earning a glare from Mark.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
“Watch your manners! Why would you talk with a mouthful of food? What if you choke?” he reprimanded and Celina shrugged, swallowing her food she repeated her request with puppy eyes.
“I don’t want to attend the Paris show with her this year, can you talk to her?” She pouted and Mark shook his head, “I can’t, I already helped you get out of the New York runway last time”
“I will be your spokesperson for the Wave series if you help me out” she offered with a mischievous smile and Mark smirked, “Your mum had a better offer and I already accepted it so you have no choice but to attend,” he replied and Celina’s eyes widened in shock as she pointed her fork towards him, “You sold me out!”
“I didn’t, I only did what was best for my business. Besides, your role model will be at the Paris show this year, why are you trying to avoid it?”
“Because that green tea bitch from the Thompson family will be there. I don’t want to see her until we get to the nationals!” Celina lamented, “Our school is a rival to theirs and I’m sure she’ll be nominated to represent the senior of her school as the seamstress. I don’t know what that family thinks, always publicising that talentless idiot!” she added feeling aggrieved at the thought of the girl.
Lily watched in amusement as Celina threw a tantrum about not attending the show, “Why didn’t you invite your friend here and both of you can go together, you won’t have to deal with Auntie and the girl” Mark offered and Celina’s eyes lit up in excitement.
“Yes! You are right. Come with me to Paris! Trust me you will like it! You are a designer, right? I can introduce you to some people! You can’t say no!”