Chapter 13
Effie and Nita stepped into BV, an Italian fashion house renowned for its timeless style. Inside, everything exuded understated elegance-the brand’s silk scarves were especially famous, crafted with meticulous attention to fabric and detail, featuring floral patterns perfect for sophisticated women who preferred luxury without the flash.
Effie’s eyes lingered on a scarf displayed in the window. Instantly, she thought it would make a wonderful gift-refined and luxurious, but never ostentatious.
Without hesitation, Effie pointed to the very scarf she’d been admiring. “Excuse me,” she said to the sales assistant, “could you please wrap up that scarf for me?” The closer she looked, the more she liked it.
Just as she finished speaking, a sharp voice pierced the air behind her. “I had my eye on that scarf first.”
Effie frowned slightly. That voice… Why did it sound so familiar?
Turning around, she saw Mitchell’s mother and sister, Mrs. Lloyd and Sigrid, standing at the entrance. Both women were weighed down with designer shopping bags, their posture radiating the kind of superiority that comes with old money. They stood there, pointing imperiously at the window display.
Effie let out a resigned chuckle. What were the odds? Today must be her unlucky day, bumping into them of all people.
But she and Mitchell had broken up. There was nothing left to worry about.
Mrs. Lloyd and her daughter Sigrid had always been the sort to worship wealth and look down on those who didn’t meet their standards. From the moment Effie started dating Mitchell, she’d tried to win Mrs. Lloyd over with luxury cosmetics, expensive handbags, and every kind of health supplement she could think of. Especially in the last couple of years, as her own business flourished, Effie had been even more generous with Sigrid as well, never holding back.
But no matter how hard she tried, their hearts stayed cold.
Effie took a deep breath, steadying herself. She turned, wearing a polite smile. “There’s a queue for a reason, isn’t there? Even shopping has rules. First come, first served.”
When Mrs. Lloyd and Sigrid realized it was Effie, their faces tightened with disapproval.
Mrs. Lloyd tilted her chin and shot Effie a frosty glance. Her voice dripped with disdain. “Effie? What are you doing here? Shopping again? Don’t you realize how hard Mitchell works for his money? All you do is spend.”
Sigrid curled her lip in open contempt. “Exactly. Effie, are you sure you didn’t walk into the wrong store? These scarves aren’t exactly cheap, you know. Or are you buying it for your mother?”
She nodded at the scarf-after all, it was a bit mature for Effie’s taste. She’d given her mother plenty of expensive gifts before.
Mrs. Lloyd hesitated, realizing with a jolt that maybe Effie really was buying the scarf as a gift… possibly even for her.
Effie almost laughed. The audacity-did they really believe the world revolved around them?
She hid her amusement behind a perfectly composed smile. “Sorry, this scarf is a gift for an elder, but it’s not for you, Mrs. Lloyd. Mitchell and I have broken up. There’s nothing between us anymore.”
Mrs. Lloyd’s eyes widened. Her voice shot up a notch. “Is that true? Well, thank goodness! You were never right for him. Someone like you could never be good enough for the Lloyd family.”
Sigrid piled on, her tone dripping with mock celebration. “Yes, finally! Don’t think a fancy scarf is going to change who you are. You can’t buy class, no matter how hard you try.”
Nita, who’d been silently fuming, finally snapped. “Did you eat garbage for breakfast or are you always this foul-mouthed?”
Sigrid shot her a look of pure disdain. “How vulgar. Birds of a feather, aren’t you? You should check the mirror before coming into a place like this.”