Chapter 457
Suzan thought bitterly, *If it weren’t for Lionel’s money, why would I bother going through all this trouble to ingratiate myself with Teresa, that scheming little brat?*
To everyone else, Teresa played the part of the sweet, innocent daughter-wide- eyed and obedient whenever her parents were around. But the moment she was alone with Suzan, her whole demeanor shifted. Suddenly, she became sharp- tongued and relentless, never missing a chance to throw out a cutting remark.
The worst part was, as harsh as Teresa’s words were, they weren’t exactly lies. Suzan couldn’t run tattling to Teresa’s parents; no one would ever believe their darling girl could act this way. Instead, they’d probably just assume Suzan had provoked her.
For now, Suzan reminded herself, the most important thing was to keep Lionel on her side and play the victim whenever possible-anything to squeeze a bit more out of him.
Forcing a smile, she asked, “So, Teresa, what do you think we should do?”
Teresa snorted. “How can you be so clueless? You’ve got Dad’s credit card, so just pay for everything and stop making me spell it out for you.”
Suzan had never been humiliated like this before; she wanted nothing more than to slap Teresa right then and there. *Why couldn’t she have just said that from the start, instead of going out of her way to mock me?*
Suddenly, Teresa’s attention was caught by a set of plush toys on the counter. She perked up. “Wait, I want that whole set, too.”
Without hesitation, Suzan nodded. “Of course, of course.”
Effie, watching from the side, was surprised to see Suzan-usually so arrogant and bossy-brought down a peg like this. But it seemed Teresa was the only one who could make her squirm.
The moment Suzan turned to the store clerk, though, it was like flicking a switch. Her expression hardened, her voice sharp. “Are you deaf? Get us that set too.”
The clerk, clearly annoyed, struggled to keep her composure. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but those mystery boxes are currently sold out. They’re one of our most popular items.”
“What? Sold out? Then why are they still on display?” Suzan snapped.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a set of the boxes sitting right there on the counter. “Then what’s this? There’s still some here!”
“Sorry, those have already been purchased by another customer,” the clerk replied.
“Paid for?” Suzan pressed skeptically.
Normally, people who’d already paid would have taken their things and left. Why were these still sitting out?
Just then, Fidelia stepped forward. “Yes, I’ve paid. I’m taking these now.”
“Of course, ma’am,” the clerk said politely.
But Suzan stormed over, slammed her hand down on the bag, and blocked Fidelia from leaving. “I was here first. You only paid after I came in, so it doesn’t count. I’ll give you double what you paid for them.”
Fidelia stared at Suzan like she’d lost her mind, clutching the bag tightly. “Are you serious? Why would I sell them to you?”
“Triple. I’ll pay three times as much,” Suzan insisted.
But Fidelia had no interest in Suzan’s money. “I’m not hurting for cash, thanks.”
“Fine, ten times the price! I doubt anyone would turn that down.”
“Not for sale!”
Suzan reached out, grabbing for the bag. Fidelia was caught off guard by her nerve-if throwing money around didn’t work, Suzan was just going to snatch it instead.
Reacting quickly, Fidelia gripped the other end of the bag. The two of them tugged back and forth, the paper creasing and crumpling, on the verge of tearing it to pieces right there at the counter.