All eyes turned to him.
Maya Rivers was secretly dumbfounded.
‘I could work my fingers to the bone for ten years and still not make that much.
What a world of difference.’
With his high status came popularity, and Oscar Quincy instantly became the object of everyone’s flattery.
“The Westwood Group comes from a super-rich family dynasty.
I see news about them in the business section all the time, and their family is on the Forbes list every year.
Oscar Quincy, you’re so amazing!”
“You were such an excellent student back then.
No wonder you’re so successful now.”
“I always said you were destined for bigger things, didn’t I!”
As they moved on to workplace topics, Maya Rivers couldn’t get a word in, so she silently sipped her warm water.
“Back in the day, the top students in our class were Oscar Quincy and Maya Rivers.
Oscar’s making two million a year now.
Maya, where are you working these days?
You must be making even more than him, right?”
Maya Rivers hadn’t expected someone to drag her into the conversation.
They had once been equals, but now they were worlds apart.
No matter how good her attitude was, Maya Rivers couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.
She glanced at a female classmate named Tina Sterling, who was fiddling with a large diamond ring on her finger.
Tina was staring at her with wide eyes, waiting for her answer.
Maya Rivers’s entire outfit probably wasn’t worth as much as that one diamond ring, and she felt a pang of insecurity.
“I run a small shop…”
“You’re just as modest as ever.
A ‘small shop’?
I bet it’s actually a big company.
You’re the amazing one, starting your own business and being your own boss.
The sky’s the limit for your income!
I studied finance, and I just lost my job.
Why don’t you hire me?
I’ll be happy with a monthly salary of just ten thousand.”
Whether the offer was genuine or not, it only made Maya Rivers more uncomfortable.
Her mental fortitude wasn’t as strong as she’d imagined.
She was starting to regret coming to the reunion.
She forced a smile.
“It’s just a small shop on the street.
I’m running it by myself, so I can’t afford an expert like you.”
Tina Sterling looked completely unconvinced.
“Oh, come on.
If you don’t want to give me the opportunity, just say so.
A ‘street-side shop,’ really.
You had such great grades back then and went to a prestigious university, not some vocational school.
How could you end up like this?
I don’t believe it!”
Another classmate, June Carver, chimed in, “Exactly, Maya.
We’re not asking to borrow money from you, so why be so secretive?
What does your company do?
If there’s any business we can do together, classmates should support each other.”
Maya thought, ‘Believe it or not, I don’t give a damn.
I don’t need to prove a thing to you!’
‘So class reunions really are just a toxic mix of tearing people down and sucking up to others.’
Maya Rivers didn’t want to listen to any more ridicule, but she didn’t want to make a scene either.
She took a quiet, deep breath.
When she looked up, her eyes were smiling, and she said graciously, “What’s not to believe?
It’s less than four hundred square feet.
How big can it be?”
Tina Sterling’s expression was theatrical.
“Four hundred square feet?
My bathroom is bigger than that!
So it really is just a small shop on the street!
Maya, you had such great grades, and so many guys were after you.
How did you end up doing so poorly?
You would have been better off just finding a rich man!”
Maya Rivers knew that the war between women had officially begun.
There wasn’t a trace of humiliation or awkwardness on her face.
She spoke with magnanimity.
“That’s right.
I can’t compare to you all.
Every one of you has either made it big or married well!
Tina Sterling, doesn’t your husband work at a bank?
He must pull in eight hundred thousand, maybe a million a year, right?
You’re not unemployed; you’re about to be a full-time housewife.
I’m truly envious.
And June Carver, you said classmates should support each other.
Well, I sell feminine care products, and it just so happens every woman here could use them.
I don’t care what you say, every one of you is buying a set from me today!”
She had started a hard sell.
At her words, the women who had been speaking just moments ago looked awkward.
They never expected the Maya Rivers of today to be so shameless.
Hilary York watched quietly, almost bursting out laughing.
‘This bunch of petty, competitive women.
Of all the people to mess with, they had to pick Maya Rivers.’
Rejection was written all over June Carver’s face.
“I have sensitive skin.
I don’t use products unless they’re from a major brand.”
Maya Rivers pulled out her phone and said in a dead-serious tone, “It doesn’t matter if you have dry, oily, combination, or sensitive skin, I have the right product for you.
I guarantee you’ll love it.
What’s your address?
I’ll have it couriered to you tomorrow.
The original price is 1,299 a set, but for a fellow classmate, the friendship price is 999.
I won’t make a single cent off you.”
June Carver stammered, “You can’t just buy things like this on a whim.
Maybe some other time…”
Maya Rivers cut her off, her tone half-joking, half-serious.
“Weren’t you just saying you’d support my business?
You weren’t just putting on a show and making empty promises, were you?
Quick, give me your address.
And you, Tina Sterling!
And Stella Lowell!
You each have to buy a set today.
You little heiresses have to do me this one favor.”
Everyone shifted uncomfortably, their gazes darting away, not daring to look at her.
Just as Hilary York was about to jump in and play along, Oscar Quincy, who had been watching with a smile, spoke up first.
“Perfect.
I’ll buy a set for my sister.
Maya Rivers, take down my shipping address.”
Maya Rivers looked at him, surprised.
“You really want one?”
Oscar Quincy nodded.
“Just give me your WhatsApp, and I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Maya Rivers didn’t want to swindle money from a guy, but then she had a thought.
‘Oscar Quincy makes two million a year.
A few hundred bucks is pocket change to him.
I can take this ‘ill-gotten gain’ without any guilt.’
“Alright!
Hilary York, add me to the class group chat.”
After receiving Oscar Quincy’s payment, she didn’t let the other women off the hook.
“Tina Sterling, June Carver, should I put a set aside for each of you?
It’s 999!
That’s the wholesale price.
You couldn’t find a deal this good if you searched with a spotlight!”
After she asked again and again, even if she was being shameless, the other women still had their pride to consider.
They had no choice but to bite the bullet and transfer her the money.
The product normally sold for 400, but Maya Rivers was now selling it for 999.
The way she earned it might have been ugly, but seeing her classmates too scared to utter another word, she felt an immense sense of satisfaction.
She and Hilary York exchanged a smile.
Now, Maya Rivers finally had some peace and quiet.
No one even dared to look in her direction, afraid she would pressure them into a sale.
All the classmates had arrived, and the waiters began to serve the dishes.
Oscar Quincy stood up, raising his wine glass.
“It’s rare for us all to gather, and we even managed to get Maya Rivers to come, who we haven’t seen in years.
This meal is on me.
Please, feel free to order anything else you’d like.”
The big shot was paying the bill.
Maya Rivers, relieved that she wouldn’t have to split the cost, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Normally, she would never take advantage of someone’s generosity, but now…
She had to plan out every single dollar she spent.
The moment Oscar Quincy finished speaking, a chorus of compliments erupted.
Oscar Quincy gestured toward Maya Rivers with his wine glass.
Maya Rivers didn’t normally drink, but there’s a saying: “don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” She felt compelled to take a small sip.
Everyone sat down, and the focus returned to Oscar Quincy.
“Oscar Quincy, I heard the chairman of The Westwood Group isn’t long for this world.
Is it true?”
Oscar Quincy elegantly sliced his foie gras.
“That’s confidential company information.
The rumors circulating outside aren’t necessarily true, so you all shouldn’t believe them blindly.”
A classmate said, “But I bought stock in your company.
If the chairman really dies, the share price will probably plummet.
You have to give us a hint.”
A gentle smile on his face, Oscar Quincy replied, “I can only say that the group has indeed undergone some personnel changes in recent months.”
“I know, I know!
The old chairman’s eldest grandson passed away unexpectedly, right?
The designated heir is gone, the old man himself is on his deathbed, so naturally, the people left are going to fight tooth and nail for the top spot.”
Oscar Quincy remained noncommittal about such rumors, simply smiling without a word.
The classmate adopted a regretful tone.
“Speaking of the original heir, it really is a shame.
So young and promising, and then he just up and died.”
Oscar Quincy swirled the wine in his glass.
“The Westwood Heir was indeed a talent.
Back when he was around, we used to have meals together often.”
“You had meals together?
I thought that while he was a business prodigy, he was also supposed to be extremely cold, to the point of disowning his own family, and hated interacting with anyone.
Are you sure you’re not just bragging?”