Zoe Shaw frowned slightly. After wandering aimlessly around the Ford Estate, she finally found Cyrus Ford in the study.
Hearing footsteps, Cyrus looked up and saw it was Zoe. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked in an indifferent tone, "What is it?"
Zoe curled her lips into a smile. "Mr. Ford, I need to attend a class reunion. Please open the gates."
Cyrus sat there calmly, seemingly hearing the underlying meaning in Zoe’s words. "No one is stopping you from leaving."
Hearing this, Zoe felt utterly speechless. She marveled at how anyone in the world could be as shameless as Cyrus. Every single security guard at the gates of the Ford Estate was blocking her way, leaving her with no means of escape. He was lying through his teeth!
Zoe took a deep breath. She knew Cyrus was vindictive and was doing this just to make things difficult for her. Since he wanted to play this game, he couldn’t blame her for purposely trying to disgust him!
Putting on a sickeningly sweet voice, she said half-jokingly, "Then send someone to follow me. I’m afraid of being assassinated halfway there."
Her words were a mix of truth and jest, carrying a distinct hint of sarcasm directed at Cyrus.
Cyrus’s eyes narrowed, a cold sneer tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You’ve been at the Ford family home for quite a few days now. Is your husband not worried about you at all?"
Zoe’s eyes flickered, but she feigned composure. "He’s busy!"
Cyrus’s indifferent voice rang out. "So busy that he completely ignores his wife and child?"
Zoe choked on her words, speechless for a moment.
Cyrus’s gaze deepened, his tone laced with a hint of exasperation at her poor choices. "Zoe, are you really willing to stay married to a man like that?"
Zoe blinked, not understanding what Cyrus meant or why he was suddenly resorting to insults. Even if she had offended him, her nominal husband, Zachary Morgan, hadn’t done anything to provoke him! The man was unbelievable.
"Yes. Our marital relationship is none of your concern, thank you," she retorted.
Cyrus stared at Zoe’s smiling face. The Buddha Beads on his wrist had somehow rolled to his fingertips. The smooth surface and the angle of the light made him look somewhat sinister.
"Very well. I hope you can maintain this attitude."
His faint praise sent a chill through her heart. Fortunately, he didn’t continue arguing with her and instead granted her a pass. No one stopped Zoe all the way out the door. However, she was trailed by two burly bodyguards.
Upon arriving at the evening wear boutique, Zoe’s mouth twitched in exasperation. "If you two go in, you’ll definitely scare people. Since there are no other exits in this store, just wait for me outside!" The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
The bodyguards exchanged a glance, hesitating briefly before finally agreeing to stay out, persuaded by Zoe’s logic. However, their attention remained fixed on her. At the slightest sign of trouble, they would immediately contact the mall manager and lock down the entire building. Zoe wouldn’t be able to escape even if she grew wings!
As soon as she entered, Zoe devoted her full attention to picking out a gown. Although the store was filled with a dazzling array of dresses, all from the latest season, none caught her eye immediately. After taking a lap around the store, Zoe suddenly spotted a familiar gown hanging in a display window that instantly captivated her.
She called out, "Hello, could you please bring me that dress to try on?"
Coincidentally, another voice rang out at the exact same time, asking for the very same dress. The two exchanged a look, and Zoe realized that Claire Lockwood was also in the boutique.
She felt like Claire was a lingering ghost. In this massive store, the other woman just had to set her sights on the exact same dress.
Claire clearly hadn’t expected to run into Zoe. Realizing the woman was trying to snatch the dress from her, Claire’s expression shifted, tinged with a hint of disdain.
"A broke medical assistant like you—can you even afford it?"
Zoe shot Claire a fleeting glance but didn’t reply.
However, Claire mistakenly thought she had hit a sore spot. Unable to hide her smug smile, she continued her sarcastic mockery.
"Let me tell you, if you don’t have the money, don’t come here pretending to be a big shot. Any random dress in here would probably cost you several years’ salary!
"Or maybe you’re just going to try it on and snap a few pictures to post online, pretending to be a socialite?
"This store really needs to raise its standards. They shouldn’t just let any stray cat or dog wander in—it completely ruins the shopping mood! After all, I’m here specifically to pick out my engagement dress!"
Claire deliberately emphasized the word "engagement." Unfortunately for her, as she stared intently at Zoe, the other woman’s expression remained as placid as still water, completely unchanged.
The sales associate was a snob who naturally recognized Claire as one of the boutique’s high-spending annual VIPs. Comparing her to Zoe—who was wearing a simple coat over a long dress without a single accessory—the associate’s bias immediately leaned to one side.
Following Claire’s lead, the sales associate cast Zoe a sidelong glance and said coldly, "Miss Lockwood is right. This piece here was designed by the famous Cherelle! There are only a few of them in the entire world!"
Cherelle?
Zoe suddenly remembered that this was the very dress Rory Shaw had designed a few days ago. Zoe had even been the first person to try it on! As a result, the versions released to the market were all tailored to her specific measurements. If someone didn’t have a near-perfect figure, they wouldn’t be able to fit into it at all. This story is hosted at g.com.
Zoe curled her lips into a smirk. "Clothes can be picky about their wearers, too."
"It’s good that you understand. Since you know you can’t afford it, why don’t you get the hell out?" Claire maintained an air of elegance as she gracefully took a seat on the VIP sofa, threatening to have Zoe thrown out.
Hearing this, the sales associate stepped forward, looking as though she was going to physically remove Zoe.
Zoe took a step back, leaving behind a casual remark. "Go ahead and try it, Miss Lockwood. You won’t be able to fit into it anyway."
In an instant, Claire’s face darkened as she glared fixedly at Zoe’s retreating silhouette.
She refused to believe it.
Flustered and exasperated, Claire ordered the sales associates to accompany her into the fitting room. She was determined to wear this dress and fiercely trample over Zoe at her wedding banquet with Cyrus!
The sales associates thought they had just scored a huge commission. Overjoyed, they scrambled over each other to help Claire try on the gown.
"Miss Lockwood, your figure is so wonderful and slim! I’m dying of jealousy. This dress will definitely suit you perfectly."
"Absolutely! Miss Lockwood is fair-skinned and beautiful. She’s practically the chosen one for this gown!"
The employees’ sycophantic flattery was music to Claire’s ears. Soon, the staff worked together to get the dress onto her.
Raising her chin, Claire admired herself in the floor-to-length mirror with satisfaction, just as they prepared to zip up the back.
The very next second, Claire’s expression changed. No matter how hard she tried, the zipper wouldn’t budge past her waist, as if it were stuck. The tightness around the waist was one thing, but the chest area was completely hollow. Unless she layered on two or three silicone inserts, she couldn’t fill it out at all!
"What kind of garbage dress is this? Is this even meant for a human to wear? This design is completely absurd! Tear it to pieces!"
Zoe’s graceful, curvaceous figure suddenly flashed through Claire’s mind. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Zoe would be able to fit into it perfectly. Her jealousy flared to its absolute peak, and she began to overtly and violently tear at the dress she was wearing.
Unfortunately for her, the quality of the garment was too superb. After a long, pathetic tantrum of trying to destroy it, the dress remained completely unharmed!