CHAPTER 210: GUESS THE BILL

Melissa had already received quite a few gifts from her secret admirer, including branded dresses. All of them were pretty, but none was perfect. She was still hopeful of getting in touch with Sun Couture—or at least with one of the few fashion houses of her choice.

Sadly, even though she followed up every day, none of them had responded yet. Even if they did, it would only be to say one thing: the designer wasn’t yet available.

"Mrs. Bennet, are you sure you’re going to help our Melissa?" Jasmine stepped closer to Lola as they stopped in front of Sun Couture. "This is wonderful for us, but... might it be a little excessive?"

"Excessive?" Lola arched a brow, smiling. "How is it excessive, Madam Young?"

"The problem is, Sun Couture and a few other fashion houses are quite busy with their next collections," Melissa added gently. "My mom and I just don’t want to bother you."

Part of Melissa was happy that this woman was willing to help, but another part of her knew there was a fifty percent chance they would be turned away. After all, Melissa had been turned down even when she already had an appointment. What chance did they have now, just walking in?

"Don’t worry about it," Lola reassured them. "You’re not bothering me at all."

At that moment, a staff member emerged from the boutique.

"Hi, yes?" she asked politely as she approached the three ladies. When her eyes landed on Melissa, she quickly noticed her. She was about to tell them they were closed—or that they couldn’t take in clients at the moment—when the woman in the middle spoke.

"Hi," Lola said, handing her a card clipped between her fingers. "We’d like to take a look around."

Confused, the staff took the card and checked it. Seeing that it was a special card reserved for the fashion house’s most important clients, she looked up and smiled politely.

"Sure. This way, please," she said, gesturing toward the entrance.

"Thank you," Lola replied with a smile. Jasmine giggled excitedly, and the two of them followed the staff, while Melissa scowled.

"Just like that?" Melissa muttered in disbelief. "But didn’t they say there wasn’t anything available because someone already bought everything?"

Bitterness swelled in her chest as she recalled the humiliation she had faced at these fashion houses. No matter what she said, they hadn’t given her a chance. Yet here was Mrs. Bennet, with no prior appointment, walking in—and their staff assisted her.

"My mom is right," she whispered. "If I don’t want others to look down on me, I need to be patient."

This was the status Melissa desired. She wanted to be someone who could go anywhere in the world and be treated as a VVIP—someone others would wait for, rather than someone who needed an appointment.

Melissa drew a deep breath, calming herself before following them. But instead of immediately joining them, she paused, studying Lola’s side profile.

I thought Mrs. Bennet was old... she thought. I didn’t expect her to be younger... why do I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere, though?

That woman seemed close to her own age. Comparing them made her feel slightly demotivated—and Melissa hated that feeling.

This feeling of inferiority, which Lola often made her feel.

Melissa balled her hands into tight fists, then shrugged and forced a smile.

The world is round, she told herself. It’s better to benefit from her than become her enemy.

With that thought, Melissa approached with a mild smile.

*

*

*

The three checked the catalog while a staff member interviewed Melissa about the design and specifics of the dress she wanted.

"Oh." Lola suddenly perked up while holding her phone. "I’ll just answer this."

Watching her go, Jasmine turned to her daughter. "Melissa, see? This is power."

"..." Melissa pressed her lips together but didn’t argue. "But Mom, didn’t Dad already take back my budget for the dress?"

"What do you mean by budget?" Jasmine laughed softly. "Mrs. Bennet came here with us because she felt bad. I’m sure she’ll be picking up the tab for you as a gift."

"Really? You think so?"

"For others, the prices in these places are unattainable. For us, it’s manageable—but for her, it’s trivial. A dress or two—or even a dozen—won’t hurt her," Jasmine chuckled, already familiar with elites like this. "So don’t worry."

"But what if she doesn’t pay for them?"

"Well..." Jasmine hesitated. "I’ll try to confirm later. For now, just keep your eyes on a few, alright? I mean, the prices here shouldn’t be that high. We can manage."

"Okay."

As mother and daughter refocused on the catalog, Lola watched from a distance. She crossed her arms under her chest, lips curling into a smirk.

"I wonder who will pay today’s bill..."

*

*

*

Melissa and Jasmine took their time selecting the dress for the engagement party. Each requested modification took effort, and the staff treated her kindly, unlike the last visit. Of course, Lola would occasionally comment and give her opinion, adding more modifications and meaning, a higher bill.

"Madam Young, Miss Young, here is the bill." As in the restaurant, the staff handed them a leather folder with the bill inside.

Jasmine opened it with a smile, but the moment she saw the total, she nearly choked.

"Mom..." Melissa said awkwardly, glancing at the staff and then at Lola. Lola only smiled, leaving Melissa to refocus on her mother. Moving closer to Jasmine, she whispered,

"Mom, what are you..." Melissa’s breath hitched the second she saw the bill.

The amount was dizzying. Even if Lawrence hadn’t revoked their budget, this was still twice what they had expected.

As they stared at the staggering total, their eyes instinctively shifted toward Lola. The latter only raised her brows and smiled innocently.

"What? Is there something wrong?"

"Uh..." Jasmine cleared her throat. "I think there’s something wrong with the bill."

She looked at the staff. "Are you sure about this? Or did you mistakenly add an extra zero?"

"No, ma’am," the staff replied. She checked again before confirming, "This is correct."

"Let me see," Lola said, and the staff handed the folder to her.

Assuming Lola would cover the cost, Jasmine and Melissa sighed in relief—briefly—before Lola spoke.

"Oh, it’s not that bad!" she said, smiling as she returned the folder. "They already charged you less than they charge me. It’s a steal."

Melissa and Jasmine stared at her, dumbfounded. Lola tilted her head, feigning ignorance of their dilemma.

After another minute, the staff turned to the mother and daughter. "Are you... going to pay, ma’am?"

Slowly, they looked up, faces twisted in shame. Lola simply observed, innocence clear on her face.

In the end, mother and daughter paid just to save face. Even though it was more than they could afford—and despite the growing crisis in the Lawrence company—they still bought the dress.

Just as Lola had planned.