I had just helped my daughter, Daisy, try on a dress when the boutique assistant stopped us. “Excuse me, ma’am, but this is one of our exclusive display pieces. It’s not for general sale.” I paused, then pointed to another dress in the window. “What about that one? Can I see it in my daughter’s size?” The assistant sighed, crossing her arms with an air of impatience. “That one is $12,000. Are you sure you want to try it on?” “Our store policy states that if you try on an item and don’t purchase it, there’s a $3,000 service fee.” Her blatant rudeness actually made me laugh. “Is that a rule set by your boss?” She rolled her eyes. “Our boss doesn’t have time for such trivial matters. I’ve seen plenty of cheapskates like you.” “Always coming in here just to snap pics for your SnapChat feed, right?” I didn’t waste another second arguing. Turning, I began to lead Daisy away. But suddenly, she called over the security guards who blocked our path. Then she pulled out a card reader. “That’ll be $3,000 for the service fee.” I couldn’t help but laugh, pulling out my phone right there and then, dialing my younger brother, Marcus, the General Manager of the mall. “Suite 103, Tower A. Have them evicted today. I’m not leasing this space anymore.”
I hung up, then turned to face the perfectly coiffed assistant. She clearly didn’t take my call seriously. Instead, she crossed her arms and scoffed. “Oh, please, keep up the dramatics,” she said sarcastically. “These days, people will do anything to avoid paying their bills.” “Kick us out of the mall? Do you even know who our boss is? Do you have any idea how much our annual lease and revenue are?” The two security guards behind her also sneered, convinced I was bluffing, trying to wriggle out of paying that $3,000. A few customers nearby had been drawn by the commotion, craning their necks to watch. Daisy’s tiny hand gripped my skirt, her little face etched with distress. It was her birthday today, and I’d brought her here specifically to buy her favorite princess dress. I never imagined we’d run into such a nightmare. I patted her back reassuringly. As I looked up, I spotted a framed photo on the wall behind the assistant. In the picture, a flashily dressed woman was intimately holding a man’s arm. I recognized the man: my ex-husband, Alexander. And the woman? Valerie, the owner of this very store. A woman who had only managed to secure this prime retail space in such an upscale mall thanks to Alexander. The last flicker of warmth in my heart died. So, old acquaintances. “I’ll say it again. Move.” The assistant was momentarily stunned by my gaze, but then her face flushed with rage. “Move? You can leave once you’ve paid!” She suddenly raised her voice, pointing a finger at my nose. “Don’t think putting on a show will scare me! You’re paying that three grand today, whether you like it or not!” “Otherwise, I’ll call the police and report you for fraudulent behavior and disturbing our business!” No sooner had she finished speaking than Valerie, clad in a designer suit, stormed out of the back, her heels clicking loudly. “What’s all the fuss about? Don’t you know I’m entertaining a VIP client in there?” It was Valerie. The moment she saw me, her impatient expression morphed into surprise. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mrs. Sterling… oh, my mistake…” She deliberately drew out her words, covering her mouth with her hand as she snickered. “It’s Ms. Sterling now, isn’t it?” “What? After ditching Alex, you can’t even cough up a measly three grand for a service fee?” Her voice was cutting and venomous, gleefully parading my misfortune for everyone to see. The surrounding murmurs instantly grew louder. “Oh, so it’s Alex Sterling’s ex-wife. That explains it.” “I heard she was kicked out by the Sterling family, left penniless. How tragic.” “And with a kid to boot, how pitiful.” The curious glances of the onlookers immediately shifted to a mix of pity and scorn. Daisy was terrified by the commotion, her small face pale, her eyes welling up with tears. A sharp pang went through my heart. I pulled her into a tight hug. Seeing this, the assistant’s smug expression only deepened. She immediately leaned in to Valerie, eager to complain. “Cousin, it’s her! She tried on our crown jewel and now she’s trying to wriggle out of paying for it!” Valerie nodded with satisfaction, then walked up to me, lowering her voice. “Eleanor Sterling, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” “You’re not Mrs. Sterling anymore. No one’s got your back.” “Be smart, pay up, and get out of here with your little burden.” “Otherwise, I’ll make sure you don’t even set foot outside this mall today.” I looked at her face and suddenly smiled. “Is that so? I’d like to see you try and stop me from walking out that door today.” My calm indifference infuriated Valerie completely. “Fine, *fine*!” Her face crimson with fury, she gritted her teeth. “You think I’m joking?” She abruptly stepped back, shouting at the two security guards. “Hold them! No one leaves until they pay!” Following their boss’s command, the two security guards immediately stepped forward, blocking our path on either side, their attitudes even more aggressive than before. The onlookers, seeing the situation escalate, didn’t disperse. Instead, they crowded in even tighter, many even pulling out their phones to record.
“Oh my God, what’s going on? Is this some kind of forced purchase?” “That woman is so pitiful, and she has a child with her.” “Shhh, keep your voice down, didn’t you hear?” “That’s Alex Sterling’s ex-wife. The store owner seems to have a *special* relationship with Alex. We should probably stay out of it.” Amidst the whispers, there was some sympathy, but more often, fear and indifference. My daughter was badly frightened. Her small body trembled in my arms, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls. “Mommy, I’m scared…” “Don’t be scared, Daisy. Mommy’s here.” I gently comforted my daughter, the suppressed rage in my chest churning violently. I hadn’t wanted to make a scene in front of my daughter, but they had crossed my line. Valerie, watching my predicament, smiled triumphantly. “Everyone, I apologize for the spectacle today.” “This woman, relying on the fact that she was once Mrs. Sterling, thinks she can just freeload wherever she goes.” “We’re a small business, we can’t afford this.” “Since she refuses to pay, we have no choice but to follow policy and call mall security to handle this.” With that, she pulled out her phone and called mall security, dramatically portraying me as a deranged woman attempting to steal. She was certain that by invoking Alex’s name, mall management would side with her. I watched her blatant lies with a cold eye. Then I took out my own phone, found a number that had been gathering dust in my contacts for ages, and sent two quick texts. “Five minutes. Bring legal and security to Suite 103, Tower A, Zenith Mall.” “Notify all properties owned by the Zenith Group to permanently blacklist Valerie.” After sending the messages, I slipped my phone back into my pocket and waited calmly. Valerie, having finished her call, was even more confident. She walked up to me, gloating. “Eleanor Sterling, I suggest you get on your knees and beg me now, while you still have the chance.” “When mall security arrives, it won’t just be $3,000 we’re talking about.” “When word gets out that you’re a thief, let’s see how you’ll ever show your face again.” The assistant chimed in, fanning the flames: “Exactly!” “Who does she think she is now? Still daring to throw her weight around in our store? Delusional!” Just then, Valerie’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, and her triumphant smile instantly turned fawning. She deliberately put it on speaker, just to make sure everyone heard. “Hello, Alex, darling~” Her voice was so sweet and syrupy it could curdle milk. From the other end of the line, Alex’s voice came through, edged with impatience: “Valerie, what are you up to now?” “Mall management called me, saying you’re causing a scene?” Valerie immediately started complaining pitifully: “Alex, you *have* to back me up! It’s your ex-wife, Eleanor Sterling.” “She came to my store to cause trouble, tried on clothes without paying, and even tried to hit me!” “I really had no choice but to…” “Eleanor Sterling?” Alex’s voice held a trace of surprise, then turned cold. “Where is she?” “Right outside my store, sir! Please hurry, she’s practically tearing my shop apart!” Valerie said, exaggerating wildly. “Got it. I’ll be right there.” Alex said, then hung up the phone. Valerie’s posture became even more arrogant, her eyes full of the triumph of a victor. “Hear that? Alex is on his way!” Valerie’s words were a shot of confidence, solidifying the onlookers’ resolve to stay and watch the show.
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