Chapter 4
As I gently touched the exquisite hairpin, Oliver’s sharply defined
features suddenly came to mind.
Inspired, I designed a griffin ruby brooch to complement the
color of the hairpin.
I was going over the brooch design with the craftsperson when
Benson entered the VIP room, hand in hand with Melisa.
His expression turned sour upon seeing me. “Bailey, are you following me?” he sneered.
Then, noticing the partially completed brooch in my hand, he
laughed derisively.
“Such gaudy taste from the nouveau riche. I wouldn’t be caught
dead wearing that!”
I looked at him, bewildered.
Did Benson actually think this was intended for him?
I sighed, attempting to explain, “This isn’t…”
But before I could finish, Melisa interrupted with excitement, “Benson, this dress is stunning!”
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She held a white pearl long dress against herself.
Benson looked at her affectionately and said, “If you like it, go ahead and buy it.”
The manager entered with a worried expression.
“This is Ms. Kimbere’s engagement banquet gown. It’s not for
sale.”
Benson turned, his face livid, and glared.
“I’m already being forced to marry you, Bailey! I have no obligation to take part in this chaotic engagement banquet!
“Your heart is completely dark–how can you even think you deserve purity?”
Melisa gave me a provocative smile before quickly switching to
a pitiful sob.
“Never mind… I shouldn’t even dream of having something that belongs to a young lady like Ms. Kimbere…”
“Who does she think she is?” Benson growled, barely containing his anger.
“If she wants to be part of the Gaskal family, she’ll abide by our rules and from now on, I am her ultimate rule!”
He declared, “I’m buying this dress for Melisa!”
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The manager gave me an uneasy look.
Benson didn’t know that the Kimbere family was the main
shareholder of this boutique.
I gestured for the manager to give him the dress.
Benson sneered, “Since you’re sensible enough, I’ll give you a
thousand dollars monthly allowance from now on.”
He looked down with a smug expression, as if he were a master
tossing a bone to a dog.
It dawned on me why he had never outright dismissed my
admiration over the years, but his attitude shifted as soon as he
discovered I was the sole daughter of the wealthiest man.
He started using derogatory phrases like “new money” and “stinking rich,” pretending to disdain wealth.
In truth, he hid his sense of inferiority behind a façade of false
moral superiority.
After all, the Gaskal family had lost their status, not even
making it into the top 100 on the wealth list for years.
I chuckled, sarcasm evident in my gaze, and questioned him,
“Benson, are you really sure you’re my fiancé?”
He sneered. “Bailey, after a decade of pursuing me, you think
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you can act elusive now?
“Everyone’s aware you spent 320 million dollars on limitless bids just to wed me. There’s no point in pretending anymore.
“Let’s go, Melisa. We shouldn’t waste time with this pathetic
fraud. It’s a nuisance.”
Once the pair departed, the manager turned to me with a
question, “Ms. Kimbere, that gown is valued at tens of millions.
Are we really handing it over to them? And without the dress,
what will you wear to the engagement banquet?”
I offered a slight smile. “The engagement banquet is Victorian- themed. I’ve already arranged for a custom–made gown. That
dress isn’t necessary for me.”
I added, “Moreover, Benson mentioned he would purchase it. Send him the invoice–make sure he pays every cent.”
That night, Melisa became a sensation on social media, donning
a gown worth tens of millions and earning the title of “genius
beauty painter.”
Her Twitter caption was the most talked–about aspect, though it had little to do with her art. Instead, it was filled with personal photos of her and Benson.
“Today, the love of my life made my dreams come true,” she captioned.
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The images showed the pair in rumpled clothing, adorned with numerous suggestive red marks, revealing that their
relationship was clearly deeper than it appeared.
Netizens quickly uncovered Benson’s identity and revealed his
adoptive sibling relationship with Melisa.
At the same time, the topic “Benson was forced to use
unlimited bidding at the auction to marry me” surged in
popularity.
Benson seized the chance to unleash online trolls to tarnish my
reputation.
Overnight, my Twitter comments were inundated with “Bailey
the Clinger.”
Infuriated and worried, I immediately directed my PR team to
remove all negative news about me.
Just then, Benson asked to meet me alone. As soon as I arrived
at the designated spot, someone covered my mouth and nose and dragged me away.
When I regained consciousness after being doused with water, I found myself in the Gaskal’s place.
Benson struck me with such force that I saw stars.
“You bitch! Melisa just gained popularity for her art exhibition,
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and you had her blacklisted in the entire art community! She’s dedicated years to preparing for this show. How could you ruin
her career?”
Blood dripped from my lip, but my tied hands couldn’t wipe it
away.
“What blacklisting? I only erased negative topics about me!”
Another hit sent me sprawling to the ground.
“How dare you deny it? Who else would be so envious of Melisa
that they’d misuse their power to push her to despair?”
As I attempted to get up and explain, a high–heeled shoe pressed against my shoulder, pushing me back down.
Benson’s mother, Maria Gaskal, who used to adore me, threw the gown bill at my feet and snarled with a fierce glare,
“Shameless wretch–no respect for your future in–laws, and now
you dare to ask for payment?
“Today, you’ll learn the rules of the Gaskal family once and for
all!”
