From Exile To Queen Of Everything - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
You are reading From Exile To Queen Of Everything, Chapter 5: Chapter 5. Read more chapters of From Exile To Queen Of Everything.
"No! That's not it!" Vivian said, her voice choked with emotion. "I've never thought that! I just... I don't want to be a bother. I'm sorry."
How could she ever not acknowledge her sister? Even in death, she would never disown Sienna.
Sienna's expression softened. "From now on, you tell me everything. We're family. There's no such thing as being a 'bother.' You girls are the only family I have left. If you push me away, I don't know what I came back for."
Vivian's eyes filled with tears as she nodded fiercely.
After a luxurious hair treatment, they headed straight for the mall. Sienna stepped away to take a call, leaving Vivian to try on clothes.
But suddenly, two women walked in. They spotted Vivian, their faces first showing surprise, then morphing into matching sneers of contempt.
"Well, well, if it isn't the lovely Miss Vivian Hart," one of them drawled, sauntering over. "Long time no see. Shopping for new clothes?"
The moment Vivian saw Bella and Marcy, her good mood vanished. She turned her back on them without a word.
"Come on, Vivian," Bella cooed, blocking her path. "We were classmates. Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
She covered her mouth with a hand, giggling as she looked Vivian up and down. She reeks of poverty. The nerve of her, coming here.
Marcy chimed in. "Oh, don't you know, Bella? She's too good for us now. By the way, Vivian, did you hear? Mason's precious Chloe is threatening to move abroad. Mason rushed to the airport to stop her—it was all over the news. Didn't you see?"
Vivian didn't want to engage. She tried to step around them, but Bella blocked her again. "Don't go. Marcy asked you a question."
Vivian rolled her eyes. "I don't waste my breath on people I don't know."
"What?" Bella's face flushed with anger. "Vivian, do you still think you're the high-and-mighty second daughter of the Hart family? Everyone knows you were kicked out! If you weren't clinging to Mason for dear life, you think he ever would have gotten engaged to you?"
"What's it to you?" Vivian retorted.
Marcy pulled the fuming Bella back. "She's right, Bella, it's none of our business. However," she said, her eyes landing on the dress in Vivian's hands, "we've taken a liking to that dress. Salesclerk! Wrap it up for us."
The salesclerk looked apologetic. "I'm very sorry, but this lady has already decided to purchase this dress. Perhaps you'd like to look at something else?"
"What did you say?" Marcy snapped. "Do you know who I am? She's just a low-level office worker. Her monthly salary wouldn't even cover a pair of my socks. This dress is nearly five thousand dollars. Are you sure she can afford it?"
This clueless clerk is going to regret this, thought Marcy to herself.
The clerk maintained her professional smile. "I'm sorry."
"Do you want to get fired?" Marcy barked. "I can have the manager fire you on the spot!"
The clerk looked troubled but stood her ground.
She knew Sienna was clearly someone of high status. had been wearing a globally exclusive, custom-made piece—the kind of person even brand executives would bow to. She had worked in luxury retail for over a decade and knew her brands.
The manager, hearing the commotion, hurried over. Seeing Bella and Marcy, his face immediately broke into a sycophantic grin.
"Miss Bella! Miss Marcy! So good to see you! My clerk here is new, she doesn't know any better. Please, don't mind her. It's just a dress, right?" he replied, then turned to the clerk. "If the ladies like it, wrap it up for them! What are you dawdling for?"
"But, sir," the clerk protested, gestured Vivian, "this lady saw it first, and she said she was buying it."
"She said she was buying it," the manager emphasized. "Which means she hasn't paid yet. Miss," he said, turning to Vivian, "are you sure you want this dress? If so, you'll need to pay now."
Vivian didn't flinch. "I haven't finished shopping," she said coolly. "Why are you rushing me to pay? That's not your policy."
The manager couldn't care less about policy. To him, Bella and Marcy were from high society. But Vivian, on the other hand, was dressed in clothes that probably cost less than a hundred dollars total.
Could she really afford this? He thought. It was a joke. She was just trying to show off.
"Vivian, there's no discount on this one." Bella taunted. "Are you sure you want to buy it? I doubt you make that much in a year."
"That's none of your concern," Vivian replied.
Marcy added, "Vivian, if you want it, pay for it. If you don't, it's not yours. It's a simple concept."
"Indeed, Miss," the manager said. "Please proceed to payment."
A flicker of scorn crossed Vivian's face. They were so quick to judge. Before she left, Sienna had given her a card.
When Vivian pulled out the black card, Bella and Marcy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"That's impossible!" Bella shrieked, her composure shattering. "A black card! Where did you get a black card? You can't possibly have one!"
The manager's jaw dropped. He stared at the card in her hand. It was a global, unlimited black card—the symbol of the truly, unfathomably wealthy.
His attitude did a complete one-eighty. He rubbed his hands together, his face beaming. "My deepest apologies, esteemed Miss! I was out of line just now, please forgive me! Is there anything else you need? Please, take your time, look at all our new arrivals. No rush, no rush at all."
Marcy, however, suddenly had a realization. She pointed at the card, a look of triumph on her face. "I see! Vivian, you stole someone's credit card! I'm calling the police! You can explain it to them."
Marcy was one hundred percent certain the card was stolen. Even with the Quinn family's standing in Vallaris, Mason's branch of the family couldn't possibly possess a black card. The Harts were even less likely. There was only one explanation.
It had to be stolen.
Vivian sneered. "Are you insane, Marcy? Go ahead, try stealing one yourself."
Marcy gritted her teeth. She had always hated Vivian's smug attitude.
"Vivian, you can't have a card like that," Bella insisted. "If it's not stolen, it must be a fake."
"Yes, it has to be fake!" Marcy chimed in, turning to the manager. "I'm warning you. She's just a broke office worker making less than five thousand a month. When she can't pay, we're not buying that dress."
The manager's smile faltered, his doubts returning.
Without another word, Bella snatched the dress from Vivian's hands.
Caught off guard, Vivian instinctively held on tight. There was a sickening rip sound as the fabric tore.
How could she ever not acknowledge her sister? Even in death, she would never disown Sienna.
Sienna's expression softened. "From now on, you tell me everything. We're family. There's no such thing as being a 'bother.' You girls are the only family I have left. If you push me away, I don't know what I came back for."
Vivian's eyes filled with tears as she nodded fiercely.
After a luxurious hair treatment, they headed straight for the mall. Sienna stepped away to take a call, leaving Vivian to try on clothes.
But suddenly, two women walked in. They spotted Vivian, their faces first showing surprise, then morphing into matching sneers of contempt.
"Well, well, if it isn't the lovely Miss Vivian Hart," one of them drawled, sauntering over. "Long time no see. Shopping for new clothes?"
The moment Vivian saw Bella and Marcy, her good mood vanished. She turned her back on them without a word.
"Come on, Vivian," Bella cooed, blocking her path. "We were classmates. Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
She covered her mouth with a hand, giggling as she looked Vivian up and down. She reeks of poverty. The nerve of her, coming here.
Marcy chimed in. "Oh, don't you know, Bella? She's too good for us now. By the way, Vivian, did you hear? Mason's precious Chloe is threatening to move abroad. Mason rushed to the airport to stop her—it was all over the news. Didn't you see?"
Vivian didn't want to engage. She tried to step around them, but Bella blocked her again. "Don't go. Marcy asked you a question."
Vivian rolled her eyes. "I don't waste my breath on people I don't know."
"What?" Bella's face flushed with anger. "Vivian, do you still think you're the high-and-mighty second daughter of the Hart family? Everyone knows you were kicked out! If you weren't clinging to Mason for dear life, you think he ever would have gotten engaged to you?"
"What's it to you?" Vivian retorted.
Marcy pulled the fuming Bella back. "She's right, Bella, it's none of our business. However," she said, her eyes landing on the dress in Vivian's hands, "we've taken a liking to that dress. Salesclerk! Wrap it up for us."
The salesclerk looked apologetic. "I'm very sorry, but this lady has already decided to purchase this dress. Perhaps you'd like to look at something else?"
"What did you say?" Marcy snapped. "Do you know who I am? She's just a low-level office worker. Her monthly salary wouldn't even cover a pair of my socks. This dress is nearly five thousand dollars. Are you sure she can afford it?"
This clueless clerk is going to regret this, thought Marcy to herself.
The clerk maintained her professional smile. "I'm sorry."
"Do you want to get fired?" Marcy barked. "I can have the manager fire you on the spot!"
The clerk looked troubled but stood her ground.
She knew Sienna was clearly someone of high status. had been wearing a globally exclusive, custom-made piece—the kind of person even brand executives would bow to. She had worked in luxury retail for over a decade and knew her brands.
The manager, hearing the commotion, hurried over. Seeing Bella and Marcy, his face immediately broke into a sycophantic grin.
"Miss Bella! Miss Marcy! So good to see you! My clerk here is new, she doesn't know any better. Please, don't mind her. It's just a dress, right?" he replied, then turned to the clerk. "If the ladies like it, wrap it up for them! What are you dawdling for?"
"But, sir," the clerk protested, gestured Vivian, "this lady saw it first, and she said she was buying it."
"She said she was buying it," the manager emphasized. "Which means she hasn't paid yet. Miss," he said, turning to Vivian, "are you sure you want this dress? If so, you'll need to pay now."
Vivian didn't flinch. "I haven't finished shopping," she said coolly. "Why are you rushing me to pay? That's not your policy."
The manager couldn't care less about policy. To him, Bella and Marcy were from high society. But Vivian, on the other hand, was dressed in clothes that probably cost less than a hundred dollars total.
Could she really afford this? He thought. It was a joke. She was just trying to show off.
"Vivian, there's no discount on this one." Bella taunted. "Are you sure you want to buy it? I doubt you make that much in a year."
"That's none of your concern," Vivian replied.
Marcy added, "Vivian, if you want it, pay for it. If you don't, it's not yours. It's a simple concept."
"Indeed, Miss," the manager said. "Please proceed to payment."
A flicker of scorn crossed Vivian's face. They were so quick to judge. Before she left, Sienna had given her a card.
When Vivian pulled out the black card, Bella and Marcy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"That's impossible!" Bella shrieked, her composure shattering. "A black card! Where did you get a black card? You can't possibly have one!"
The manager's jaw dropped. He stared at the card in her hand. It was a global, unlimited black card—the symbol of the truly, unfathomably wealthy.
His attitude did a complete one-eighty. He rubbed his hands together, his face beaming. "My deepest apologies, esteemed Miss! I was out of line just now, please forgive me! Is there anything else you need? Please, take your time, look at all our new arrivals. No rush, no rush at all."
Marcy, however, suddenly had a realization. She pointed at the card, a look of triumph on her face. "I see! Vivian, you stole someone's credit card! I'm calling the police! You can explain it to them."
Marcy was one hundred percent certain the card was stolen. Even with the Quinn family's standing in Vallaris, Mason's branch of the family couldn't possibly possess a black card. The Harts were even less likely. There was only one explanation.
It had to be stolen.
Vivian sneered. "Are you insane, Marcy? Go ahead, try stealing one yourself."
Marcy gritted her teeth. She had always hated Vivian's smug attitude.
"Vivian, you can't have a card like that," Bella insisted. "If it's not stolen, it must be a fake."
"Yes, it has to be fake!" Marcy chimed in, turning to the manager. "I'm warning you. She's just a broke office worker making less than five thousand a month. When she can't pay, we're not buying that dress."
The manager's smile faltered, his doubts returning.
Without another word, Bella snatched the dress from Vivian's hands.
Caught off guard, Vivian instinctively held on tight. There was a sickening rip sound as the fabric tore.
End of From Exile To Queen Of Everything Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to From Exile To Queen Of Everything book page.