The Inheritance
-4-

Chapter 151

“Richard, is this the new car you bought?” Sharon asked in surprise.

“Yeah. I got it a few days ago. Just a means to get from point A to B,” replied Richard as he casually tossed the keys on the table.

This excited but distressed Lilian, as she was afraid that the expensive key to the car would be damaged.

What excited her more, though, was that Hayward’s face had already turned green.

“By the way, I heard Lilian saying that you've recently bought a car? I haven't seen it yet. What did you get yourself? A BMW 7 Series, a Mercedes-Benz, or an Audi? Worth more than a hundred fifty grand?” Richard asked with a smile on his face as he looked at Hayward.

“Hehe! Hayward procured the Passat for more than thirty grand, but how could that compare to your three hundred thousand dollar car?” scoffed Lilian as she rolled her eyes at Hayward.

Hayward inhaled sharply, as his hands started going into an uncontrollable tremor.

“Oh? You bought a Passat? Why did you buy that?” replied Richard with a chuckle.

“I can buy whatever I please, and the two of you have nothing to worry about. Didn’t you just win the lottery anyway? So, why the gloating?” Hayward replied anxiously.

“I’m the luckiest woman in the world, Richard, being together with you. I’ll stick by your side for the rest of my life, and we shall enjoy a wonderful life together! You’ll have to treat me well, though, and that includes buying me all the clothes I want today!”

“Yes! Of course, I will buy them for you. But don’t forget that you’ve also promised me that you’ll give me your first time tonight, hehe!” Richard whispered as he held Lilian’s soft hands.

When Lilian heard Richard’s words, she really felt like giving him a tight, bloody slap..

Damn it! Who gave him the right to say that? When was this ever part of the script?

After all, dating was dating, and if Richard were to bring the topic into the conversation, Hayward would undoubtedly be very easy to break.

Fortunately, Richard’s sentence left a massive impact.

Lilian originally planned to warn Richard from talking too much nonsense, but it was then that she realized Hayward’s face had already turned green.  

His lips quivered with rage.  

She saw that those few words from Richard had provoked Hayward’s anger in more ways than one.

“Ah! Naughty, naughty! I hate you...”

Lilian replied shyly.

Sure enough, Hayward got up to his feet, filled with rage and anger.

“No way, Lilian, why are you doing this? What did you want to get again? How about letting me buy it for you instead? Why give your first time to this pathetic jerk? Don’t degrade and abuse yourself just because he won the lottery!”

Lilian ignored everything else, instantly refuting Hayward with an aggressive comeback.

“Pfft! Hayward, who gave you the right to call my boyfriend a pathetic jerk? Besides, he’s already mine.

So, what’s wrong with me giving my first time to my boyfriend anyway? What has it got to do with you?”

“You know, I’ve always thought you were the reliable and dependable kind, Lillian. I thought you’d always paid great attention to your conduct, and frankly, although I chose to get together with Sharon, I felt really entangled, and I was in a hell lot of pain throughout the whole thing. I’m filled with regret as well, but now that I see you behaving like this, I am with no resentment, nor do I blame myself anymore for letting you go. Let’s go, Sharon!” snapped a furious Hayward as he was about to pull Sharon away.

Lilian looked at Hayward with a sea of worry in her eyes.

Compared to Sharon, Lilian’s most significant advantage was that she understood every part of Hayward. She was the one who knew best about his psychological and mental state.

She also knew all too well that Hayward must be saying this to test if she still liked him or not, waiting to see if she would be remorseful and apologize to him for her actions.

That said, if Lilian were to do that, it would all be truly over.

She hugged Richard as tightly as she could, as though Hayward’s words meant nothing to her at all.

“My dear... I don’t care what anyone else thinks of me. I promise I’ll treat you well from now on. Will you treat me well too?”

Richard took the opportunity to hold Lilian’s waist, giving it a gentle and passionate squeeze.

“Of course, I will treat you well.”

He wasn’t stupid either. Why not seize this opportunity and take advantage of her when he could?

He continued caressing Lilian’s body.

Those words were loud and clear to Hayward too, and now, his face had lost all color, looking a ghostly white.

Without saying another word, Sharon dragged Hayward out of the coffee shop.

“F*cking hell… that’s enough! Why are you still touching me?”

Lilian pushed Richard away as soon as she saw Hayward leaving.

—

Lilian looked at Richard reproachfully, “You did a pretty good job but I don’t want you to be touching me.

Do you really think that I am your girlfriend?”

“Oh? So, now that Hayward’s gone, what should we do?” asked a perplexed Richard.

“Hmph! Don’t worry. He will definitely come back for me... One, Two, Three...”

Lilian counted with her fingers when suddenly, Sharon’s voice suddenly came over her shoulder.

“Hayward, what are you doing?”

“Lilian, there are some things that I need to clear up with you. I don’t know what you think of me now, but I admit I was wrong for not standing up for you when Sharon hit you yesterday. I’ve been regretting it a lot. I sincerely hope that you’ll give me a chance. I wish to prove that I am way stronger and capable compared to a nouveau riche like Richard!” replied Hayward, his tone contrite, much humbler than he always sounded.

Obviously, his self-esteem seemed completely diminished, which was once held so highly by him.  

Richard couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of admiration toward Lilian as he watched the scene unfold from the sidelines.

“But I already have Richard, a guy who has a luxury car, and he’s about to buy me lots of branded cosmetics and bags too! What about you? What can you offer me?” Lilian asked in response.

“Wow! So, you and Richard are together simply because he’s wealthier than me, right?” Hayward asked in disappointment and disbelief.

Richard remembered how the conversation sounded eerily familiar. Wasn’t that what Xavia said at the small grove the other day?

He completely understood what was going on; it wasn’t because Hayward really loved Lilian but rather, a question of the very fabric of the dignity of a man.  

It had always been the case, whether he liked it or not. Men like Hayward, with a wall of ego surrounding him, would never be able to swallow the fact that the person who was once head-overheels for him was now in love with someone else.

He desired to conquer Lilian in her entirety to reclaim his dignity.

“Say whatever you like! Let’s go for a ride, Richard.”

Lilian then grabbed Richard’s arm before the two headed off to his car.

“Get out of my way! You’re standing in my way,” said Richard as he patted Hayward gently on his chest before walking towards the parking lot.

Unwilling to yield, Hayward chased after the two.

“Richard, can I drive your car? I have never driven something this good before,” begged Lilian with a sparkle in her eye.

“Yeah sure! Here, take the keys,” Richard grinned as he tossed the car keys to Lilian.

“Lilian... don’t go! Please. Can you just listen to me? I was wrong. I was really wrong! Can you please just give me another chance? I will cherish and treasure you more than Richard ever would! From now, I will buy you whatever you want as long as I can afford it! Allow me the chance to prove that I am definitely a hundred times more capable than Richard!” Hayward implored Lilian as he held her arm tightly.

“Is that so? But don’t you already have Sharon?” Lilian asked as she looked at Hayward with accusing eyes.

Hayward looked into Sharon’s eyes, lowering his tone by a notch. “I’m sorry, Sharon. I just discovered that Lilian is the person I really love. Let’s end this.”

“Hayward? How could you?!”

In a dejecting mix of rage, anger, and confusion, Sharon instantly broke into a fit of tears, weeping and sobbing uncontrollably.

A smile finally appeared on Lilian’s face. She felt that her pride had been rightfully restored and a sense of satisfaction and contentment filled her heart.

As for Hayward, Lilian had taken advantage of his ego and pride, knowing how he would undoubtedly be stimulated once he found out that she had gotten a far more capable boyfriend than him.

After all, no matter how beautiful a person turned out to be, her value would certainly depreciate if nobody pursued her. Not to mention how countless gorgeous women were walking the earth.

That would all change the moment a capable man of robust standing was head over heels for you. It was then that your value would skyrocket beyond the bounds of social strata.

Otherwise, even if a man finally managed to capture your heart, they wouldn’t cherish you anyway.

Through this, Lilian’s importance to Hayward had far surpassed that of Sharon.

After all, Murphy, Sharon’s ex-boyfriend’s capabilities were simply no threat to Hayward at all.

Hayward grabbed Lilian’s hand as he continued to speak to her.

Richard felt strangely embarrassed, and since he just had a massive mug of coffee, he had to use the toilet urgently.

“This time, since I can tell you’re sincere, Hayward, I promise to be with you then.”

Lilian replied with a smile on her face when she saw that her goal had been achieved.

At that moment...

“Eh? What a coincidence, Miss Cole! You are here? I happened to be looking for you…” said a woman.

When Lilian caught a glimpse of the person walking towards her, her pupils instantly contracted…

—

“Miss Cole?”

A woman looking to be about twenty-five years of age strutted over, calling Lilian as she gazed upon her respectfully.  

Lilian, on the other hand, pretended not to know the woman the moment she saw her.

Who was she?

She was none other than Quartney, the business manager who rented this car to her.

“Oh? Is it urgent? Should there be anything urgent, perhaps you can talk to me on WeChat when I am home. It’s not a really convenient time at the moment.”

Lilian’s face was drained of its color.

Oh god! How could there be such a coincidence?

She actually ran into the manager of the rental car here.

Why couldn’t it happen later? She just got back together with Hayward.

“It’s okay, Miss Cole. I just wanted to let you know that I did not pay attention to the time when I rented this car to you. I wrote that you should return the car tomorrow, but I made a mistake. You have to return the car before 4 p.m today as we will have to deliver the car back to the customer before five! I am sorry. It is really our negligence at work! I was initially planning to give you a call later!”

Quartney smiled apologetically.  

She then waved her hand at Lilian before leaving.

What?

Hayward and Sharon were both stunned for a moment when they heard Quartney’s words.

“Lilian, a rental car? What’s going on here?”

Hayward did not understand what was going on.

“Huh? I…I don’t understand what is going on too!”

Lilian did not know what else to say.

She was completely at a loss for words.

“Wow okay, I get the whole picture now. Lilian, you were the one who rented this car, right? You rented it so that you could use it to deceive Hayward on purpose. Tell me I’m right.”

Sharon poked.

Lilian did not know what to do.

She suddenly saw Richard walking back towards her from the washroom.

Lilian suddenly had a plan in mind.

She turned around and quickly ran towards Richard.

“Richard, come here. There is something that I need to tell you!”

Lilian grabbed Richard’s arm before she whispered, “It’s over! Hayward found out that the Mercedes Benz G500 is a rental car! Can you just pretend that you were the one who lied to me about the car? Okay? Please, you have to help me!”

Richard was stunned for a second. What was going on here?

As he was lost in the moment, Hayward and Sharon were making their way towards Richard.

“Richard, you b*stard! How dare you lie to me?! You rented this car just so that you could deceive me. This car doesn’t belong to you at all!”

Lilian suddenly roared.

“What is going on? This is my car!”

Richard replied in shock.

“Pfft! Richard, stop being such a tough nut! I’m shocked to see what a sly person you actually are! Using such despicable methods to cheat and deceive Lilian and she almost fell for your tricks! And not forgetting, I almost broke up with Sharon for real because of you too!”

Hayward sniggered.

“So now, can you see who are the ones who are truly good to you? Some girls simply like to stick to a guy just because they think they’re loaded, but they end up getting fooled instead! Do you see the clearer picture now?” Sharon exclaimed as she glared at Hayward.

“Hayward, you said that you were going to treat me well moving forward!”

Lilian cried out.

“C’mon Lilian, you know I think it’s time for a wakeup call. This pathetic jerk almost cost my relationship with Sharon today. Seriously! The both of us are supposed to attend Miss Larson’s birthday banquet at noon later today. We almost made a fuss and broke up for no reason at all because of this matter!”

Hayward clutched Sharon’s hand tightly, threw Richard and Lilian a cold glare before leaving for Mayberry Hotel.

It was Miss Larson’s birthday today so Hayward definitely did not want to be late. He then decided to pop by a cafe for a quick coffee fix first.

Alas! What a dramatic outcome.  

Lilian’s value just completely plummeted with the devaluation of Richard’s identity.

“By the way, Richard, didn’t you win the lottery? Hahaha! Why don’t you come over to Mayberry Hotel too? We have tickets!”

Chapter 152

Hayward mocked Richard before ushering Sharon away with him happily.

Lilian squatted and started sobbing.

“Oh! Mr. Crawford! How come you’re here?”

A voice suddenly spoke.

A middle-aged man clad in a suit and leather shoes trotted towards Richard.

“You are?”

Richard thought he looked really familiar, but couldn’t put a name to it.

“Well, Mr. Crawford, it’s normal for you not to know who I am. But I know who you are. I was also there at your last reception meeting in Serene County. I witnessed how you took the day with grace. My name is Blake Wadford. Mr. Lyle has just recruited me into the group as the events planning manager. Are you also here to attend Miss Larson’s birthday banquet?”

The man smiled and rubbed his hands nervously.

Lilian’s sobbing stopped, as she stared at the men blankly.

Even Hayward and Sharon who were about to enter the hotel were confused with the statement they heard.

“Oh! Hello, Mr. Wadford. So you planned Miss Larson’s birthday banquet too?”

Richard couldn’t seem to figure it out. Which Miss Larson was he talking about? Why was someone from his own group planning her birthday banquet?

“Ahem. Of course! It’s Miss Elena Larson’s birthday today. Since we’re all members of the same group, it goes without saying that I should be helping out in her banquet arrangements. Many owners of Mayberry Commercial Street will be here too today. Anyways, the whole lot of them will be moving into Yorknorth Mountain Commercial Street in the second half of the year together, so this kinda feels like a gathering too.”

Blake explained.

“Oh, I see!”

Richard felt a twang of uneasiness creeping up.

Elena was also friends with him. So, why wasn’t he invited?

“Mr. Wadford, you know Richard?”

Lilian asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

She was observing the look on Hayward’s face right now.

Lilian felt as though this was a good chance to make a comeback.

Could this be the man that her friend, Quilla had arranged to come and rescue?

After all, Quilla had been keeping an eye on the situation nearby, but she had not shown up yet.

The more she thought about it, the more Lilian was convinced that this was all staged by Quilla.

“Of course, I know Mr. Crawford. Even if I didn’t know him, his car is definitely recognizable.”

Mr. Wadford responded, pointing at the Mercedes Benz G500.

Perfect!

Lilian was certain that her best friend had made the move.

She had zero clue how Quilla managed to find someone like him, but it felt really good.

Since Hayward and Sharon insulted Richard earlier, it would be tough for Lilian to explain herself if he were to just walk away.

Plus, Richard wouldn’t be happy about it either.  

Since he was already here, just in time for Elena’s birthday, he figured he’d pop by inside to take a look then. This would also be a slap in the face for Hayward and perhaps stop him from being so pretentious.  

Richard turned to Blake and said, “Mr. Wadford, why don’t you give me two tickets then? I didn’t bring it with me today.”

“Oh? Okay! Of course, Mr. Crawford.”

Blake nodded.  

Lilian peered at Richard, as though she was trying to remind him not to overdo it. This was Miss Larson’s birthday banquet. How would this man be able to give them admission tickets if he was just here to put on an act?

But much to Lilian’s surprise, Blake whipped out the tickets for Richard.

Hayward and Sharon were stunned too.

Richard was oblivious to his surroundings. He simply pulled Lilian into his arms as he said, “Come, let’s go. Let me bring you to a banquet today!”

Lilian was taken aback and confused when Richard suddenly pulled her into his embrace, but regained her senses and gently held his waist back.

The both of them breezed into the hotel, under Hayward’s envious glare.

‘Damn it! Why thick could Richard get?’

Hayward thought in envy.

He then followed closely behind the pair and went in as well...

—

”F*ck! Richard, we really got in!”

Lilian breathed, stupefied.

She barely showed any resistance, although Richard was still hugging her waist.

It was all only too exciting, now that the tables have turned.

They were in the venue.  

Elena’s birthday banquet was exceptionally grand this time. This was mainly because Mr. Larson wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to host a large gathering for all the business owners too.

As Hayward was from the Yorknorth Mountain, that automatically qualified him on the banquet attendees’ list.

There were more than a hundred guests on the scene. Most were rich and young heirs, and there were many bosses too.

The layout of the event was a bit similar to that of a wedding ceremony. There was a long aisle in the middle, and the banquet tables lined both sides of the aisle.

Richard managed to find a seat for both of them.

After all, there were many people here, and most would just be casually looking for a place to sit with their friends.

Hayward made his entrance in the ballroom, threw a fierce gaze at Richard and Lilian before pulling Sharon over to sit at another table with some of his friends.

“Richard? Why are you here too?”

A random voice questioned out loud.

As he turned around to have a look, Richard was startled.  

It was a girl, and it turned out to be Leila, Mr. Jung’s daughter.

A group of dashing young men and beautiful women were standing next to her.  Leila also stared at Richard in surprise.

Why was Leila here?

As Richard gave it some thought, he could slowly put things into perspective.

Mr. Jung was not the leader of Weston Merchants Holdings. Since he was investing in Serene County, he must be acquainted with and had many deals with large managers and bosses.

Since Elena’s father organized such a large gathering and Hayward could get an admission ticket, it went without saying that Leila would get one too.

What a coincidence that they had to bump into one another.

“Leila, is this a friend of yours?”

A young, handsome man next to Leila suddenly asked.  

“Well, I don’t think he’s considered a friend? We’re both from the same hometown, that’s all, and his dad had some connections with mine in the past. But we’ve not been in contact with their family since a while back. His family owes a lot of money now, and his parents and sister are working abroad to pay off his family debts. That being said, it’s really unexpected that he’s able to attend such a huge function!”

Leila explained as she squinted at Richard.

After all, she could still remember how Richard previously placed her in a very tough and awkward situation at the western restaurant.

She finally succeeded in getting her father to bag an admission ticket for her this time around, not to mention how he got it with inside help. By coming here, she hoped to gain some insight too.

Ever since she became even more exposed, she had met Liam Zachman, a young and rich heir from Mayberry City.  

Liam’s family used to run a large enterprise in Mayberry City. When they heard about the developments of Yorknorth Mountain, they managed to secure the contract to run one of the largest restaurants there. It only meant that they wouldn’t have any shortage of funds in the future.

He was one of the most influential and loaded heirs among the rest.

In retrospect, Douglas had been totally eclipsed by Liam.

Leila also found that slapping Douglas in the face just because of Richard was somewhat ridiculous.

“Liam, he’s a nobody. He used to be an infamous pauper in our Serene High School.”

Douglas was there to attend the gathering too.  

“Oh! Hehe, so that’s the case, eh. Well, let’s look for a place to sit down first. We can all then have a good chat together!” He told Liam politely as he emerged from the crowd.

Liam said to the group of young men and women behind him,

“Liam! You just arrived? I’ve already reserved a good seat for you!”

Hayward brought Sharon over to greet Liam.

His table was very close to Richard, after all.

“Hayward, you’re early! Leila, let me introduce you to my friend, Hayward!”  

Liam introduced as he smiled.

Impressions of Hayward skyrocketed.  

Since he owned a shop at Yorknorth Mountain, his reputation had peaked.

He, too, was to be considered a part of the rich heir circle.

—

Leila too introduced herself after everyone. She had learned a lot from these people.  

Leila always thought that the rich only talked about luxurious cars, but these people did not. Their discussions had a depth to them—money management and a healthy lifestyle, and Leila was very much impressed.

Douglas, who loved to flaunt his wealth, or Richard, of whom she thought was loaded by sheer luck, were nowhere to be compared to this sophisticated bunch of technocrats.

Lilian was upset after listening to the manner in which Hayward spoke. She knew Richard would not keep up to his self-proclaimed status since everyone there was well off.  

Hayward had been doing pretty well and knew many people. Thanks to that, Lilian couldn’t bear to raise her head, feeling as though today had been an utter failure.

“When is Elena Larson coming?” quizzed a few young chaps. For most of them, it was their first time meeting Elena Larson, and they were very excited.  

Meanwhile, backstage.  

“Mr. Wadford, are you sure? He came? How’s that possible?”  

Elena sprung away from the makeup artist and asked.  

“Ms. Larson, did you know that Mr. Crawford is here today?”  

“Why would he be here...it must’ve been an optical illusion. Was there a girl by his side?” Elena questioned.

Ever since Richard and Mila had gotten together, Elena didn’t bother reaching out to him because she knew Richard never liked her in the first place, and whenever she saw him, she would feel this great sense of grief flood her chest.  

She was going to invite Richard to her birthday party, but her father told her that Richard had been busy with his project, and one of his older family members was in the hospital. Elena ought to not be disturbing him.  

In fact, no one of extreme importance from the company was attending. Not even Aiden and the others, so, there was no point in inviting Richard.  

Elena promised her father, disappointed, as she wanted him to attend really badly. Especially after she heard that Richard was there.  

“It’s true, Ms. Larson! How could I have recognized Mr. Crawford wrongly? I gave him the tickets personally, but he brought along a girl with him,” replied Blake.

“This is really hard to swallow!” She turned to the workers. “I’ll be going out soon, so get ready.”

Elena graced the ballroom as the spotlight fell on her. She donned a pristine, white gown.

“Oh, wow! She is breathtaking!”  

“Oh, my goodness! Ms. Larson is so gorgeous!”  

When he heard the excited murmurs, Richard looked up to the stage.

Chapter 153

Richard had not seen Elena in a while, and she seemed much prettier now.  

“Elena Larson is gorgeous!” a stunned Hayward exclaimed. Sharon, nonetheless, wasn’t jealous at all.  

She had to admit that Elena was a real beauty.

“Of course, she is! Elena is Mr. Crawford’s godsister. She has to be!” Liam smiled.  

“Then why isn’t Mr. Crawford here, Liam?” Leila asked.  

She was really hoping to see who Mr. Crawford was.  

“Let me tell you why. My dad mentioned he’s someone who keeps a low profile and doesn’t like banquets and functions as such.” Liam explained as if he knew about Richard very well.  

“Aw!” Leila was disappointed.  

“Hey Leila, would you like a drink? This fruit juice is imported, it’s excellent! Let me get you some!”  

Douglas was unhappy seeing Liam and Leila hitting off well.  

“I’m good. Just leave me be.” Leila frowned at Douglas and turned towards Liam again.  

“I need one, please!” A waiter passed by Lilian, and she reached out for a drink.  

Lilian was parched after what happened earlier on, and she was even more anxious now.

Elena delivered her speech on the stage as her eyes skimmed around the room.

Suddenly, someone shouted, and everyone went silent.  

It was Lilian.  

She had discovered how lovely the drink was, and she wanted to get one for Richard too, but the glass slipped, spilling the drink all over him and herself.

“Oh, no! Let me help you!” Richard quickly offered to help.  

He grabbed some napkins, helped Lilian clean her dress, then wiped the remainder of the liquid off his pants.  

“How embarrassing! She can’t even hold a glass properly!”  

“I know, right! Elena’s still speaking, and she’s only bothered by the food. Ridiculous!”  

A few people seated at the same table insulted her.  

“There is an obvious difference between finding a rich boyfriend and dating a fraud. Even the standards are worlds apart!” added Sharon, sniggering away silently.  

“Thank heavens I didn’t end up with her!” Hayward exclaimed.

Leila just looked at Richard and shook her head judgmentally.

“I’m so sorry! I really didn’t mean it!” A scared and quivering Lilian immediately apologized.  

Her face blushed a bright beetroot, and she tugged hard on Richard’s sleeves.  

“Richard, I think we should leave!”

Lilian knew how tall of an order it was to get Richard acting like someone of wealth, but she chose to follow him anyway. Never did she think she would embarrass herself like that.  

“Why should we leave? It’s just a glass. We’ll be fine!” Richard found it really intriguing that a girl like Lilian would have such low self-esteem.  

Richard remembered his first time attending such functions. He was not unlike her.

—

Richard tried to calm her down.  

“Who were these two? How did they even come in here? Did they know the rules?” exclaimed a middleaged man from the other table. The entire room fell into a hushed whisper.  

It was nothing but plain rudeness stealing Elena’s limelight while she was still talking on stage.  

All the more, standing up while everyone else was seated must have caught the attention of the Larsons.  

Everyone’s attention then shifted back to the stage to see how Elena would react.  

Tears welled up in her eyes as she dropped the microphone in her hand.

“You came!” Elena cried.  

Richard cleaned his pants, and when he heard Elena’s voice, he realized she was looking right at him.  

“Yes. Happy birthday!” Richard replied awkwardly.

He looked around, realizing he didn’t actually bring any gifts for her except his car keys.  

“I’m sorry I didn’t manage to prepare anything for your birthday. I can only wish,” Richard said apologetically.

“I thought you’d forgotten me!” Elena wiped off her tears, bolting toward Richard and embracing him as tightly as she could.  

The scene shocked everyone.

“It’s been so long since you last called! Ever since you’ve gotten yourself a girlfriend, you completely forgot about me!” Elena wailed helplessly.  

“Hey, hey. I’m here now. Don’t cry!” Richard patted Elena gently on her shoulders.  

“What?”  

“What the f*ck?”  

Everyone was dumbfounded.  

Elena was like a goddess to everyone else, and only the elites could be acquainted with her, but this ordinary looking guy just got a hug from her?  

Even their conversations were so cheesy! Who on earth was this guy?  

The lot of young men had their eyes green with envy and hearts bursting with jealousy.  

Even Hayward and Sharon were stupefied.

Richard must have gotten lucky—how on earth did he ever get that likeness of a goddess?  

Hayward failed to comprehend, and even Leila and the others could not believe their eyes.

“I’ll celebrate with you again tonight!” Richard smiled.  

Richard had made an effort to be present, only to shut Hayward up and the rest. But this wasn’t what he had in mind, and all turned out to be a mighty embarrassing affair.  

“Alright. Now’s your chance to make it up to me.”  

Elena’s tears stopped falling.  

Once she had calmed down, Richard left the scene with Lilian.  

The two walked in front while Hayward, Leila, and the rest tagged behind.

They felt really embarrassed by what happened earlier, but they were very curious about who Richard truly was. How could he do that to Elena?  

After walking for some distance, they finally reached the car.  

“Ms. Cole, I’ve been waiting for you but couldn’t get hold of you through your phone.”

Quartney was waiting next to the car, in her hands, laid the contract…

—

“I turned off my phone, Ms. Weaver,” Lilian shouted as she ran toward Quartney.  

Since Hayward and the others were following them, she was afraid they might get exposed.  

The last time Richard claimed the Ferrari was his, Sharon did not believe him. This time, she had to make it clear.  

She stomped over to Richard and stood in front of Quartney. She glared at Lilian and asked, “What are you afraid of, Lilian?”  

“Ms. Weaver, right? Is this car rented by Lilian?”  

“Absolutely not!”  

Lilian tried to make eye contact with Ms. Weaver—it was apparent she was trying to hide something.  

Sharon snatched the contract from Ms. Weaver and laughed, “This is a rental! Look, Hayward! Oh, Ms. Jung and Douglas, let me humor you guys. I was having some coffee with Hayward today, and this girl called Lilian…”  

Sharon showed them the contract smugly while spilling the details from this morning’s incident.

Hayward was envious of Richard, but after what Sharon said, he felt terrible for Lilian again. Seeing how everyone had witnessed Elena hugging Richard, this was the only way to get back at him.

It wasn’t that surprising that Richard knew about Elena, seeing how he was Aiden and Yoel’s subordinates.  

Everyone eagerly anticipated Lilian’s explanation about the car.

The moment Sharon found out the car was not Richard’s, a wave of relief instantly washed over her.

“Lilian, did you really rent this car?”  

Hayward threw Lilian a disgusting look.

Lilian started sobbing. “I’m really sorry, Hayward... I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have lied to you!”  

“Hah, so it’s rented by Lilian. Even the IC numbers don’t match! Let’s see who the owner is. Wait... huh? Richard?!” Sharon froze, stunned to the point her mouth was wide open.

“This...this has to be a mistake, right?” Sharon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Mr, Crawford you’re here! I was talking to Ms. Cole just now, and I didn’t notice you. My apologies!” a surprised Quartney quickly apologized.

“It’s fine, Ms. Weaver. Anyway, I can leave after signing, right?” Richard smiled.  

“Yes, Mr. Crawford, but don’t you need to go over the details first?”  

“No worries. I’ve been staring at it for the entire day anyway,” Richard replied and chuckled.

He walked toward Sharon and took the contract from her.  

“The car, it’s really yours?” Sharon quizzed Richard with questioning eyes.

That was the closest she had stood next to Richard since high school, and all she had was this confused feeling in her heart.  

“Who did it you think it belonged to? I’ve already said it’s mine, but none of you believed me!”  

Richard replied calmly, his eyes piercing right into Sharon’s soul.  

He then tapped Lilian on her shoulder.  

“Let’s go. I’ll send you home first.”  

“Okay. Just drop me off at the station; I’m headed back to my hometown tonight,” responded Lilian.

Chapter 154

Richard felt good about it, but Lilian didn’t resent Hayward at all.  

“Richard, this car must’ve cost a bomb, right? It’s quite a sight!”  

Liam walked toward them and smiled at Richard.

No matter how much the rest mocked him, Liam knew that being friends with him would be advantageous since he personally knew Elena and drove such a luxurious car.  

“About 22,000 dollars!” Richard replied, smiling politely.  

They both shook hands.  

Meanwhile, Liam’s phone rang.  

“Dad? Okay, I’ll go back now!”  

Liam hung up his phone. “Hey, Richard. I’ll have to leave now; it’s really nice meeting you! I’m so sorry,

Douglas and Leila, something came up, and I can’t take you guys home.”  

“Huh?” Leila was stunned.  

They were supposed to hitch a ride from Liam back home since Douglas did not dare drive his car.  

Meanwhile, Richard had already started his car engine, and Lilian was sitting next to him.  

Douglas then turned to Leila and asked. “Leila, why not we take an Uber?”  

“Uber? Look at you, is taking an Uber all you know? You bought a car, and you don’t even drive it, and now I’ve got to take the Uber!” Leila snapped, pisssed.

“I’ll give you guys a ride to the station!” Richard smiled and beckoned them over.

Richard just felt that it was not right to leave them there like that.  

Leila glanced at Richard hesitantly and then hopped into the car. She stole a peek towards Lilian and felt a pang of jealousy. She wanted the co-pilot seat to be hers.

“Damn it!” Douglas cursed under his breath.  

“What do you think you’re doing?” Richard eyed Douglas.  

“What do you mean? I’m getting into the car!”  

“When I said them, I meant both the ladies. Not you, Douglas. And the money you owed me, don’t forget to pay up!” Richard locked the door.  

The last time Richard tried to help him, he got insulted in return, and this time around, he was definitely not going to offer help again.  

As she watched them drive off, Sharon was left in a confused state.

Richard cared about her a lot back in high school. Even when she forgot to take her meals while busy studying, he would brave the rain just to buy her food. Richard always saw her differently.

Even after three years, despite what she did to him, he still looked at her the same way. But this time, Richard just grew so cold. He completely ignored her, and she was not too used to it. He did not even look at her when he took the contract from her.  

After dropping them off at the station, Richard booked a hotel room to rest for the evening.

That night, Richard received a call from his family. It was a classified call that only his family members knew of. Richard immediately picked up when he realized who the caller was.

—

“Hey, dad!”

Richard called out respectfully, answering the video call.

Although it wasn’t the first time he video called his father after discovering his true identity, Richard had somewhat grown to be more respectful towards his father.

He increasingly felt how honorable of a man his father was.

“What are you up to now, son?”

Richard’s father broke into a smile the moment his son came on the screen.

“Am just about to rest, Dad. What’s up with the late call? Anything you need to tell me?”

“Yes, I do. I was initially planning to ask your sister to look into this matter. As I’m aware, you spend most of your time and energy, focusing on your homework. This thing will be delayed since your sister has gone to handle factory issues in North Africa. I wonder if she’d already told you about it?”

“You need my help finding a woman?”

Richard recalled his sister’s instructions and what she confided in him previously. She had asked for his assistance in looking for a particular woman.

“Yes, I’ll send over her picture to you in a bit. I need your help finding out about her whereabouts as soon as you can. Otherwise, this guilt in my conscience will eat me up for the rest of my life!”

“There is also one more thing that you have to remember. You cannot let your mother know about this!”

Richard’s father warned as he sighed.

This made Richard feel a little awkward.

He scowled as he tried to grasp the meaning of the situation.  

Could this have been a woman his father had let down in the past?

Damn it! His father was actually asking both the siblings to look for this woman in secret! The first person that crossed Richard’s mind was his mother. He could not help but feel a little sorry for his mother because he thought they were letting her down.

“What is your relationship with this woman? You have much greater power and influence compared to us. If you wanted to find her, you would’ve definitely been able to find her. Isn’t that the case?” asked Richard.

“Hey, kiddo. If it was that easy for your father to find her, would I even be asking you or your sister’s help? What’s my relationship with her? It’s a question you both have asked me. Anyway, let me assure you that it’s not whatever you are thinking of. But that being said, she was highly involved in our major family event that year. I can’t help but feel that the Crawford family had let her down even after so many years. Don’t ask me about the details as to what really happened. I’ll explain everything to you at a later time.”

“Okay, that’s it. Please put in some effort to help me to deal with this.”

Richard’s father hung up as soon as he finished speaking.

It didn’t take long before Richard received a message.

It was a black and white photo—one which looked like it was a few decades old.

It was a picture of a woman.

The moment he saw the woman, Richard’s hand trembled uncontrollably, and he nearly dropped his cell phone to the ground.

After looking at the photo again, Richard inhaled sharply.

“This…isn’t this Queta Smith?”

Yes. The woman in the photo was indeed beautiful. In fact, she was incredibly charming and enchanting.

She looked almost exactly like Queta.

But if this photo was in black and white, then Richard knew for sure that it could not possibly be Queta.

Who was she?

Richard presumed that this woman was most probably a peer of his father, which meant that she was around his age.

If that were the case, it was most likely she was Queta’s mother.

After all, Richard knew that Queta grew up in an orphanage.

It seemed as though her parents abandoned her for no apparent reason.

Putting the pieces together, it led to a clear conclusion that it was Queta’s mother, the woman his father asked him to look for.  

Thoughts started shrouding Richard’s mind.

He could remember vividly how his heart was throbbing and beating uncontrollably the first time he saw Queta.

He also felt a strange sense of comforting closeness to her ever since the first time he saw Queta and even had the urge to protect her for no reason at all.

Now, as he gave it a much deeper thought, he couldn’t help but wonder if Queta was actually his sister?

Despite his father’s explanation, Richard wasn’t convinced that his father had nothing to do with that woman at all!

That night, Richard was washed with anxiety. He tossed and turned around his bed, felt extraordinarily restless, and could not sleep at all.

Richard called Queta early the next morning. He had to meet up with her and clarify this once and for all.

—

Throughout this whole time, both of them have occasionally been chatting with one another on WeChat whenever they were free.

At present, Queta was already teaching at a new kindergarten and was doing pretty well.

Richard had helped Queta out and gave her a house to live in, where Drake and Tyson shared the same place with her.  

“Miss Smith, can you do me a favor? I can’t review these children’s homework in my class on time. My boyfriend is already on his way, picking me up to go shopping. Could you review their homework on my behalf?”

A female teacher with waist-length hair asked Queta, who was also reviewing her students’ homework.

“But Miss Lawrie, I’m still reviewing my own students’ homework too!”

Queta replied shyly.

“Pfft! If you’re not keen to help me, then just say it. Why come up with so many excuses? Don’t think for a second that you’re so great just because Mr. Teves introduced you to work here. Hah, just think about it! I mean, who are you, Queta Smith? You got crowned as Mayberry City’s Early Childhood Education Academy’s most beautiful teacher after only joining the kindergarten for a month. Isn’t that great or what? If so, can’t you even help me review my students’ homework?”

The teacher named Kaitlyn Lawrie retorted icily.

She became a teacher at the best kindergarten in Mayberry City two months before Queta’s arrival. When Queta first joined, Kaitlyn would often bully her, making her review her students’ homework on her behalf.

Kaitlyn had a wealthy and influential boyfriend who was really handsome too.

She was confident that she would be selected as the most beautiful female teacher in the entire district, optimistic that she would definitely bag the top spot.

But alas, the students’ parents voted for Queta, a woman that was beautiful inside out.

Of course, that threw Kaitlyn into a nervous breakdown.

She even dug into Queta’s background, but there were zero bad records about Queta at all.

Hence, the bullying situation at hand.  

Other female teachers who were present just kept their mouths shut.

“Well, I will just review it for you then, Miss Lawrie.”

Queta bit her lips. She then moved the massive pile of homework from Kaitlyn’s table onto her own.

“Hmph! Now that’s much better. Miss Smith, don’t be too high headed thinking you’re so great just cause you won the most beautiful teacher award. Let me tell you something. I, Kaitlyn Lawrie, will not lose to you in anything!”

Kaitlyn mocked before turning around triumphantly as she prepared to leave.

“Queta, everyone should review their own students’ homework. You don’t owe her anything at all, so why are you helping her to do it?”

Suddenly, a soft voice spoke out.  

A boy walked up to Queta’s table before moving the pile of homework back to Kaitlyn’s table.

“F*ck! Who do you think you are?”

Kaitlyn was appalled.  

Richard did not even bother looking at her. He simply grabbed Queta’s arm as he said, “Didn’t I ask you to apply for leave? Let’s go out and grab something to eat. I have to talk to you about something!”

“Mm! I have already asked for the day off!”

Queta replied as she nodded.

Upon seeing Richard, Queta was immediately filled with a sense of security.  

Kaitlyn seemed really intimidating to her, and she was a teeny bit afraid.  

When the other female teachers saw Kaitlyn being outrightly ignored, they simply lowered their heads and giggled.  

Kaitlyn’s face flushed red.

“Oh! Miss Lawrie, your boyfriend is here to pick you up again! God, I envy you so much!”

Several young female teachers who had gone out to shop were chatting with Kaitlyn’s boyfriend at the door.

When they spotted Kaitlyn, they instantly felt jealous.

They then saw Queta and Richard walking out from the side doors.

The girls continued the gossip among themselves, “Oh, look at that! Is that Queta’s boyfriend?”

“Oh my god! Seriously? He looks pretty low...”

“Haha! I guess they’re meant for each other.”

“…”

The moment Richard stepped out, these ridicules came flooding...

Chapter 155

“Pfft! No wonder Queta dared to disobey me today. It turns out she’s gotten herself a boyfriend! Wow, this is pissing me off right now!”

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes as she glared at Richard, who was talking to Queta at that time.

“Kaitlyn, what’s wrong?”

The man leaning against his car door had his hands in his pockets asked as he threw a quick look at Richard.

“It’s all because of Queta! All the kids are on vacation today, so we’re supposed to stay back in school to review their homework. But I’ve made plans to go shopping and ask her to help me review my students’ homework! But look, she refused to help just because her boyfriend’s here!”

“I thought that she actually found a great boyfriend for herself, but he turned out to be nothing more than a pathetic jerk!”

Kaitlyn cried out in exasperation, explaining the details to him.

She saw that Richard had on a simple white T-shirt, a pair of sports pants and some sneakers.

She couldn’t be bothered to filter any of her words.

“That’s right. He thinks that he’s so great just because he got together with the most beautiful teacher? Hahaha! Kaitlyn, your boyfriend, is still the best! Look, he’s driving a BMW 5 Series — simply too awesome!”

“Of course! It so happens that I’m going out shopping with my boyfriend too. Why don’t all of you get in my boyfriend’s car and we can go together then? After all, we should have a good relationship since we are all colleagues!”

Kaitlyn replied as she laughed.

She wanted to isolate Queta and make sure that she was an outcast in the future.

“Yeah, sure!!”

The girls smiled happily as they got into the car and left together.

Richard wanted to reprimand Kaitlyn.

He could not help feeling enraged, seeing the way she bullied Queta.

But Queta tugged Richard’s hand back — she didn’t want him to act rashly.

“Damn it! Do they really think they’re so great just because they’re loaded?”

Richard cursed as he watched them leave.

They then got into the Mercedes-Benz G500 that he had parked by the side of the road.

It was almost eleven in the morning now.

Richard drove Queta to a restaurant.

“Richard, you said you’ve something important to talk about? What is it?” asked Queta curiously once they had taken their seats.

“Queta, do you know a woman named Xara Machamer?”

Richard asked forwardly. After all, this matter did not only involve Queta, but it also involved his own life to a certain extent.

This mattered even more if Xara was involved with his father in the past.

Wouldn’t this mean that he would suddenly have another sister out of the blue?

Richard felt that the entire situation was just weird—it was best asking Queta himself.

Queta looked stunned when she heard those two words. She looked at Richard in surprise.

“You…you…how did you know about her?”

Upon seeing how she reacted, he was convinced that this was leading somewhere.

He asked again, “How is she related to you?”

Queta shook her head in response as she said, “I don’t know who she is. I only know that she was the one who abandoned me. She’s probably my mother. The orphanage dean only told me about it when I asked him about it later on.”

“They found me at the entrance of the orphanage, and I was wearing a jade pendant with the name ‘Xara Machamer’ engraved on it.”

Queta carefully examined Richard before saying, “I have not mentioned this matter to anyone else before. How did you find out about it? Did Drake and Tyson tell you about it?”

Richard was silent as he thought to himself for a moment.

He decided not to tell Queta the truth for the time being, as he did not know how he was going to explain things to her.

He simply took advantage of the situation and said, “Well, yes. One of them mentioned it to me just randomly. Queta, don’t you want to find your mother or this person named Xara Machamer?”

Richard quickly changed the subject.

“Of course, I want to find her. But how am I going to look for her?”

Queta replied, “This is one of the reasons why I didn’t want to tell you about this. You’ve already helped me a lot and I don’t want to cause more trouble and inconvenience. Otherwise, I really don’t know how I am going to repay you!”

“What’s the matter? Since you do want to find her, then you don’t have to worry about anything else. I will help you find her!”

Richard replied and smiled as he patted Queta gently on her shoulder.

“Okay.”

Queta replied, nodding slowly.

She then took out a jade pendant that was wrapped in a piece of red cloth.  

“Here, Richard. This is the jade pendant that I was talking about.”

Queta handed the jade pendant over to Richard.

Richard looked at it. Wasn’t this the jade pendant in one of the photos that his father had sent to him?

—

“Queta, do you mind if I hold on to this jade pendant for now? I want to look for a master to help me to look into the origins of this jade pendant!”

Richard asked, smiling lightly.

Queta paused for a moment before she nodded and said, “Yeah, sure, go ahead!”

Richard continued to question Queta about her past.

“It’s really too hot outside! My sunscreen isn’t working at all!”

Suddenly, a group dashed into the shop.  

One of the girls could not help but exclaim out loud as she carried a few bags in her hand.

“Kaitlyn, there is a branded shop next to this restaurant. Shall we go in and take a look later?”

One of the girls asked.

“Okay, let’s eat first!”

This girl was not just anyone else, but it was none other than Queta’s colleague, Kaitlyn.

“Oh my god! Kaitlyn, look! Isn’t that Queta? Can’t believe she’s eating here too!”

The girl next to her pointed at Queta and Richard.

This was totally unexpected.

Kaitlyn’s boyfriend was filthy rich — they knew that he definitely would not bring them to just any casual place to eat.

This restaurant had quite a reputation.  

But seeing Queta was completely unexpected, as she was someone who could usually only afford to eat a meal with a dish every day. How was it that she could actually afford to eat in such a high-end restaurant?

“Oh! Queta, did you come here for lunch?”

Kaitlyn sneered as she walked over to both of them.

Richard had just taken the jade pendant from Queta. He could not help but frown when he saw those girls heading in their direction.  

“Did you order anything to eat? Why are you only having two drinks?”

Kaitlyn questioned.

“Hahaha. Perhaps this young couple simply wanted to come in here just to look around. There are just too many of these kinds. They won’t order anything to eat but just get drinks so that they could take some photos and show off to their friends!”

One of the female colleagues whispered in Kaitlyn’s ear.

Her statement made Kaitlyn and the others burst out in laughter.

“Waiter! Is there a four pax set meal here? Can you give me a set meal that is of a higher standard?”

“Of course, ma’am. Our shop has also recently added a new dish to our menu. It is a special foie gras dish, specially made by our chef from Silton. Would you like to try it too?”

The waiter asked as he looked at Kaitlyn and the rest.

This time around, Kaitlyn glanced at her boyfriend.  

“Okay, then. Let me have a look at it…”

Kaitlyn’s boyfriend took the menu in his hand, and he was shocked when he saw the price.  

“F*ck! Are you crazy? A plate of the foie gras actually costs two hundred and sixty dollars? Just one plate?”

Kaitlyn’s boyfriend was speechless.

Kaitlyn was also taken aback. “Ahh? It is so expensive! Oh my god! That is a big portion of my salary!”

“Yes, sir. This is just the price for a small portion. There are about six pieces in it. But once you taste it, you will definitely feel that it is worth the money and experience!”

“Look! All of those customers also ordered it!”

The waiter gestured at the other guests who were dining next to them.

There were indeed plates of foie gras on each of their tables.

When they looked at the large portion’s price, they were even more dumbfounded to see that it cost four hundred dollars!

This was simply too exorbitant.  

Before coming to the restaurant, they were thinking of spending about two to three hundred dollars tops.

“Why don’t we order a small portion to try then?” Kaitlyn suggested when she saw that everyone seated around them had also ordered the dish.

“Alright, you want to order a small portion of foie gras then? Hah, sure! No problem.”

Kaitlyn’s boyfriend raised his voice and ordered, “We’d like a portion of the foie gras, please!”

He wanted to prove that he was superior.

At this same time, Richard’s food was also being served.

The waiter brought two bread bowls over to his table.

“Hahaha! They only ordered two bread bowls? Isn’t that a little too pathetic?”

“Oh my god! It’s okay. You can ask them for some rice and a plate of potatoes too!”

The girls commented as they laughed.

“Sir, can you please make way. This is the large portion of foie gras that you have ordered. I will serve it to you now.”

Just then, a waiter respectfully placed the large portion of foie gras on Richard’s table.

Kaitlyn and the others were all covering their mouths in laughter as they continued to make fun of Richard and Queta. But the moment they saw the waiter and the foie gras, they were so shocked that they froze in place…

—

”F*ck! How is it that they’re eating so well?”

Kaitlyn was shocked.

The vanity from her face was thoroughly washed away.  

“Pfft! Why are you showing off when you have no money? Why bother ordering something that expensive?” mocked Kaitlyn.

The other two female colleagues who felt the burn also chimed in as they mocked the pair.

Richard and Queta were really eating very well. Both of them ordered the expensive and large portion of foie gras, while the other four only ordered a small serving to share among themselves.

As the waiter served the dish to them, he could not help but give them a look.

Richard chose to keep quiet because Queta kept persuading him, and she didn’t want him to confront them directly.

They simply continued chatting as they ate.

Once they were done eating, he then realized that Kaitlyn and the others had already left.  

They obviously couldn’t take the humiliation, so they left in a hurry once they were done with their meals.

“Let’s leave too,” said Richard while rubbing his belly.

He then ushered Queta out.

“By the way, Queta, where are the clothes that I bought you before? Why aren’t you wearing them?”

Richard asked and smiled as he looked at Queta.

Back then, he bought a lot of clothes for her.

Queta blushed slightly, and she lowered her head as she said, “I feel a little embarrassed to wear such beautiful and nice clothes!”

Richard couldn’t help but smile.  

She was so similar to him. Back then, when he was poor, he felt that he only needed to wear clean clothes.

Richard still chose to wear plain and ordinary clothes now because he wanted to maintain a low profile.

Whereas on the other hand, there was no reason for Queta to maintain a low profile.

“What are you afraid of? By the way, there is a branded shop here. Come! Let me bring you in to pick out some nicer clothes!”

“Huh? No, I don’t want to! It’s too expensive!”

Queta rejected, shaking her head.

“It’s okay. Let’s go in. I have a black card anyway!”

Richard replied as he smiled.

He then gently pulled Queta into the shop.

“Grayson, I want this dress. It’s gorgeous. Do you think I’ll look good in it?”

Kaitlyn asked as she held a dress in front of her, gesturing for her boyfriend to comment.

The dress was really beautiful.

The rich, young chap named Grayson flipped the price tag, and he almost threw the dress away.

“F*ck! This dress costs more than 3,000 dollars! Why not rob a bank instead? Darling, can’t you choose another dress?”

Grayson persuaded Kaitlyn as he clutched his wallet.

“Alright, then. What about this one?”

Kaitlyn asked again.

From a single glance, it was still too pricey, costing 1,500 dollars.

As for the other two girls who were with Kaitlyn, they merely held on to their shopping bags as they sulked in envy from the side. Anyways, they did not have a rich boyfriend like Grayson who could afford to buy them such luxurious goods.

It was sufficient for them to take advantage of being acquainted with Kaitlyn, but it would most certainly be unrealistic for them to expect Grayson to buy them something too!

Even after Kaitlyn chose a couple of dozen dresses to try, Grayson realized that it was way over his budget, and they ended up not buying any of them.

Kaitlyn was extremely depressed.

“Richard, aren’t you buying too many clothes? I can’t wear that many clothes anyway! Plus, it’s way too expensive!”

Queta exclaimed in shock when she saw the number of clothes piled in Richard’s hands.

She felt a little distressed.

“Why is it expensive? The tailor makes the man, anyway!”

Richard strongly felt that Queta did not need to live such a life like him.

“Hey, this dress looks not bad, and it’s quite cheap too. We are buying it!”

Richard saw the dress next to Grayson, rummaged through to pick the size before asking the dumbfounded salesgirl to wrap it up for him.

“F*ck! Queta? You…are you both crazy?!”

The moment Kaitlyn saw both of them, she could not help but simultaneously feel both stunned and confused, especially when she saw the number of luxury items they were holding.

Judging by the number of pieces in Richard’s hands, it was probably more than a dozen.  

“Oh my god! Can you even afford to buy anything here? How are you actually buying that many? Why are you so pretentious? Are you just going to take pictures again?”

Both of Queta’s female colleagues sneered along.

They felt as though Queta had just trampled all over their self-esteem.

Richard couldn’t care less about them. He simply walked straight to the counter once he was satisfied with his selection.

Kaitlyn and the others exchanged glances with one another before tailing behind Richard and Queta. “Hello, sir. The total amount for all the clothes and bags that you have selected is 48,000 dollars. How would you like to make the payment?”

The cashier was also utterly dumbfounded at the amount.

Kaitlyn and the rest who stood behind gaped, utterly stupefied.

Chapter 156

Without saying another word, Richard simply swiped the black card in his hand.

Though utterly dumbfounded, the cashier was a professional and he immediately bowed.

“Sir! You’ve spent so much on our shop today that it would be rude if we didn’t give you any free gifts! Please select any three articles of clothing and they’ll be on us!” said the cashier respectfully.

“No, wait! He’s not buying any of that! Richard, all of this is way too expensive! I don’t need that many fancy clothes!” replied Queta frantically as she shook her head.

“I don’t think I’d ever have a reason to wear half of what you’ve selected anyway! Please just put them back…”

Her voice was still quivering slightly from the shock of the final bill.

“You don’t need to wear all of them, you know. Now come on, go choose another three articles of clothing. If you want, you could even give them to the teachers or colleagues that you’re close to in the kindergarten. I’m sure that that’ll definitely help boost your relationship with them!” said Richard with a faint smile on his face.

Richard knew that many people bullied Queta for her honesty. Which was why Richard thought that it was worth spending some money on her.

Richard had to use his black gold card anyway. He needed to spend at least forty-five thousand dollars monthly, so Queta was making his life much easier this month.

Richard was also aware that he could be willingly spending so much for her because of the feelings that he had for Queta, deep down in his heart.

While this was happening, Kaitlyn and the other two female colleagues were standing not too far behind them.

All three of them were surprised, and this was especially so for the two female colleagues who had heard Richard’s last statement.  

“Wow! Queta, your boyfriend’s so rich! His name is Richard, right? What a nice name, and he’s so handsome too!” said the two girls who had begun walking toward them and praising Richard.

Who the more powerful one now was, was clear as day.

“…Huh? Richard- He’s not…” said Queta, still in a state of shock as she tried to tell them that he wasn’t her boyfriend.

Richard however, hurriedly replied, “I’m just her god brother! And please, handsome? Have you even looked at how casual the clothes I’m wearing are?”

“Haha! You’re hilarious Richard!”

The two girls couldn’t help but to feel slightly embarrassed.

God brother? D*mn it! And here they were thinking Queta had a boyfriend!

However, this didn’t move Queta’s position in their hearts. After all, she had a rich and powerful person backing her up.

“Say Queta, Richard’s bought you so many clothes. And he’s even said that you could give some of them to your closer colleagues! So… Do you remember that time I smiled at you on your first day of work at the kindergarten?” asked one of the girls with a smile.

“Also Queta, I remember clearly that I was the one who had pointed out where the cafeteria was to you when you first arrived,” said the other.

“I remember both those moments, yes!” replied Queta as she nodded.

“Pfft. Oh, Queta! I really hadn’t expected you to have such a rich god brother! If he’s that willing to buy so much for you, you should just appreciate it! But anyway, I was the one who was interested in that dress first. If you’re giving out clothes to your colleagues you’d better give that one to me!” said Kaitlyn, her voice filled with jealousy.

“Oh? Kaitlyn how shameless! You’re the one who bullies Queta the most and you’re still expecting her to give you something? Who do you think you are?” scolded both girls at the same time.

“F*ck! Whose side are you two on anyway?” cursed Kaitlyn, her eyes widened in anger.

“Alright, settle down,” said Richard as he glanced at Kaitlyn. He smiled before looking away and continuing what he wanted to say.

“Queta, since these two colleagues treated you well before, feel free to give them some of the clothes. I trust that if anything happens in the future, all three of you will continue looking out for one another. Now let’s go, I’ll send you back to the school!”