Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
There was no way Simone could just stand by and do nothing. Moreover, she overheard everything on her way out, so she knew what had happened. Then, she languidly walked over and picked up the dress stained with muddy footprints. “Look at how your VIP clients treat your clothes, Celine,” she commented. She even placed heavy emphasis on the word “VIP.”
The young woman’s face went completely white when she heard the name. Why is the designer in the store on a Friday? She would have been fine if only the sales associate had witnessed her tantrum. After all, she was a customer, and the sales associate would never dare to say a word about her behavior. However, she was now caught red-handed by the designer. There was no way she could ever shop at this store again. So, the woman immediately smiled and explained, “It’s all just a misunderstanding. I-“
“You think the dresses I design are meant to be thrown on the floor and stomped on?” Celine asked. While she was not from Chars, she was fluent in the language. Her entire being radiated with elegance and refinement, yet it was clear from her voice that she could barely suppress her anger.
“It’s not what you think,” the young woman pleaded. “They attacked me first. They provoked me into doing it.” She even wore a pitiful, bullied expression as if she were the victim of the incident.
All the young woman could do at this point was shift the blame to Yelena.
Yelena raised an eyebrow. “Is that not because of your poor manners? You stomped on the dress, yet you pinned the blame on me.”
Deep down, Hank smirked. As expected, Yelena had been hanging around him for so long that she knew how to logically analyze a situation.
Now, he no longer had to worry that she would be pushed around by others.
Celine was not a fool either. She could not keep her calm after hearing the young woman twist the story using some weird rationale. “If that is the case, you are no longer welcome in my store, Miss.”
Stunned, the young woman awkwardly nodded.
Yelena could not resist adding fuel to the fire. “Remember to pay the store for the dress you ruined.”
The young woman shot Yelena a harsh glare. “That is none of your concern!”
She then handed her card to the sales associate. Once payment was made, she slunk out of the store with the tattered dress in her arms.
Yelena waited until the door closed behind the woman before turning to thank Celine with a smile on her face.
To her surprise, when Celine saw her face, she exclaimed in surprise and joy, “It’s you! I’m not wrong, am I? You are Yelena Sullivan, right? I’ve seen you on television.”
“That’s me,” Yelena replied, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.
“I adore your shows. You are a great actress. You’re also very beautiful and as adorable as a button.”
Celine then caved into her maternal urges to ruffle Yelena’s hair.
Yelena was embarrassed. She had not expected Celine to know who she was.
“I even asked Elspeth to get me your autograph,” Celine said.
Yelena was astonished to hear Elspeth’s name.
“You know Elspeth?” she asked.
“That’s right,” Celine replied with a smile. “We actually bonded over clashing with each other.”
“Clashing with each other?” Yelena was stunned.
The dazed look on Yelena’s face endeared her to Celine even further. “It’s not what you think. Oh, you’re just so cute! For several years in a row, I have won every international design award for which I was nominated. That one year we met, Elspeth broke all of my streaks. Hence, we knew each other because we clashed.”
Yelena knew Elspeth had always been extraordinarily talented, especially in fashion design.
“I helped you because of her,” Celine explained. “If she finds out I let her dearest friend be bullied in my store, she will come looking for a fight.”
Celine pouted with an exasperated look on her face.
“Thank you.”
Yelena’s admiration for Elspeth grew once more.
Hank had been rejoicing Yelena’s ability to stand up for herself, so when he heard she was assisted once more because of Elspeth’s reputation, his face twisted into an ugly look.
Before this, he had been willing to stay away from Elspeth and let her be. However, why was she involved in every aspect of their lives?
Seeing that the conversation had drifted off into a lull, Simone grabbed Yelena’s hand and smiled while patting it. “I had been worried you would be an easy target for bullies because of how meek you are. I didn’t think you had a sharp tongue as well. That’s good. That is how the future Mrs. Damazio should act.”
Meek…
Yelena ducked her head down and guiltily smiled.
She had only acted meek before her elders so that they would like her. In reality, her personality was like a feral kitten.
She would bite anyone who dared to lay a hand on her.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let others push me around,” Yelena promised.
Simone nodded happily before she turned to nag Hank. “Why didn’t you help her when she was being bullied? You were just watching by the side. Have you forgotten your place because it has been a while since your last punishment?”
Hank knew he would be lectured for his response, but he had not expected it to happen so soon.
“Didn’t you hear how she was able to fight that witch off in that argument just now? I wanted to help, but I couldn’t find the chance,” he replied.
When Yelena heard him teasing, her awkwardness and embarrassment increased.
Fight that witch?
She had merely retorted back.
She huffed and wrapped a hand around Simone’s arm. “That’s right. He wasn’t even going to help me. He was laughing the entire time.”
It was the first time Yelena was bold enough to be so affectionate with Simone, so Simone was happy to continue criticizing her son.
“See? Yelena is just the best. She’s so affectionate. Look at you. I raised you, yet you do nothing for me. Yelena should be my daughter instead. As for you, you could be a trash collector for all I care.”
He scratched his nose and glanced at Celine who was biting her lips hard to suppress her laughter. “Mom, we’re not in our own home,” he helplessly said. “There’s someone else here.”
Did she intend to humiliate him by talking to him that way in public?
Simone scoffed. “What does it matter? Can I not criticize you just because someone else is around?”
In an attempt to avoid fanning the flames of her anger, he had no choice but to surrender. “Yes, yes. You can say anything you want.”
Simone pulled Yelena over to Celine. “This is my future daughter-in-law. I just adore her. Could you design a few more outfits for her?”
Celine was surprised by the request. “I’m not as good as Elspeth at designing outfits. Does she not design anything for you?”
That made Yelena go stiff.
Elspeth might have mentioned designing her an outfit once or twice, but she had been preoccupied with dragging Elspeth around to try various foods…
“She has,” Yelena awkwardly said.
Hank chuckled and whispered, “Is this outfit the emperor’s new clothes?”
Naturally, she knew he was teasing her about what happened, so she angrily stomped on his foot.
The smile vanished as his face twisted in pain.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“Of course, not. I’m just getting my revenge,” she replied.
Meanwhile, Simone was grinning upon hearing their flirtatious interaction.
“In that case, I won’t overstep my boundaries and design your outfits. You should just wait for Elspeth,” Celine said.
Yelena stared at her in confusion. “Huh?”
“What if she designs a better outfit for you? You won’t wear my designs then, so they would just gather dust at the back of your closet.” There was an angry glint in Celine’s eyes.
Yelena was rendered speechless by that statement.
