Chapter 452
Chapter 452
If Neil was still the sharp-witted man I knew, he would easily discern the disbelief in my eyes.
Did he really need to ask? He should have just declined and explained that we were not a married couple, let alone a family.
But it was Hiram who spoke up. The boy looked pretty miffed as he told the saleswoman, “Lady, you’re making things up. She’s not my mom, but this man here is my dad!”
Hiram shot me a glance and pouted, clearly upset.
The saleswoman seemed taken aback, probably trying to piece together the situation in her head. But whatever conclusion she came to did not seem favorable, as she suddenly looked at me disdainfully and exchanged a knowing glance with her colleague.
“Oh, we see. Our mistake!” they retracted their family portrait offer and turned to leave.
I didn’t dwell on it and continued walking forward, while Neil and Hiram trailed behind me.
Given my proximity to the saleswomen, I overheard some of their hushed talk.
“Such a woman, really…”
“Exactly, the man is parading his child around, but she doesn’t feel embarrassed?”
“Look at that man, handsome and wealthy-looking. She must be a homewrecker who was after him!”
They glanced back at me and quickly sped up their pace when they noticed my stern gaze.
Did they think they could just insult me and leave?
“Hold it!” My voice was cold and clear, loud enough for both of them to hear.
They did stop, but only to shoot me a look before continuing on their way, their strides getting quicker. Their studio was just up ahead.
As they were about to enter, I quickened my pace and blocked their path.
Neil, noticing the scene, brought Hiram over. “What’s going on?”
“What did you two just say about me? Say it again.” I didn’t answer Neil, but turned my fierce gaze on the two saleswomen.
“We didn’t say anything!” Their denial was synchronized.
“If you continue to deny what I clearly heard, I’ll have to call the police.” I was adamant. It was one thing to be mistaken as Neil’s wife, but being called a homewrecker was unacceptable!
The mention of the police caught them off guard. It seemed like a petty thing to involve the authorities in.
Our quarrel at the entrance drew the attention of the studio manager. Understandably, it was bad for business.
“What’s going on here, Isla and Katara?” The manager approached us.
“Mr. Mark, this woman is causing trouble for us!” Isla, one of the saleswomen, pointed at me. “We just offered them a family portrait and she refused. Then she started following us, accusing us of things!”
“That’s right, Mr. Mark. We have no idea what we did to upset this lady.” Katara chimed in.
Their disdain for me, the “homewrecker”, was evident.
I understood the general distaste for mistresses, but I wouldn’t tolerate being wrongfully accused. I looked at Mr. Mark. “You’re the manager here, right? Your employees have been slandering me. I have only one request: fire them both!”
Hearing my demand, Mr. Mark’s polite demeanor changed instantly. “Lady, aren’t you being a bit unreasonable?”
Mr. Mark was a man of average height, slightly overweight. He stepped closer to me, creating an intimidating atmosphere.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Neil stepped in front of me, his imposing figure much more intimidating than Mr. Mark’s. Seeing Neil step up, Mr. Mark quickly reverted to his formal, polite demeanor. “Sir, it seems there’s been a misunderstanding between that lady and our staff. We just want to clarify things. May I ask what your relation to her is?”
As soon as he questioned my relationship with Neil, the two saleswomen started exchanging their knowing glances, which only fueled
my anger.
“This is my ex-husband. Your employees just called me a homewrecker. If they do not apologize and resign, I will take legal action.” I was stern, with no intention of a peaceful conversation.
“Is that so? They must have misunderstood. How about this. I’ll have them apologize, and if you ever want to take photos here or get remarried, we’ll give you a 20% discount. Is that acceptable?” Mr. Mark seemed unperturbed, as if my anger was of no concern to him.
Neil turned to me, and I clenched my teeth, my eyes blazing.
“Firstly, they apologize to her. Secondly, you fire them.” Neil spoke slowly, his voice calm but assertive.
“Sir, we must be reasonable here.” Mr. Mark started to argue.
Neil was not the type to put up with nonsense. He interrupted, “Do you want a reasonable discussion, or do you want to close this place down?”
Mr. Mark paused, apparently not understanding what Neil meant.
Once he caught on, he laughed. “You must not know our studio’s reputation in Eldoria. We’re the biggest studio here, in business for 20 years. Our boss has extensive connections and resources. How could we possibly go out of business?”
People like him always court disaster. He was boasting without knowing who Neil was, and they were clearly in the wrong with no intention to apologize.
If Neil and I were still married, it would be normal for him to step in. But we weren’t, and I wanted to handle my own issues.
“Let’s go.” I glanced at the studio’s entrance, remembering its name, and turned to Neil.
“Still mad?” What Neil cared about the most was whether I was still upset.
“Let me handle it,” I said, shaking my head. Then I turned and walked away. Even though it felt a bit frustrating at the moment, I didn’t want to owe Neil any more favors.
Just as I was leaving, I could still hear that Mr. Mark’s mocking laughter.
