Chapter 40
The next morning, Donovan contacted me early to say he'd finalized the celebration arrangements.
"Tomorrow evening at seven, at the Golden Crown Hotel under the Percy Group. I've only invited guests close to the Percy family—not a huge crowd, but enough to make it lively."
"Remember to bring your parents."
I quickly agreed and relayed the news to my parents.
James immediately handed me a card.
"Your mother and I were planning to arrange something ourselves, but Mr. Donovan Percy beat us to it. So I'll cover your gown and jewelry. Pick whatever you like."
Fanny's eyes lit up. "Well, if you two are handling money and logistics, I'll contribute manpower. Come on, sweetheart, we're going shopping."
Before I could get a word in, I was bundled into the car.
Arriving at Oakwood Avenue, Fanny made a beeline for the haute couture boutique at the center.
"Bring out your entire haute couture collection. I need to find something perfect for my daughter."
Seeing Fanny, the manager rushed over with a smile. "Of course, Mrs. Wipere. Please wait in our VIP lounge."
The moment Fanny and I sat down, staff members appeared with two trays of refreshments arranged on small tables.
"Please enjoy, honored guests."
Soon, the manager led two employees wheeling in racks laden with gowns.
Each piece was meticulously curated—dazzling and magnificent.
"Mrs. Wipere, Ms. Wipere, please see if anything catches your eye."
"Cindy, come here. Let me help you choose."
Fanny selected a gown with clean lines and a sophisticated design, holding it up against me.
"The style works, but the color's too plain."
The manager quickly chimed in. "Mrs. Wipere is absolutely right. This is our head designer's first piece of the year—one of a kind globally, with exceptional craftsmanship and timeless design."
"However, Ms. Wipere has such an elegant, graceful presence—this color might not suit her best. Perhaps this one instead?"
She held up a light blue asymmetrical mermaid gown. Both color and cut looked promising.
"I think this one's lovely. Cindy, want to try it?"
I shook my head. "Let me keep looking."
"Of course. Take your time."
The manager didn't push, hanging the dress back before stepping aside.
"Why do they get personal service and fancy refreshments while I get nothing?"
A familiar voice drifted from the adjacent fitting area.
Fanny frowned in displeasure. "Manager, does a boutique of this caliber allow clients to behave so rudely?"
The manager immediately went to intervene.
Wanting to confirm my suspicion, I followed a few steps and spotted Sophia and Lillian in the next room.
Sophia wore a pure white petal-embellished gown.
The style was gaudy and graceless.
Just like her—all flash, no substance.
"Cindy, are those friends of yours?" Fanny came up behind me, holding a gown, generously suggesting, "Should we invite them over to look together?"
I quickly shook my head. "Mom, ignore them. Let's keep shopping."
Just as I turned to leave, Lillian spotted me, her expression transforming instantly.
"Lucinda? What are you doing here?"
At her outburst, Sophia turned as well.
Her face froze for two seconds before she forced out a smile. "Cindy, what a coincidence running into you. Is this your mother?"
As she spoke, her gaze slid past me, brightening considerably when it landed on the racks behind us.
"Mrs. Wipere, hello. I'm Sophia Guise, and this is Lillian Reed. We're in the same dance company as Cindy."
I knew she'd spotted the gowns selected for me. I immediately blocked her path.
"This is our private fitting area. Not for sharing."
Lillian glared at me indignantly. "Lucinda, Sophia just wants to look at the dresses. Why are you being so petty? Besides, you haven't paid for any of these yet. What gives you the right to keep us from seeing them?"
Sensing trouble, the manager quickly intercepted Sophia and Lillian with a diplomatic explanation.
"Ladies, if you'd like to view our collection, you're welcome to browse other sections. This is our VIP area, reserved exclusively for black diamond members and above."
Lillian's face fell. "Lucinda, you're a black diamond member here? That's... impossible."
Well, well. She recognized what it took to achieve black diamond status at this boutique.
Though judging by her shock, Sophia clearly hadn't mentioned my background.
"You seem surprised. Did someone tell you my family was poor?"
Lillian glanced at Sophia, biting her lip without responding.
Sophia rushed to smooth things over. "Cindy, don't misunderstand. No one said that."
"Sweetheart, you've been with the company nearly a year. Does no one know your father is James Wipere?" Fanny couldn't stand it anymore and deliberately spoke up.
"James Wipere?" Lillian's face went pale. "As in James Wipere, CEO of the Wipere Group—second only to the Percy Group?"
Fanny gave her a withering look. "Is there another James Wipere in Silverlight City?"
Lillian went another shade paler, nearly losing her balance.
"Sophia, then why did you tell me Lucinda was—"
"Lillian!"
Sophia cut her off sharply.
Lillian shot me a panicked glance, looking like a mouse caught by a cat, not daring to breathe.
But Sophia remained composed. She brushed past me to address Fanny directly. "Mrs. Wipere, I've been invited to a Percy family event tomorrow evening and need something appropriate. The styles outside don't appeal to me. Would you mind if I selected two pieces from your area?"
"Absolutely not. These are reserved for my daughter." Fanny's refusal was immediate.
Sophia's smile stiffened before she shifted to a pleading tone. "Mrs. Wipere, I'm not trying to be difficult, but I've already visited five or six boutiques without finding anything suitable. Your selection has two pieces I really love. For the sake of us both being Percy family guests, couldn't you spare just two?"
Fanny's temper flared. "Can you not understand plain English? I said no—"
"Mom." I cut her off. "If she wants them that badly, we can spare two."
Fanny glared at me in frustration, but seeing my insistence, she relented.
Sophia's face lit up. Just as she moved to enter, I added leisurely, "However, this remains a private space not open to outsiders. You can't come in."
Sophia shot me a resentful look, gritting out, "How am I supposed to get the dresses if I can't come in?"
Rather than answer her, I turned to the manager. "Would you mind retrieving them for her?"
The manager quickly agreed. "Ms. Guise, which two pieces interest you?"
"Those..." Sophia seemed determined to reclaim some victory, pointing directly at the two gowns the manager and Fanny had just selected. "I'll take those two."
"You did that on purpose! You deliberately picked the ones I'm holding!"
Fanny's temper flared again. I moved to soothe her.
"It's fine. I wasn't wild about this one anyway. Let her have them."
Fanny angrily handed the gowns to the manager.
Sophia accepted them triumphantly, strutting out as if she'd won some battle.
"Cindy, why did you let her walk all over us like that?"
The moment they left, Fanny's anger erupted.
I held her arm gently. "Mom, those two are limited global editions. They're over ten million dollars each. If she wants to buy them, why would we stop her?"
Fanny suddenly realized, “She’s from the Guise family?”