Chapter 127: Every Cent Is Blood and Sweat Money
Luna Morgan looked up at the intimidating Miss Lynch and was so scared she held her breath.
Beverly Lynch grew impatient. "What’s wrong with you? You bump into someone and don’t even apologize?"
She was truly speechless. This woman looked so frail and weak, so how did she hit so hard!
"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!" Luna Morgan quickly bowed her head and picked up the item the other woman had dropped.
Jane Lancaster heard the commotion and walked over. "What’s going on?"
"You’d better explain yourself. I’m not bullying you!" Beverly Lynch said, a little annoyed.
Earlier, she had blurted everything out and exposed Mr. Shaw’s scam, but all Jane Lancaster had thought about was stopping Pauline Shaw from investigating her father.
She had been stunned at the time, feeling as if she had done something wrong. ’Jane Lancaster isn’t going to look down on me for being a blabbermouth, is she?’
She had found a corner and finally finished her soul-searching, only to see Jane Lancaster and Luna Morgan walk over and stop to talk not far away.
She had originally decided to leave, but when she heard them talking about giving a gift, she couldn’t help but stop, wanting to pick up some pointers.
When she saw Luna Morgan shove the jewelry box into Jane Lancaster’s hands, she was flabbergasted. ’This woman has some serious nerve, forcing a gift on someone like that.’
She was so shocked that she didn’t have time to dodge when Luna Morgan rushed over.
Luna Morgan said, "...It was my fault for bumping into you, I’m truly sorry."
She looked at the item in her hand, her expression freezing for a moment. "Miss Lynch, this bracelet... is it for Miss Lancaster?"
’For me? No way. Could Luna Morgan be overthinking things?’ Jane Lancaster remained skeptical.
Beverly Lynch frowned at the bracelet, then suddenly grabbed it and thrust it into Jane Lancaster’s hand. "It’s for you."
After thrusting it at her, she added with a nonchalant air, "You know I can easily afford this bracelet. You’re not allowed to refuse it!"
’Are you kidding me? Even Luna Morgan can force a gift on someone. If I can’t even give this away, doesn’t that prove she’s more capable than me?’
’That’s unacceptable. If Jane Lancaster dares to refuse it to my face, I won’t be able to stop myself from losing my temper!’
Luna Morgan felt a complicated mix of emotions.
A friend had taken her to see this bracelet before. Its price was twenty times that of her own bracelet.
Beverly Lynch was generous with her friends, but not *this* generous. Besides, weren’t she and Jane Lancaster love rivals?
She looked up at Jane Lancaster, certain in her heart that Miss Lancaster would definitely not accept it.
First, they were rivals in love; it was impossible for them to truly make peace. They would surely continue to be at odds with each other.
Second, Beverly Lynch’s words sounded like she was deliberately belittling someone else’s gift, which was basically just flaunting her wealth. A cultured person like Miss Lancaster would never indulge that kind of behavior.
Jane Lancaster smiled and said, "Beverly Lynch, thank you."
Luna Morgan was a bit surprised. ’She actually accepted it?’
Beverly Lynch secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment’s thought, she said in a domineering tone, "No need to thank me. I just figured, if a pauper like her can give a bracelet worth several hundred thousand, wouldn’t I be letting her walk all over me if I didn’t give something better?"
’So that’s the reason. And I actually find it perfectly logical.’
Beverly Lynch nodded to herself. ’That’s right, that’s the reason! I absolutely have no other motives!’
"Beverly Lynch, don’t you think you’re going too far?" Vincent Holt said as he walked over.
Beverly Lynch shot back, "What’s it to you? Why are you always so nosy? If you’re that bored, go home and lick a toilet!"
Vincent Holt saw people around them looking over frequently and suppressed his anger. "I just can’t stand watching you act like a tyrant. A gift is about the thought behind it, not something to be measured by money. You know Luna’s family isn’t well-off. She supports herself with her own earnings. Every cent she spent on that gift was her own blood, sweat, and tears!"
His last sentence was delivered with force, causing many people to stop and watch.
"I think it’s going too far to only care about the monetary value of a gift, forcing others to bear a heavy burden. This is a toxic trend, and it must be stopped!"
Vincent Holt had a dramatic personality, and his words were very provocative. Quite a few people actually started sneaking glances at Jane Lancaster.
They suspected that she might have put immense psychological pressure on Luna Morgan, forcing her to grit her teeth and give such an expensive bracelet just to save face.
Jane Lancaster sighed silently.
’See? I knew this would happen.’
’Luna Morgan doesn’t have bad intentions, but when she gives a gift that’s beyond her means, it makes the recipient an object of public scorn.’
’But Vincent Holt is malicious. He not only wants me to be publicly condemned, he also wants me to be so embarrassed that I’ll secretly return the bracelet.’
Beverly Lynch frowned. ’Is that how it is? That’s just too evil.’
"You’re the one who said a gift is about the thought behind it. Well, I happen to like using money to represent my thoughts. It’s a personal preference, not a crime, right?"
The onlookers: "..."
That actually sounded reasonable! This young lady had always been known for her open-handed generosity.
Vincent Holt snorted coldly. "Of course you’d say that, since your family is rich..."
"So is there a problem with me calling her a pauper? I’m just telling the truth. Besides, you say she spent her blood, sweat, and tears on her gift. You think I didn’t? This is money I earned myself!"
Vincent Holt was taken aback. "You’re lying! You must be making that up. Have you ever worked a day in your life?"
He didn’t believe it. Beverly Lynch was just a spoiled, arrogant rich girl. What could she possibly do besides shop?
’What a joke. If making money were that easy, he would’ve become the new rising star of the business world long ago.’
Jane Lancaster couldn’t help but smile. ’Vincent Holt is about to be proven wrong. Beverly Lynch has had an outstanding talent for business since she was a child.’
’All those girlfriends of hers are so clingy and loyal, not because she likes to mindlessly throw money around, but because she’s great at doing business.’
’Everyone makes money by following her, so of course they’re loyal—just like how Vincent Holt and Chloe Dave follow Caleb Lowell.’
Beverly Lynch froze. She never imagined that one day she would be placed on the same level as Caleb Lowell.
After a pause, Beverly Lynch continued, "Of course I wouldn’t go work a menial job. For a while, Lolita dresses were all the rage in Stratton, and 90% of the ones on the market came from my brand. I wasn’t the first to spot this market, but I was the first to make a fortune from it. By my senior year of high school, I had already netted twenty million."
Everyone around them gasped.
Twenty million might be pocket change to a business tycoon, but for a young person, it meant something entirely different.
Besides, how old was Beverly Lynch back then? ’My god, she’s incredible!’
"Was that from Tacit? I’ve worn their Lolita dresses before!" a girl in the crowd couldn’t help but exclaim.
Vincent Holt’s eyes turned red. "I don’t believe you! You’re only saying that because you know the online shop is closed now!"
Beverly Lynch retorted, "I knew you wouldn’t believe me. After all, a good-for-nothing who only knows how to use his family’s money to eat, drink, and be merry would never understand how other people earn it."
It was no secret that she was in business with her girlfriends, but none of those people ever thought much of their venture.
’What could a bunch of girls possibly accomplish?’
They thought it was just the Lynch family’s money at work, a group of people playing house with Beverly Lynch to keep the young miss happy.
"I believe you." Jane Lancaster’s eyes were filled with admiration. "Beverly Lynch, you’re truly amazing."
In the crowd, Pauline Shaw felt a complicated mix of emotions.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t jealous. She had always considered herself a standout among girls her age and had assumed Beverly Lynch was just an empty-headed show-off who only knew how to shop.
But reality had just slapped her hard across the face.