Chapter 85: So You’d Let Me Off Then?
Shawn Sutton’s expression soured. "Am I crazy? Why would I fall for a white lotus like her?"
He glared at Luna Morgan with contempt. "Stop trying to drag me into this. Only a brainless man would fall for your whole white-lotus routine!"
Jane Lancaster: "..."
[No wonder Beverly Lynch is so obsessed with him. So this is the kind of guy he is?]
[He just insulted everyone in one fell swoop. I doubt a single man here was spared.]
[I mean, who wouldn’t fall for that? ’My boyfriend may have a sharp tongue, but he’s an expert at spotting fake girls, and he’s completely devoted to *me*.’ Beverly Lynch is probably over the moon, isn’t she?]
Pauline Shaw couldn’t resist glancing at Beverly Lynch and, sure enough, saw the corners of her lips curl into a smile.
"Sir, Miss Morgan is my guest. Please choose your words carefully!" Clayton Lowell’s expression darkened.
’For Shawn Sutton to openly slander Luna Morgan, wasn’t he insulting me in the process?’
Beverly Lynch was in a great mood, so naturally, she defended her boyfriend. "Uncle Lowell, Shawn is just blunt. If we’re talking about who was being offensive, Luna Morgan staring at him was much worse. And yes, she accidentally dirtied my dress, but I threw a drink on her, so I’d say we’re even. Let’s just leave it at that."
It was rare for her to be willing to back down and keep the peace.
Clayton Lowell, however, wasn’t ready to drop it. "How is that even? If Mr. Sutton started this, then you should be compensating Luna for her dress."
"We’ll pay, then. What’s the big deal?" one of Beverly Lynch’s fake friends blurted out, unable to keep quiet.
’No matter how expensive Luna Morgan’s dress is, could it be more expensive than Beverly Lynch’s?’
"But since Luna Morgan threw a drink on our Mandy, she should have to pay for Mandy’s dress too."
Willow Summers also couldn’t help but chime in: "Yeah, that’s only fair."
Jane Lancaster was rendered completely speechless.
[You’re all falling for it. Beverly Lynch may be wearing the latest designer haute couture gown, but Luna’s was one Clayton Lowell specially borrowed from overseas.]
[Every time Beverly Lynch tries to show Luna Morgan up with money, it’s a battle she’s guaranteed to lose.]
Pauline Shaw had been sweating nervously for Luna Morgan, but hearing this, she couldn’t help but take a closer look at the dress Luna Morgan was wearing.
The craftsmanship was indeed exquisite. It looked understated, but it had an ethereal quality that perfectly complemented Luna Morgan. It was the kind of dress that was beautiful at first glance and became more stunning the longer you looked.
"Since both sides are at fault, let’s just forget about compensation. This dress should be wearable after a dry clean anyway." Jane Lancaster quickly tried to smooth things over.
Willow Summers suddenly hesitated. "Mandy, maybe we should just forget it. She can’t afford it anyway."
"Just because she can’t afford it, we should let it go? Where’s the sense in that?" another one of the friends piped up, refusing to back down.
Luna Morgan looked at Jane Lancaster gratefully. "Miss Lancaster, thank you. But since I’m the one who caused this mess, I should take responsibility. Miss Lynch, how much is your dress?"
After saying that, she held her breath, looking nervously at Beverly Lynch.
Beverly Lynch stared at her for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. She lifted her chin, her face a mask of arrogance. "Oh, it’s not that expensive. Just 680,000. Can you afford it?"
Everyone around them gasped.
It was just an ordinary banquet. Was it necessary to wear such an expensive dress?
"Beverly Lynch, I think Jane Lancaster is right. It’s just a dress, and it’s not completely ruined. There’s no need to insist on compensation, is there?" Chloe Dave spoke up, trying to mediate.
Luna Morgan’s face went pale. "How could it be that expensive? I thought it would be in the tens of thousands."
"What, now that you know how expensive it is, you don’t want to pay?" one of the friends said with a sneer.
Luna Morgan straightened her back. "Miss Lynch, don’t worry. I will compensate you for the full price."
Caleb Lowell was surprisingly moved as he watched. She knew nothing, yet she was willing to accept such an unreasonable demand.
’She’s always so kind and sincere, with such an unbending spirit.’
She paused for a moment, then added, "But my dress should be fine once it’s cleaned, so you don’t need to pay for it."
"Ha, that’s hilarious. You think our Mandy needs your charity?" one of the girls stepped forward and, in front of everyone, ripped a hole in the hem of Luna’s dress.
"Don’t you worry, we’ll pay for it, too," she said with a brazen, sing-song voice.
[Textbook move for a villainous side character asking for trouble. And she’s still smiling? She’s about to be put in her place, big time.]
Jane Lancaster hid her face and whispered to Beverly Lynch, "She’s an idiot. You should stay away from her."
Beverly Lynch: "???"
"Yvonne! Who told you to rip her dress?!" Beverly Lynch glared at the girl.
Yvonne Jennings: "Mandy, I was just trying to teach her a lesson for you..."
Beverly Lynch frowned. "That doesn’t mean you can just rip someone’s dress! If I wanted it ripped, couldn’t I have done it myself?"
Yvonne Jennings blinked. "Oh, so you wanted to rip it yourself. I’m sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have taken matters into my own hands."
Jane Lancaster: "..."
[Now I finally see where Beverly Lynch gets her bad reputation. How did the conversation twist and turn so that it sounds like *she* wanted to rip the dress herself?]
[No wonder everyone thinks Beverly Lynch is arrogant and domineering. Her posse of friends really deserves all the credit.]
[Caleb Lowell isn’t going to publicly humiliate Beverly Lynch and back her into a corner, is he?]
Caleb Lowell had always disapproved of Beverly Lynch, finding her far too arrogant.
The reason he’d dared to unilaterally break off his engagement with the Lynch family to be with Jane Lancaster was simple: the Lowell family was far more powerful. The Lynches had no choice but to keep the whole affair quiet.
No matter how arrogant Beverly Lynch was, she wouldn’t dare to be too presumptuous in front of him.
Caleb Lowell had been determined to reprimand Beverly Lynch, but now he hesitated, finding it difficult to admonish her.
Clayton Lowell had been staring at Caleb Lowell, guessing from his expression that he would intervene.
’Beverly Lynch is too arrogant. Caleb should be the one to step in and teach her a lesson.’
’But after waiting all this time, Caleb’s expression had calmed down instead? What was going on? Hadn’t Beverly Lynch just done the one thing he couldn’t stand?’
"Whatever. How much is your dress? I suppose I should pay for that." Beverly Lynch steered the conversation back on track.
Thrown off by the interruption, Clayton Lowell felt he’d lost some of his dramatic momentum. "1.59 million."
"How much?" Beverly Lynch didn’t hear clearly.
Only then did Clayton Lowell realize his voice had been a bit soft. He raised his volume: "1.59 million."
Jane Lancaster jumped in to liven things up. "Wow, that’s so expensive! What a surprise!"
Clayton Lowell’s face turned livid. ’What is she so excited about? I’d been building up to this big reveal, all to put Beverly Lynch in her place!’
’Her cheering completely threw me off, and now the big takedown has fallen completely flat.’
Beverly Lynch was originally finding it hard to accept that Luna Morgan’s dress was more expensive than hers, but with Jane Lancaster’s interruption, she surprisingly didn’t feel so angry anymore.
"1.59 million, right? More expensive than mine. Fine, I’ll transfer you the money." She accepted it calmly.
Clayton Lowell: "Why don’t you ask why this dress is so expensive?"
Beverly Lynch: "What’s the use of asking? Are you going to tell me I don’t have to pay?"
Clayton Lowell: "..."
’I haven’t even explained the dress’s history! I haven’t even described how magnificent it is!’
Yvonne Jennings still couldn’t accept the fact that this dress cost 1.59 million.
"Mandy, why should we just take his word for it? I don’t believe it. If this dress is really that valuable, I’ll..."
"Are you paying or am I?" Beverly Lynch shut her down with a single question.