Filed to story: My Gorgeous Wife is an Ex-Convict Novel by Anastasia Marie
When Zoe saw her brother, she immediately went forward and complained, “Brother, you have no idea how shameless this bitch was just now! She asked me to buy her a dress worth millions! She doesn’t realize that she isn’t even fit to wear such a dress!”
“Shut your mouth!” Sean scolded her on the spot, and his expression turned ugly.
Was his sister not afraid of anything?
The person backing Grace was none other than Jason Reed. The man was a billionaire. Forget about a dress that cost millions. There wasn’t an object in this world that Jason Reed couldn’t afford.
“Brother, what’s wrong with you? Why are you raising your voice at me? I’m talking about Grace,” Zoe argued. “She’s a friggin’ convict!”
“What’s there to say?” Sean said grumpily. He couldn’t reveal the truths that he knew about Grace’s true patron. And he couldn’t afford to humiliate her and chance it getting back to Jason Reed.
Sean turned to the clerk next to him and said, “Pack up that dress.”
His sudden words shocked everyone in the store.
“Sean, what are you doing? Are you going to give the dress to Grace?” Zoe asked in disbelief. “Seriously!?!”
As for Lily, her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes narrowed in unmasked anger.
On the other hand, the salesgirl looked pleasantly surprised. She could earn a lot of commission if this sale went through.
“Grace, I’m sorry. Zoe’s words were a bit rude, but she didn’t mean any harm. Please don’t hold a grudge against her. This dress… here – just take it as an apology.” Sean’s tone was extremely humble.
Zoe looked at her brother in disbelief. “Brother, what gives her the right to make you gift her a dress? And we’re even apologizing to her now? Who does she think she is?”
The more Zoe spoke, the more Sean worried. Damn it, his sister needed to shut up! She had no idea of the consequences…
If Grace said something in front of Jason Reed…he could obliterate all of the Stevens Family holdings. “Enough, Zoe,” He turned to his ex.”Grace, you won’t take offense to what Zoe’s saying, right?”
Sean raked a hand through his hair. This whole situation was embarrassing and that didn’t even begin to describe the daggers that Lily was all but shooting at him. He made it a point not to look at her.
Grace’s brows drew together. She wasn’t a stupid woman, and she had to be wondering why he’d go out of his way to defend her or to make his own sister apologize.
Grace’s eyes lit up and Sean could pinpoint the moment when she realized she had the upper hand. Grace pursed her lips and said, “You know, you’re right, I don’t need that dress.”
Zoe all but crowed as if by rejecting the dress, Grace was proving all the other things Zoe’d said were right.
Grace tapped her lips. “You don’t need to give me the dress. Just give me cash. Mr. Stevens, you should have a checkbook on you, right?”
She knew that Sean had the habit of bringing a checkbook along with him.
Sean was obviously stunned for a moment, but even though he recovered fairly quickly, he didn’t react in time to control his sister.
“You bitch!” Zoe glared at Grace with hatred. “How dare you ask for money!”
“Why wouldn’t I? Miss Stevens, didn’t you say that you would buy me something from the store? I’m just exchanging it for cash. Nothing more,” Grace said.
Grace had been playing a bluff with every intention of letting Sean beg off and drag his deplorable sister and fiancee out of the store with him.
“You’re crazy for money, aren’t you?” Zoe shook her head with disgust, “Don’t think my brother will…”
However, by this time, Sean had already taken out the checkbook, filled out the amount, and handed it directly to Grace.
“Brother!” Zoe shouted.
“Enough! You already promised earlier, it’s only natural that you keep your word! I’m helping you fulfill the promise!” Sean turned to Grace and forced a smile. “Here, this check is for you.”
Grace took the check and left the store with Lina.
There was cursing and muttering and she could only imagine how the store personnel would gossip-and she didn’t care.
She’d meant to get under their skin. It was petty and unnecessary and she’d only wanted Sean to feel shameful for a few brief seconds.
But he’d called her bluff and carried through with it.
And Sean wasn’t a wealthy man by accident. He was very stingy-when he wasn’t trying to outdo himself for appearances.
“Grace, don’t you think it’s a little weird?” As soon as they walked out of the store, Lina said, “Sean wrote you a huge check and gave it to you without hesitation. Lily was present too! Isn’t he afraid his ‘fiancee’ will lose her shit?”
“It is quite strange,” Grace said neutrally.
“Uh, does Sean still like you?” Lina ventured.
Grace shrugged. “No, I don’t think that’s it.”
“Grace, he just spent an obscene amount of money on you.”
“True. But I don’t think it’s affection that prompted it. I don’t even think it’s ego. Sean’s too cheap for that. I think it’s fear.
It seems that he is afraid that I will get mad at Zoe and then do harm to the Stevens Family,” Grace voiced her intuitive speculations.
Hearing this, Lina thought it was a bit ridiculous. “Isn’t he thinking too much into it?”
“Who knows?” Grace shrugged and raised her hand to look at the check she was holding.
“What are you going to do with that anyway? Are you going to tear it up?” she asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see you spend it on yourself. It’s the least that piece of shit can do, after how he and that trash Lily treated you. But something tells me you won’t be taking that to the bank.”
“No. I won’t.”
Lina shook her head. “You’re just going to tear it up?” She was incredulous.
“No. Why tear it up? I’ll just donate it to someone who needs it,” Grace answered and carefully put the check into her bag.
Lina beamed. “That’s more like it!” Then she sighed. “That prick will probably use it as a tax write-off.”
Both women laughed, and just like that, the painfulness of that encounter was forgotten.
They had a meal after walking around for a while, and shared several small dishes in the mall food court. It was so much like old times! Grace could almost imagine that the last few years hadn’t happened, and it was just the two of them catching up after a long week of corporate work.
But there was no undoing the past.
And seeing how she wouldn’t be who she was now, stronger and more self-aware, she didn’t resent it. If not for everything in the past, she wouldn’t have come to know Jay. Today.