Chapter 20

Not far away, Ivana and Cassie casually browsed. Cassie froze, spotting Isabella at the counter. Leaning closer to Ivana, she whispered, "Is that Isabella?"

Ivana hadn't expected to see Isabella. Her gaze fell on Isabella's hand; she was holding an emerald bracelet. A smirk played on Ivana's lips, a hint of mockery in her eyes. Isabella, she thought, was unworthy of such an expensive piece.

Feigning surprise, Ivana said, "I can't believe Isabella's here. Let's go take a look."

Ivana and Cassie slowly approached, Ivana suppressing her disdain. She laughed lightly and asked, "Isabella, are you looking to buy a bracelet?"

Isabella was taken aback. She felt unfortunate to have run into Ivana.

She and the sales assistant looked up. Ivana, elegantly dressed in a pale pink long dress, her flawless makeup accentuating her gentle appearance, stood before them. The pink pendant around her neck was eye-catching and obviously valuable. Beside her, Cassie, in a form-fitting dress, looked noticeably duller.

The sales assistant's heart raced, recognizing Ivana as wealthy. Isabella, however, merely glanced at Ivana before looking away, ignoring her.

Ivana felt a surge of anger. How dare this bitch ignore me? she thought. Her deception as Dr. Lovett is about to be exposed; I'll see how long she can act so arrogantly!

But seeing the emerald bracelet, a sly smile spread across her face. If Isabella wanted the bracelet, she would make sure she didn't get it.

Ivana stepped forward, taking the bracelet from Isabella's hand to examine it. "Pretty good," she murmured.

Turning to the sales assistant with a smile, she said, "I'll take this bracelet."

Isabella's expression darkened. She hadn't expected Ivana to resort to the same trick again.

Ivana looked at Isabella with feigned apology. "Isabella, I want to buy this for my mother. After all, she's taken care of you for so many years. Surely, you'll let me have it, right?"

It was obvious moral coercion, but Ivana wore an innocent expression. Isabella found her utterly hypocritical.

Cassie quickly added, "Of course, Isabella will let you have the bracelet. Mrs. Stout has been dedicated to taking care of her all these years. If she doesn't even give you this small thing, wouldn't that be heartless?"

Although Cassie lowered her voice for the last part, everyone heard.

Isabella smiled, but inwardly scoffed. Molly had never properly cared for her. Since Molly married Hudson, Isabella's life had been miserable. Hudson despised her, cutting off her allowance and making her eat leftovers. Ivana was lying.

A thought crossed her mind, and a sarcastic glint appeared in her eyes. "I saw the bracelet first," she said deliberately, snatching it back from Ivana's hand.

Ivana was taken aback by Isabella's blatant disregard and nearly lost her composure. Her hands clenched into fists as she mentally cursed Isabella. With so many people around, however, she couldn't afford to lose her temper.

Cassie's expression darkened. Stepping forward, she angrily pointed at Isabella. "Isabella, how can you be so shameless? What right do you have to compete with Ivana?"

Ivana felt a rush of satisfaction but didn't show it. She tugged at Cassie's sleeve, feigning distress. "Cassie, don't say that. Isabella didn't mean to"

Her attempt to calm Cassie had no effect; Cassie only shouted louder. "What do you mean she didn't mean it? She's clearly doing it on purpose. She's utterly disgusting!"

Their performance only amused Isabella. She found Ivana's competitiveness amusing.

She handed the bracelet to the sales assistant, saying softly, "I'll take this. Please wrap it up."

A chill swept across Ivana's face. Does this bitch really want to go against me?

There were many onlookers, and if Isabella bought the bracelet, Ivana would lose face.

As the sales assistant took the bracelet, Ivana looked at Isabella disapprovingly. "Isabella, why are you trying to spite me? You don't even have the money to buy that bracelet."

She hesitated, glancing at the crowd with a feigned expression of difficulty meant to provoke. "You've bought so many things for those boyfriends of yours; your allowance from your parents must be long gone."

The onlookers' gazes shifted toward Isabella. Boyfriends? How many boyfriends has she had? they wondered.

Cassie stepped forward with a cold smirk, her gaze dripping with disdain. "I heard back in college that she dated several boyfriends, practically worshipping them by buying them luxury goods, wasting Mr. Stout's money. How pathetic."

The crowd murmured.

"This girl looks quiet and pretty, but I can't believe she would do something like that." "Don't judge a book by its cover; the more beautiful a woman, the more promiscuous she is." "The worst part is she uses her parents' hard-earned money to support men. It's disgusting!"

Everyone chimed in, casting harsh judgments on Isabella.

Ivana felt a rush of satisfaction. How clever Cassie was! she thought. How does it feel to be trampled underfoot, Isabella?! She tightened her fists, containing her excitement.

Isabella felt a surge of anger. She had never received an allowance, so it was impossible for her to waste money like that. The accusations were lies. Since Ivana had stooped so low, she decided not to hold back.

Cassie, seeing the comments, wore a smug expression. Isabella always carried herself like a high-and-mighty goddess, and now she wanted to drag her down.

Cassie turned to the sales assistant. "Don't waste your time. No matter how nice you are to her, she can't afford your products." She added with a scoff, "I wonder if touching your items will give her any diseases."

The sales assistant hesitated, her eyes changing. She grabbed a cloth and started wiping the bracelet, rolling her eyes at Isabella. "Why waste time on someone with no money?" she muttered.

Turning to Ivana with a smile, she handed over the bracelet. "Ma'am, here's your bracelet."

The shift in attitude was shocking. Isabella laughed coldly. She wanted to see them embarrass themselves.

Immediately, she pulled out her bank card, pretending to be anxious. "I want to buy it right now, and I'm going to pay with my card."