Chapter 178: The Price of Luxury
Other people looking down on her didn’t bother Ellis. If she had to think about what truly affected her right now, it was simple—being broke.
Back at the office, she hadn’t even reached her desk when she noticed several boxes sitting on top of it, wrapped in fancy packaging. Was Amelia still not giving up? But as she glanced around, she saw that every desk in the executive office had the same boxes. One of her coworkers waved her over, looking excited.
“Ms. Harper, Nexus Group sent us gifts! Everyone in the executive office got one.”
“Check yours! Mine is a Hermès scarf!”
Giving out holiday gifts was standard corporate etiquette. Since the company had business with Nexus Group, it wasn’t unusual for them to send presents with Thanksgiving coming up. Ellis wasn’t surprised to hear that the gifts included Hermès scarves. Hermès was a top-tier luxury brand, but not everything they sold was unattainably expensive. A basic scarf only cost a few thousand, nothing outrageous.
Under the expectant gazes of her coworkers, Ellis unwrapped her box. Unlike the others, her gift was a shoulder bag. It was mostly black with carefully woven accents of other colors. At first glance, it looked ordinary, but on closer inspection, the intricate design, craftsmanship, and the unmistakable logo on the packaging all screamed luxury. One of her more impatient coworkers immediately snapped a photo and ran a reverse image search.
Ellis, seeing the familiar logo, was reminded of her old closet at the Hudson family estate. Easton had never handed her cash directly, but she could buy anything she wanted with his card. There was no spending limit. Back then, she had a bit of a poor-person-turned-rich mentality. With the doors to a whole new world flung open, she spent money without a second thought. She had been a VVIP at Hermès. Bags were her weakness, and she had collected almost every classic piece—mostly limited editions and custom orders—carelessly scattered throughout her closet.
But now? Now she was so broke that she wouldn’t even step foot into a Hermès store. The gift boxes were taking up too much space, blocking her computer screen. Ellis was about to move them aside when her coworker suddenly let out a gasp.
“Ms. Harper! Your bag costs 170,000!”
170,000! Ellis’s attention immediately snapped to her. She had assumed it was just an ordinary bag worth a few thousand. But instead, it was worth six figures? Sure, she had seen more expensive bags before. Back when she was Mrs. Hudson, her collection included million-dollar pieces made from exotic leathers.
Looking at her coworker’s phone, she double-checked the number: 170,000. Five full zeros at the end. Her coworker was still gaping at the price. Ellis was a little stunned too. Nexus Group hadn’t even profited from the project yet, and they were already handing out gifts this extravagant? More importantly, if they were going to splurge, why on her? She wasn’t exactly in a position of influence. Lois hadn’t let her take part in the project. Morty had gotten involved, and since she had some connection to him, she was technically in, but her role was minimal.
Her coworkers, now fully aware of the price tags on these gifts, all gathered to discuss the situation. After some quick online searches, they realized Ellis’s bag wasn’t even the most expensive gift. After some debate, they all agreed—these gifts were too much. The safest option was to return them to Nexus Group.
But when their representative reached out, Nexus Group’s response was unexpected.
“Oh, those? They’re just a few unused items from Mr. Morty’s house. He told us to get rid of them, so we figured we’d repurpose them as Mid-Autumn Festival gifts for our business partners.”
Mr. Morty? The representative hung up and relayed the message to everyone. For a moment, the entire office fell silent. Then, as the realization sank in, their expressions twisted in jealousy.
Ellis wasn’t exactly jealous, but she did find it odd. The gifts included men’s and women’s items. Morty had that many unused things lying around? Then again… When she had been Mrs. Hudson, she had even more unused luxuries just sitting around. And just like that, her confusion disappeared. What most people saw as unattainable luxuries was nothing more than junk to the ultra-rich—things they were too lazy to throw away. To them, gifting a regular person something like this wasn’t generosity. It was just a way to get rid of clutter. This kind of wealth gap created entirely different ways of thinking.
Even though Nexus Group had explained the situation, her coworkers were still hesitant to accept the gifts. Ellis was assigned the task of reporting this to Lois and getting her decision. Lois barely batted an eye.
“It’s fine. Keep them.”
Morty and his uncle were both known for being generous and extravagant. These were just leftovers from his house. For all she knew, they were freebies he had received from luxury brands. Handing them out as corporate gifts wasn’t a big deal. Since their boss had given the green light, the executive office quickly accepted the gifts—happily, this time.