Chapter 2

I hung up, then turned to face the perfectly coiffed assistant.

She clearly didn't take my call seriously. Instead, she crossed her arms and scoffed.

"Oh, please, keep up the dramatics," she said sarcastically.

"These days, people will do anything to avoid paying their bills."

"Kick us out of the mall? Do you even know who our boss is? Do you have any idea how much our annual lease and revenue are?"

The two security guards behind her also sneered, convinced I was bluffing, trying to wriggle out of paying that $3,000.

A few customers nearby had been drawn by the commotion, craning their necks to watch.

Daisy's tiny hand gripped my skirt, her little face etched with distress.

It was her birthday today, and I'd brought her here specifically to buy her favorite princess dress. I never imagined we'd run into such a nightmare.

I patted her back reassuringly. As I looked up, I spotted a framed photo on the wall behind the assistant.

In the picture, a flashily dressed woman was intimately holding a man's arm. I recognized the man: my ex-husband, Alexander.

And the woman? Valerie, the owner of this very store.

A woman who had only managed to secure this prime retail space in such an upscale mall thanks to Alexander.

The last flicker of warmth in my heart died. So, old acquaintances.

"I'll say it again. Move."

The assistant was momentarily stunned by my gaze, but then her face flushed with rage.

"Move? You can leave once you've paid!" She suddenly raised her voice, pointing a finger at my nose.

"Don't think putting on a show will scare me! You're paying that three grand today, whether you like it or not!"

"Otherwise, I'll call the police and report you for fraudulent behavior and disturbing our business!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Valerie, clad in a designer suit, stormed out of the back, her heels clicking loudly.

"What's all the fuss about? Don't you know I'm entertaining a VIP client in there?"

It was Valerie.

The moment she saw me, her impatient expression morphed into surprise.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mrs. Sterling... oh, my mistake…"

She deliberately drew out her words, covering her mouth with her hand as she snickered.

"It's Ms. Sterling now, isn't it?"

"What? After ditching Alex, you can't even cough up a measly three grand for a service fee?"

Her voice was cutting and venomous, gleefully parading my misfortune for everyone to see.

The surrounding murmurs instantly grew louder.

"Oh, so it's Alex Sterling's ex-wife. That explains it."

"I heard she was kicked out by the Sterling family, left penniless. How tragic."

"And with a kid to boot, how pitiful."

The curious glances of the onlookers immediately shifted to a mix of pity and scorn.

Daisy was terrified by the commotion, her small face pale, her eyes welling up with tears.

A sharp pang went through my heart. I pulled her into a tight hug.

Seeing this, the assistant's smug expression only deepened. She immediately leaned in to Valerie, eager to complain.

"Cousin, it's her! She tried on our crown jewel and now she's trying to wriggle out of paying for it!"

Valerie nodded with satisfaction, then walked up to me, lowering her voice.

"Eleanor Sterling, don't say I didn't warn you."

"You're not Mrs. Sterling anymore. No one's got your back."

"Be smart, pay up, and get out of here with your little burden."

"Otherwise, I'll make sure you don't even set foot outside this mall today."

I looked at her face and suddenly smiled.

"Is that so? I'd like to see you try and stop me from walking out that door today."

My calm indifference infuriated Valerie completely.

"Fine, *fine*!" Her face crimson with fury, she gritted her teeth.

"You think I'm joking?"

She abruptly stepped back, shouting at the two security guards.

"Hold them! No one leaves until they pay!"

Following their boss's command, the two security guards immediately stepped forward, blocking our path on either side, their attitudes even more aggressive than before.

The onlookers, seeing the situation escalate, didn't disperse. Instead, they crowded in even tighter, many even pulling out their phones to record.