Chapter 26 Twenty Six


    So he went for the next best thing–her bed. Walking past her, he threw his body onto her bed, resting


    his back against the headboard. He lifted his legs onto the mattress and took one pillow in his hands.


    This way, her sweet fragrance surrounded him.


    “Wh…what are you doing?” Isabelle stuttered, turning to regard him. The embarrassment on her face


    was still evident, her ears red from how hard she was flushing. He enjoyed how flustered she


    appeared, but he wasn’t going to mention it.


    “Tell me what happened,” he said instead of answering her question. “What was so good that you


    screamed?”


    “I can tell you in the living room,” she said, her attention still on the fact that he was still lying on her bed


    as if he belonged there. Was she the only one who thought he was crossing a boundary?


    “I’m okay here,” he said, cradling her pillow in his arms.


    She couldn’t exactly physically eject him from the bed, so she gave up and took a seat on her vanity


    chair. “I got an order from a client on Monday. He wanted me to design a ne for him for fifty


    thousand dors. I worked on it all week and sent it yesterday. He sent me an email a few minutes ago


    saying he likes the design and paid for it.”


    Jacob nodded as she narrated to him. When she was done, he said, “That means you don’t need to


    take part in the drug trial, right?”


    “Uh, yeah,” she replied. “I made a lot more money.”


    “That’s good,” he said. “You don’t have to endanger yourself now.”


    Isabelle waited for him to make another remark, but he didn’t. He didn’t even seem surprised. Was he


    not impressed by the figure? Fifty thousand dors was a lot of money. The only thing he seemed


    concerned about was that she wouldn’t have to do the drug trial anymore. Did he really care that much


    about her?


    Either way, she felt happy that he seemed to be genuinely concerned about her. On Saturday night he


    had been angry when demanding that she quit the trial, and a part of her thought it was because he


    didn’t want to be embarrassed by his wife taking part in such a thing when he wanted others to think he


    was wealthy.


    But now, all he seemed to be concerned about was her wellbeing. Was that why he had made a scene


    on Saturday night?


    ***


    The next day, Isabelle paid Ruth’s pending medical expenses to thest cent. With that paid, Ruth


    could continue receiving the necessary treatment until she could get a kidney transnt. Isabelle felt


    relieved that the bill was now out of the way, and felt that Ruth would now be morefortable,


    receiving the care she needed and not having to worry about money.


    When she went back home, she found that Jacob had just gotten back from a job he had said he had


    been called in for that morning. She noticed that he was wearing the same coat he had been wearing


    the previous day–actually, he wore it on most days. After paying Ruth’s medical bill, she had some


    money left over and thought it would be nice to get him some new clothes.


    When she asked him toe to the mall with her to buy the clothes, he agreed. He also told her that


    he knew a good store they could shop at.


    An hourter, Isabell stood in front of the store Jacob had brought her to, a look of awe on her face.


    The store happened to be the renowned luxury clothing store belonging to the Larson Group. She had


    never shopped there before, and now, she wasn’t sure this was the right ce for them. The clothes


    here had to be quite expensive…


    She cast a nce at Jacob who was waiting next to her patiently. He had brought her here—had he


    shopped here before? It wouldn’t hurt to look inside, she decided, leading the way inside. Who knew,


    maybe they could find some discounted outfits.


    The couple was weed by a shop assistant who led them to a selection of coats. Five minutes into


    looking through various options, Isabelle quickly realised that everything was indeed too expensive for


    her to afford. It was a shame, given how good the coats were, and she imagined Jacob would look


    really dashing in them.


    She moved on from the coats to shirts, but the prices didn’t get any better. “Can I see that one?” she


    asked, pointing towards a navy blue shirt. Aftering all the way to the shop and spending time


    looking through clothes, she was determined to find at least one article of clothing for Jacob. They


    could go shop somewhere more affordableter, but just one piece from the Larson Group store would


    be good.


    “Please make a decision quickly,” the shop assistant told her, thrusting the shirt she had requested in


    her hands. Her tone was unfriendly and her face full of disdain, as if she had better things to do than


    apany the two.


    Isabelle was about to apologise for taking too long to choose something when two other voices carried


    to her.


    “She has looked through about twenty items already. If she can’t afford anything, she should go away


    and stop wasting our time.”


    “Of course she can’t afford them. Look at them, do they look like they can afford anything in this store?”


    The first personughed. “Maybe they got lost on their way to the second-hand clothes market. They


    should have looked at the sign outside before bringing their poor selves inside.”


    “I hate when people with no moneye in here and act like they can buy anything.”


    In the peripheral of her eyes, Isabelle noticed that the two voices belonged to the two shop assistants


    who stood by in case more help was needed. She was shocked to find that employees at such a


    popr store were so rude and mannerless.


    “So, will you take that one?” the assistant who was apanying them asked, crossing her arms


    across her chest and sticking her hip out. She was no longer pretending to be professional, and


    Isabelle felt her irritation rising.


    She looked at Jacob, who hadn’t said much besides looking at the clothes she picked out. His jaw


    looked tense, and she realised that he too must be bothered by the attitude the assistants were


    showing.


    “In thest store I worked, shopping was by appointment only. It made sure that only people who could


    actually afford the clothes showed up. Here, any beggar from off the street can walk in.” The owner of


    the voice sighed. “I wish they would make it like that here.”


    “Yeah,” her fellow assistant agreed. “A store of this calibre should not be epting just anyone. They


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    could be thieves for all we know.”


    “Most likely. Just look at how unkempt they are. Where is the cleaner? She needs to be ready with


    disinfectant the moment they leave.”


    “Poor Lisa, having to deal with them so closely. Who knows what germs she’ll pick up.”


    Isabelle looked down at herself, and then at Jacob. They might not be wearing thetest in luxury


    fashion, but they were decent and hygienic. How hateful were those assistants to talk like that?


    She thrust the navy blue shirt back to the assistant who was with them. She had heard enough. It was


    time to put a stop to it.