Chapter 25


    On payday, I take Jay shopping to buy a cell phone.


    "It''s fine that I don''t have a phone," Jay says. “Grace, you don’t need to get me one.”


    "Nowadays, everyone has a phone. It will be more convenient forpanies to contact you when you


    apply for jobs.” I grin and tease him. “Maybe you’ll want to follow Lina’s advice and go be an actor or


    model. Then agents and directors will have to call you.”


    He snorts. “Wolves shouldn’t chase those things.”


    Oh? This is news. He never talks about pack or which one he belonged to.


    “Is that how your pack is? Are they from around here?”


    He tenses.


    “It’s okay,” I tell him. “You don’t have to talk about it.”


    He gives the slighted nod.


    “Let’s focus on a phone.”


    His dark eyes cut to mine. “The one I don’t need.”


    “It will be more convenient for us to inform each other if we would be homete. Or if one of us need


    help.”


    “Fine. Let’s get the phone.”


    We hit the store and sign in. It’s crowded and Jay seems ufortable about that. He stands away


    from the other shoppers. I guide him over to the wall of phones that I researched. There are different


    models, but I can only afford the older ones.


    “They’re not as fancy as the newer ones,” I tell him, “but they still have wifi and most of the bells and


    whistles, so …” I blush. “When I can earn more money, I will..."


    "This model is good.” He cuts me off. The he starts flipping through the various screens and he even


    tests the camera. He rattles off some information about its storage capabilities. He talks like he has


    knowledge in tech.


    "Oh, Grace!” a voice sounds from behind us.


    I lift me head and see Mia Jenkins and another woman walking toward us. They are out shopping too it


    seems, and each woman holds several bags.


    Oh great.


    It’s Mia and another high school ssmate, Maria.


    "What a coincidence seeing you here! Is this your boyfriend?" Mia asks as she sizes up Jay, who is


    standing beside me.


    When Maria sees that I don’t respond, she says, "Hey, Mia, don''t spout nonsense. I heard that Grace


    has a rich boyfriend. This guy doesn''t dress like a rich guy. What a cheap set of clothes!”


    Wow. That is horribly rude.


    I nce nervously at Jay, but his expression is nd. Anyone watching would think he was oblivious to


    my ssmate’s cattyments.


    Maria raises her brows. "Oh! Are you feeling awkward? My bad. I forgot that your boyfriend already has


    a new girlfriend and they will be getting engaged soon. Over the past few days, it’s all the papers can


    seem to report about—the engagement between Sean and Lilly. They are well-matched in social and


    economic status! By the way, does your new boyfriend know that you''re sweeping the streets?"


    I am not sure what to say to that, so I keep my mouth closed.


    “Why did you say that?" Miaments.


    Mia isn’t stupid. There are privacyws and the gossiping she’s engaging in with Maria could get her


    tangled up at work. If I bothered to report it. If the higher-ups cared to write up her supervisor. If they


    wanted to take the word of an ex-con.


    "What I''ve said is true. Didn''t you say that she is currently working in the Sanitation Service Center?!"


    Maria says arrogantly.


    I roll my eyes and focus on Mia. She should know better. At least about the confidentiality stuff. Maria’s


    a bitch. I’m impervious to her. But her cruelty toward Jay… Making fun of a man’s clothes… how petty


    is that?


    “Oh Maria! You must be a reporter now. Look at you, digging up all these facts. Yes. I work at the


    Sanitation Center as Mia has told you.” I nce sharply at Mia. “Though to my knowledge there are


    privacyws that prevent discussions of other personnel.” I nce back at Maria and shrug. “Sean is


    marrying someone else. Yes, that’s true. I wish him happiness. Nice seeing you both. Have a good


    night.”


    I turn away from them and focus on Jay. "Which model do you prefer?"


    "This one," he replies and points to the mid-priced one of the three I rmended.


    “Great. Let’s go.”


    I tell the cashier to ring it up and I pre-pay for three months’ service. I hope to have a credit card again


    by then so I can have a little wiggle room on payments and such.


    Mia and Maria are standing nearby. Mia is shopping but Maria looks furious. Like she wanted me to just


    stand there and let her continue to insult us.


    The cashier tells me the total. I take out my wallet.


    “Wow Grace. You have to pay for his phone?” Then: “Oooh…I get it now.” Shees closer and into


    Jay’s line of vision. “You don’t have to settle for her. Why don''t you break up with her? I can get you a


    better mobile phone. You can choose any of the mobile phones in this market,” Maria says.


    Maria''s family owns a small business. Although she’s not as wealthy as those influential people or the


    billionaire families in the city, she’s richer than ordinary people. She is a petty human. And I hope she’ll


    stop provoking Jay.


    Jason purses his lips as he stares at Maria.


    Maria takes Jay’s silence as encouragement."What do you think of my suggestion? If you break up with


    her, we can be friends. I can take you for a spin in my BMW and introduce you to some of my friends in


    the film and television circle. Given your looks, you will have no problem bing a star." Maria


    bes more excited as she speaks. It would be the ultimate payback, to take this man away from


    me and see him shine.


    I wonder if she’s friends with my half-sister. They are both shallow, petty and obsessed with fame.


    "I''m not interested in bing a star. As for your BMW, take good care of it," Jason replies casually.


    Maria’s face is reddening. Jay didn’t just dismiss her, he looked her up and down first so she’d know it


    wasn’t just her car or phone but her that he wasn’t interested in. "Do you know who I am? I can make


    you..."


    "Oh? What can you do to me?" Jay asks coldly.


    I know he can hold his wolf in, but I sense he’s a lot angrier than this human realizes.


    “Okay! Time to go.” I grab Jason’s arm and guide him out of the store. I don’t bother saying anything


    further to either woman.


    When we’re outside, I nce at Jay. “I wasn’t mean to them in high school or anything like that. In case


    you are wondering.”


    “I didn’t think you were.”


    “I could excuse it, you know. If I’d been a mean girl to them or whatever.”


    He scoffs.


    “It’s true. High School is hard. And if I’d been a bully or something, then I’d deserve their abuse now.”


    “I don''t think you were a bully, Grace.”


    I nod and we keep walking. “I was really shy in school. I was the only wolf and I always felt different.


    And with my grandfather, I had to make really good grades. So that’s what I focused on. But maybe


    being focused on studying and not making friends, maybe that gave people the wrong impression.”


    “Don’t make excuses for people, Sister.” His gaze traces around the shops and stores at this mall as if


    assessing for threats or looking for someone or something. “People’s actions speak for themselves…”


    “O-okay.”


    Jay and I cut into the parking lot to begin the walk home.


    * * * * * * * * * *


    “Wow, Mia. You weren’t joking. That man was some loser, dating an ex-con and wearing a cheap set of


    clothes!


    Mia nods.


    Maria shifts her bags to her left hand. “Hey, there they are!” She takes out her phone. “It’s about time,


    that b*tch Grace… finally gets what she deserves.” She snaps a photo. “I can’t wait to post this.”


    But as she moves to upload the photo, Maria receives a text message.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    At the same time, a man in a ck suit walks over to her, saying amicably, "Are you Miss Martin? We


    have transferred 85,000 dors to your ount, which is based on the depreciation value of your new


    car. I believe that you have received the money."


    Maria’s stunned. The man had to be referring to the 85k that she had just received in the text message.


    The man turns around and lifts his hand to make a gesture. Suddenly, a few men in ck suits start to


    smash Maria''s BMW with hammers.


    Maria and Mia are shocked. Maria screams, "What are you doing? Call the police. I''m making a police


    report!"


    "Miss Martin, you''ve received the money, thus this car no longer belongs to you. I have the right to


    smash it!" The man smiles.


    "No. I have no intention of selling my car. You can''t smash my car!" Maria wanted to stop them, but the


    few men ignored her and continued to smash the car. Within a short while, the beautiful car looked like


    a scrapper.


    "You... you..." Maria’s so angry that she started to shiver.


    "If Miss Martin wishes to make a police report, you may go ahead. However, I have records of our


    transaction." The man continues, saying: "What can one do? My boss doesn''t like your car. Miss


    Martin, please get a more pleasant-looking car in the future, lest it gets smashed again."


    After saying that, the man and the few men who had demolished her Beamer leave.


    Many people crowd around to watch the scene. When Maria turns her head, she sees that Grace and


    the man by the name of Jay are looking in her direction not far away from her.


    Maria feels rage beat at her heart. She had just unted her new car to them, but in the next instant,


    the car was smashed before her very eyes.