Chapter 13

Nicole listened absentmindedly to the salesperson at the Mercedes store while chatting with Sue. "There must be something wrong with Jacob. Before we were divorced, he constantly guarded me from stealing his money. Now that we are separated, he randomly sends me cash. What's up with that?" Nicole's eyes sparkled with mischief as she concluded, "Maybe he just enjoys unconventional paid relationships." The salesperson's voice faltered, his eyes darting around with uncertainty. Oblivious to his reaction, Nicole asked, "So, is this the cheapest car you have? Most office workers would use this model, right?" The salesperson hesitated before patiently explaining, "Ms. Barnes, this is an imported Mercedes dealership. Our cheapest cars are priced between forty to fifty thousand." "Yes, I know," Nicole replied. She glanced at the salesperson and continued, "I came here because the cars are cheap." The salesperson was starting to suspect that Nicole was a troublemaker. Despite her striking looks that were comparable to a celebrity, Nicole wore a simple hoodie, shorts, and sneakers. Her outfit was worth no more than a few hundred dollars, and she seemed like a fresh college graduate. Convinced that Nicole was just a broke girl pretending to buy luxury cars, the salesperson's tone grew more condescending. "Ms. Barnes, if you really want to buy a car, there are dealerships from other car brands across the street. Both offer models suited to your budget." Nicole was about to nod in appreciation when the salesperson added with a hint of disdain. "If you can't afford it, it's best to have some self-awareness and stop your pretense at a place beyond your means." Nicole frowned when she realized the salesperson had misunderstood her. She was about to explain when a sarcastic voice came from behind her. "You just cheated Jacob of his money, and here you are buying cars?" Kellie strolled into the showroom with Sarah in tow, followed closely by a store manager. After scrutinizing Nicole, she scoffed and said, "I thought you'd aim for a Porsche at least, if not a Rolls-Royce. But no, you're eyeing these budget Mercedes models. Even the maid at Jacob's house drives a better car than this." Nicole, who had embarrassed the entire Blake family at dinner last night, couldn't be bothered by Kellie's taunts. She grabbed Sue's arm, ready to leave for another dealership. The salesperson, irritated by Nicole earlier, felt emboldened by Kellie's remarks. He snapped his folder shut and rolled his eyes at Nicole. "You should have just admitted that you can't afford it. Why are you wasting other people's time? Don't you realize our time is valuable, too?" Upon hearing this, Kellie and Sarah burst into laughter. The latter smirked and pointed at Nicole. "I thought you would have amassed quite a fortune after all these years in the Blake family. After all, that's the reason why you married Jacob. I didn't expect Jacob to be so heartless. "Perhaps I should speak to him later and try to convince him to take pity on you. He's usually very generous to me. I had no idea you were having a hard time." Kellie patted Sarah's arm and tried to muffle her laughter. "Why would you give money to a homemaker? It would make more sense to keep it in the bank and collect interest." "Jacob should have thought this through. Even if he dislikes her, he shouldn't make it so obvious. If word gets out, others might think our family is in financial trouble!" Nicole crossed her arms and couldn't help but chuckle. "Both of you are so stupid. Or perhaps the school curriculum didn't teach you about the distribution of marital assets? Once we're divorced, Jacob has to split half of his assets with me without question." Kellie's expression shifted slightly. Before she could respond, Nicole took two steps closer. "I'm buying a Mercedes because I want to, but you can only afford a Mercedes." Next, Nicole glanced at Kellie's handbag and remarked, "You're the eldest daughter of the Blake family. Why are you carrying a Louis Vuitton instead of something more upscale? "What happened to your Hermes bag? Are you using it on rotation with your mother? Perhaps you use the bag on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while she uses it on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays?" Kellie's face turned pale, and she yelled at Nicole, "Nonsense! I have a wardrobe full of Hermes bags. Why would I need to share it with my mom?" She quickly hid her bag behind her and retorted, "Well, I like this bag. Why can't I carry it? I'll throw it away when it's off-season." Her tone grew louder and faster as she spoke. Kellie's eyes flitted over to Nicole's empty hands. With newfound confidence, she pointed at Nicole and sneered, "You don't own a Hermes after all this time with Jacob, and yet you dare to criticize me?" She spun around and huddled with Sarah to gossip about Nicole. "You can afford a house even though you work in the entertainment industry. She's the wife of a wealthy man, but she has nothing. She's no different from a servant." Kellie was thrilled to learn of Nicole's weakness. In her excitement, she unintentionally brought up the gossip about Sarah. Although Sarah was displeased, she hesitated to react due to Kellie's status. She forced a smile and replied, "Y-Yeah. You are going to embarrass Jacob if you go out like this. "Others might think that he is a stingy man that ill-treats you! It doesn't matter if you don't care about your image. You should be considerate toward Jacob, the future heir to the Blake Group." Nicole found their remarks absurd. "Didn't both of you say that Jacob ill-treats me? And you said I can't afford a better car than the servant. "I even need to plead with his mistress to get him to treat me better. Have you forgotten what you said earlier?" Caught off guard by Nicole's response, Kellie and Sarah were left speechless. "If anyone's losing face, it's Jacob. People won't ridicule his wife if she's unable to afford a Hermes bag or a luxury car. They'd simply think that Jacob, the CEO of a publicly traded company, is incredibly stingy!"