Chapter 11

George kicked Haley twice with force, wearing a menacing look on his face as he did so. Haley scrambled over to Rose and Steven. "I'm sorry, Ms. Miller. I was senseless. Please have mercy and forgive me. I won't ever do that again." While speaking, Haley even slapped herself hard twice. "You should apologize to Steven, not me," Rose said coldly. Haley quickly knelt before Steven and pleaded, "Steven, I'm sorry! It was my fault. I shouldn't have said those things. I was rude and conceited. "We were classmates, so please give me another chance! I don't want to be fish bait or lose my job!" Haley was well aware that George's threats were not empty. He would actually throw her into a river and feed her to the fishes. Steven was expressionless and did not speak. Stricken with fear, Haley slapped herself again until her nose and mouth were bleeding. "That's enough. Don't cause a scene. Mr. Hammond is running a business here. I can't be bothered to deal with you. You're not worth it," Steven said. A wave of relief washed over Haley. "Thank you! Thank you for your mercy." Then, she promptly turned around and begged George, "Mr. Hammond, they've forgiven me. Please don't fire me." "Ms. Miller is simply too important to deal with a clown like yourself. Even though you are the supervisor, you were acting like a snob and trying to turn away our customers. I'm sparing your life today. Pack up your things and get lost." George was a smart man. Although Rose and Steven had looked past Haley's actions, he couldn't defend her. Haley had previously slept with him, but he showed her no mercy to avoid offending Rose. One of the reasons Haley was so arrogant and unconcerned about receiving complaints was because her boyfriend was the manager. The other, and bigger reason was that she was having an affair with George and considered herself his lover. She believed she had powerful supporters. Regardless, George turned against her and almost killed her. Haley was utterly shocked and crestfallen. Not only did she lose her job, but her boyfriend, Jayden, would certainly break up with her if he found out about this. In an instant, she had lost the position of supervisor that she had worked so hard to obtain. Despite her regrets, there was nothing she could do. "You're all watching, aren't you? Should anyone else dare to disrespect another customer again, this is what they will get!" George took the opportunity to make an example of Haley and set the staff members straight. The staff members who had supported and echoed Haley's words trembled and panicked. They were afraid to be treated like her. Fiona was astonished as she witnessed all this. George was a reputable man with a high standing in Levix City. Few could make him grovel like that. Even her father, Cavin Lurk, might not get such treatment. "Who was that woman? How did she end up as that good-for-nothing Steven's girlfriend?" Fiona wondered, perplexed. "Ms. Lurk, you were getting someone to come over and beat us up, weren't you? Aren't you going to call them?" Rose asked Fiona. "I… I'm letting you off today for Mr. Hammond's sake. Don't ever let me see your faces again. Especially you, Steven! You'll always be a good-for-nothing man in my eyes. Don't expect me to think highly of you just because you've associated yourself with someone important. I despise you!" Fiona quickly left after uttering those harsh words. Rubbing his temples, Steven said in resignation, "You were right. Thank goodness I didn't marry her." "Come, I'll pick out some clothes for you," Rose said. Steven and Rose appeared intimate as Rose held onto Steven's arm. Standing at the side, George was dumbfounded by the sight. He sized up Steven discreetly, wondering who this attractive man was. The close relationship Steven had with Rose was surprising. From Levix City to Syane City, Rose had countless men pursuing her. However, she had never shown any of them such affection. George was not a fool. He wouldn't assume Steven was merely a gigolo with a pretty face. Rose would never be interested in a gigolo. The person who could capture her attention must be someone remarkable. "Ms. Miller, Mr. Lewis, what happened today was my fault. Feel free to pick out any clothes you like here. You won't have to pay for them. Consider it my apology." George was shrewd and ingratiated himself with Steven. "There's no need for that. Do you think I can't afford these?" Rose responded bluntly. She wanted to choose Steven's outfits herself and give them to him as a gift. Letting George take that away from her was unacceptable. "No, of course not." With an apologetic smile, George politely handed Steven his business card and a black VIP card. "Mr. Lewis, please don't hesitate to contact me at any time. I'd be happy to help with whatever you need. Also, with this card, you can get 50% off at any of my upscale stores." Steven was about to decline, but then George added, "I gave you an unpleasant experience during our first meeting. Please accept my sincere apologies, Mr. Lewis." "You're quite generous, Mr. Hammond. I don't even have that card," Rose chimed in. "This is a new card and a benefit provided by my company. It hasn't been officially distributed yet, so I haven't sent it to you. Please take one as well." George took out another card for Rose. "I don't need it. You can just give it to him," Rose said as she gestured at Steven. Steven took the business card and the VIP card, nodded, and said, "I'll accept them then. Thank you, Mr. Hammond." George left tactfully after handing out the cards. "George is a smart man. He can tell at a glance who is important and knows he should curry favor with you," Rose drawled. "That's just because I'm with you. If you weren't here, he wouldn't even have spared a glance at me. I' would've been driven out already," Steven teased. "Will I get to reap the benefits of being with you someday then, Miracle Doctor?" Rose drew closer to Steven as she turned the conversation around. Rose picked out over ten outfits for Steven. There were suits, casual outfits, leather shoes, belts, and wallets. It was an extensive selection. Steven was tall and handsome to begin with. After a change of clothes, his entire look and style shifted, making him appear more refined. "I have a good sense of fashion, don't I?" Rose quipped. She looked at Steven in the mirror, helping him straighten out his collar thoughtfully. Her scent wafted toward him, given their proximity. Steven was instantly restless. "Isn't it because I'm attractive that everything looks great on me?" Steven teased as he lowered his guard. "You're quite attractive indeed. Here, try this on," Rose agreed and played along. Rose was secretly pleased as she noticed Steven was becoming more friendly with her. When they were checking out at the cashier, Rose was very adamant about not letting Steven pay the bill. She told him that it was her gift to him. There were over ten outfits, some of which were limited editions. The total amounted to over 100 thousand dollars. Steven attributed the sales to Sophia, the employee who had welcomed him at the beginning. Thrilled, Sophia thanked him repeatedly. The other employees were extremely envious and regretful.