Chapter 8

The store entrance was packed with people. Samantha and Mina had to squeeze through the crowd before they made it to the front. However, they still couldn't see much due to a few tall men blocking their view. Now incredibly curious, Mina couldn't stand not knowing what was going on. She tapped the back of one of the men in front and asked, "Hey, do you know what's happening inside?" Startled, the man jumped a bit. "Whoa, you scared me there!" Mina apologized with a smile. "Sorry about that. I'm just really curious." With that, she peeked through the gap, tip-toed, and stretched her head out. Samantha was speechless. She thought Mina should've matured by now. Yet, she was still the same as before. Upon seeing her eagerness, the man chuckled and moved slightly to give her a better view. He pointed inside the store where a young, clean-cut man was kneeling on the floor. "That kid works here. A customer picked out a bag, but he accidentally dropped it while getting it. Now, the customer claims the bag is damaged and refuses to buy it unless he kneels and apologizes. "The store owner sided with the customer, so the poor guy had no choice but to kneel. It looks like the customer is still trying to make things difficult for him." He sighed deeply, showing sympathy for the young man. As he spoke, Samantha looked inside and narrowed her eyes. She immediately recognized the woman standing over the boy. It was Erica. She wondered if Erica was the one causing all this trouble. Samantha bit her lip and tugged at Mina's sleeve before whispering in her ear, "Minnie, that woman inside is Erica. Should we help that boy out?" Mina's eyes lit up with excitement. "If we can mess with her, why not?" With a gleam in her eye, Mina grabbed Samantha's hand and said to the man, "Hey, we can't stand by and watch this. Excuse us, we need to get in." The man was slightly taken aback. He moved aside to let them through. Samantha and Mina quickly headed toward the door through the gap. Inside the store, the young man was still kneeling on the floor. Upon hearing the door open, he looked up. Samantha met his eyes and caught sight of his face. He looked to be around 19 years old and had a pale, almost sickly complexion. His eyebrows were sharp, and he had a cut on his left eyebrow. His clear, brown eyes were as striking as a deer's. It was very alluring. He also had a high nose bridge and thin, yet healthy, lips. Despite looking a lot thinner than his peers, he looked well-built. Samantha was momentarily taken aback by his appearance. Focused solely on Erica, Mina didn't pay much attention to the boy's looks. Striding over to Erica, who had her hand raised, Mina shouted. "Stop that!" Mina was standing quite close to Erica. The sudden yell startled Erica, making her hand tremble. It took her a moment to recover before she turned around and snapped, "Who are you?" Mina smirked, her red lips curling into a mocking smile. "Who else? Your worst nightmare." Just then, Samantha walked up to Mina and stood beside her. Erica looked at the two of them, and a flicker of hatred flashed in her eyes. However, she quickly masked it with a gentle smile. Pretending to be friendly, she asked, "It's been a while. Are you here to shop too?" Mina couldn't stand Erica's fake demeanor and scoffed. "Come on. We're not that close. Don't act like you're thrilled to see us." Two years ago, Mina had attended a banquet hosted by the Lynchs on behalf of her family and had a run-in with Erica. Joseph had forced Mina to apologize to Erica. It was then that Mina realized Erica was Joseph's first love. Since that day, they had been at odds. Erica hadn't expected Mina to embarrass her in public. Dropping her smile, she coldly asked, "Mina, what are you here for?" Mina laughed lightly and gestured toward the boy behind Erica. "I heard from a guy outside that you're purposely giving him a hard time. I'm here to help him out." The boy's eyes, previously dull and lifeless, suddenly sparkled with hope. "Mina, since when did you become so nosy? He damaged my bag first. I just asked him to kneel and apologize. What's wrong with that?" Mina glanced at Samantha, signaling her to help the boy up. Then, she continued in a mocking tone, "Erica, I bet Joseph has no idea how nasty you can be. He must be blind to be into someone like you. "They say wide hips are good for childbirth, but you've got nothing up top and nothing below. No wonder you need treatment to get pregnant." This comment hit a sore spot for Erica. Her face twisted with rage as she glared at Mina. She wished she could tear Mina apart. "Mina, if you don't have anything nice to say, then shut up. Or else, I'll tell Joe to give you a lesson." Mina nonchalantly picked at her ear, as if doubting her own hearing. "Erica, you're getting more and more full of yourself. His rightful wife is standing right here next to me. How dare you, the mistress, have the nerve to threaten me?" Hearing that, Erica turned her hateful gaze toward Samantha. "Joe has always loved me. She's the mistress here."