Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Gina swiftly responded, “Ramona, it’s your words that are causing all this chaos. Verbal abuse is a form of violence, do you not realize that?
” Ramona’s hands shook as she declared, “I’m calling the police! Mia, you’re going to regret today! How dare you, an orphan, lay your hands on me? You’re asking for trouble!” Seeing the tension rise, Taylor stepped in, saying, “Ramona, we’re all classmates. Let’s not escalate things.
And, well, what you said earlier was a bit too harsh.”
“When did I cross a line? Did I say something wrong?” Ramona argued.
“Mia, being an orphan, surely wouldn’t have so many connections.
“She must be involved in some sugar baby and daddy relationships to have such an extensive network!”
In that instant, the restaurant manager, Peter Tishmal, approached swiftly and politely addressed the middle-aged man, “Mr. Russ, do you have any specific orders?” The middle-aged man wore a stern expression and remained silent, his gaze respectful as he turned toward Mia. “Ms. Bowen, do you require any assistance in managing this situation?” Mia was taken aback to discover that the middle-aged man was, in fact, the restaurant owner, Irwin Russ.
Considering the recent text from Claude, it wouldn’t be surprising for Irwin to make an effort to please Claude by approaching them.
Jeremy was astonished, exclaiming, “He’s the owner of this restaurant?” Equally taken aback, Ramona inquired, “Is it possible that someone is pretending to be the owner?” Jeremy responded firmly, “I know Peter, the manager of this restaurant, and if he says that this man is the owner, there’s no doubt it’s true.” Ramona’s expression grew uneasy. She understood the considerable status that Irwin held.
Given that even her father treated him with deference, she certainly couldn’t afford to upset him. Despite having to suppress her pride, Ramona couldn’t shake off a sense of resentment.
She cynically remarked, “Impressive, Mia. You’ve successfully climbed the social ladder. Congratulations. Let’s consider our earlier dispute settled.” Mia met her gaze with a wry smile and countered, “Who said it’s resolved?” Irwin addressed Mia in a respectful tone, stating, “Ms. Bowen, I’ll handle this issue personally. There’s no need to involve your family.
“If you could kindly put in a good word for me with your brother later, I would greatly appreciate it.” Before Mia could respond, Irwin turned his attention to Ramona and added, “By the way, your father is affiliated with Equinox, right? Inform him that the contract he signed earlier is now void.
“Furthermore, in the future, you and your family should refrain from pursuing any further ventures in this field.” Le Ramona’s complexion instantly paled.
“I mean, today’s situation was clearly not in my favor. How could you blacklist my family’s company?” Should Ramona’s father learn that his company was blacklisted because of her, he would undoubtedly be furious.
Mia didn’t want to listen any further. She turned to Gina and uttered, “I’m heading out. Feel free to continue chatting.”
She couldn’t bear it any longer. Indeed, her brother’s words rang true from the previous night; these class reunions were simply gatherings where everyone engaged in boasting and comparisons, devoid of any real significance.
As Mia exited the restroom and waited for the elevator, she noticed tears streaming down Ramona’s face.
Ramona hurriedly intercepted Mia’s path, pleading, “Mia, please, let’s not dwell on petty matters. We’re all adults here. This time, I’ll admit it’s my fault! I apologize!”
Witnessing Ramona’s distressed state, Mia turned to Gina with a puzzled expression. “What’s going on?”
Gina responded curtly, “Ramona just received a call from her family, informing her about their impending bankruptcy due to her conflict with Mr. Russ.
“Frankly, I believe she brought it upon herself; some individuals simply lack restraint.”
A nearby classmate interjected, seemingly attempting to appease Mia, “Absolutely! We all know Mia’s biological parents are affluent, yet someone chose to disregard the truth and spread unfounded gossip. She has only herself to blame!”
Ramona found herself speechless amidst the mockery.
Turning to Jeremy, Ramona noticed his evasive gaze. Eventually, he spoke up, saying, “Ramona, you owe Mia an apology. When you mess up, you’ve got to face the music.”
With a hint of reluctance, Ramona offered her apology. “Mia, I’m sorry.”
Appalled, Mia pushed Ramona aside and made her way toward the elevator.
In a desperate attempt, Ramona immediately dropped to her knees, pleading, “Mia, don’t leave. Please forgive me this time! My family can’t afford to go bankrupt!”
Jolene chimed in urgently, “Mia, Ramona is even kneeling for you. What more do you want? Are you really going to push her to the edge?”
Mia scornfully remarked, “Had I lacked power or influence, I’d have been subjected to bullying and baseless accusations, with no one to stand up for me.
“But now that the situation has reversed, is there suddenly an issue? Can’t seem to handle it, huh?” Mia couldn’t help but feet repulsed by such a shallow apology.
Back in their school days, Ramona had often teamed up with other small cliques to ostracize and ridicule Mia
After Mia’s words, none of the classmates dared to speak a word.
Stepping forward, Gina defended Mia, stating, “Tamona’s family bankruptcy has nothing to do with Mia.
She’s not responsible for their situation.
“Ramona, you’re directing your apology to the wrong person. Why not kneel before Mr. Russ instead?”
Mia remained silent as she walked away, heading for the elevator.
Gina comforted her, saying, “Try not to dwell on it too much. Ramona brought this upon herself! Her remarks were completely uncalled for, and you demonstrated Impressive restraint throughout!
“Choosing not to report her for defamation was already a generous gesture.”
As they reached the restaurant’s entrance, they were met with pouring rain outside.
Jeremy quickly caught up, his enthusiasm apparent. “Mia, let me drive you home. It’s not safe to take a taxi in this heavy rain!”
Mia declined his offer directly, stating, “It’s fine. ¡®My driver will come to pick me up.”
“Heh, it seems like you’re still pretending, huh? Perhaps that elderly gentleman is here to pick up Mia. Where did this driver come from, anyway?”.
At that moment, Ramona approached, looking disheveled. Glaring coldly at Mia, she declared, “I don’t believe for a second that you’re some wealthy heiress!
“I’m convinced Mr. Russ orchestrated that whole charade just to spare you from embarrassment!”
Gina tired back, “Ramona, have you lost your mind? It appears you’re just jealous, unable to handle others’ success.”
“Hmph, let’s see when that elderly gentleman arrives to pick up Mia! Then her hypocritical facade will be exposed for all to seel”
The corner of Mia’s lips twitched involuntarily; she couldn’t help but wonder if Ramona’s reasoning had been impaired by their earlier altercation.
As time passed, the rain outside persisted, pouring heavily without any signs of stopping.
However, Antonio hadn’t arrived yet. Mia had just begun relying on him for transportation today and hadn’t had the chance to obtain his phone number. She couldn’t understand why Antonio hadn’t appeared.
Without hesitation, Ramona insinuated with a mocking tone. “See, I told you so. Mia likely feels scared about letting that elderly man pick her up. She’s probably afraid that we’ll expose her/ulty and
Frowning, Mia directed her gaze at Ramona. “Ramona, haven’t you learned anything?”
Initially, Mia had contemplated informing her brother about the situation.
Despite her dislike for Ramona, she had no desire to bring financial hardship upon her family. However, it appeared that Ramona needed to be taught a lesson.
“With nothing left to lose, why should I hold back? Today, I’ll reveal your true nature! Who do you think you are, going from an orphan to a wealthy socialite? This isn’t some TV drama!” Ramona retorted defiantly.
She was consumed by madness, refusing to acknowledge Mia’s wealthy and influential biological parents.
Indeed, Ramona was convinced that Mia was fabricating the truth, insisting that Mia must be romantically involved with Irwin and that they had conspired with Antonio to orchestrate a deceitful scheme.
To Ramona, Mia’s transformation from an orphan to a wealthy heiress seemed utterly implausible.
Mia smirked in response, remarking. “Suit yourself.”
Ramona was truly seeking trouble, Mia was prepared to oblige.
Ramona taunted, “Mia, don’t act so smug. Where’s your driver? Why not ring him up and have him fetch you?”
Mia furrowed her brow and replied, “I still don’t have his phone number.”
After all, Antonio had only been recently arranged as her driver, and she wasn’t accustomed to being chauffeured around by someone else.
Ramona scoffed, “Who do you think you’re fooling? Are you seriously suggesting that you don’t have your chauffeur’s contact information?
“It’s quite late now, and despite this heavy rain, your chauffeur still hasn’t arrived to pick you up. Do your honestly expect anyone to believe your lies?”
Growing more convinced of her theories, Ramona declared triumphantly, “See that, everyone? Mia doesn’t actually come from a wealthy family! It’s all a fabrication!”
A classmate chimed in, “But what about earlier? Even your father scolded you over the phone.”
With clenched teeth, Ramona retorted, “It’s evident that the elderly gentleman is Mia’s sugar daddy. colluding with Mr. Russ to orchestrate this whole charade!”
In a subdued tone, the classmate remarked, “But considering the issues your family’s company is facing. is it truly appropriate for you to be so arrogant?”
Ramona’s expression froze momentarily, a hint of guilt flickering in her eyes.
Swiftly regaining her composure, she blustered, “Mia is nothing but a sugar baby; what accomplishments could she possibly have?
“All I need to do is have a word with that old man’s wife, and Mia’s charade will crumble.”
Mia regarded Ramona with a wry smile. “Initially, I was contemplating informing my brother when I returned home. After all, this issue is between us, and there’s no need to involve our families.
“But since you’re so confident in your stance, by all means, go ahead.”
Gina chimed in swiftly, “Mia, you’re too forgiving. Why show mercy to someone like her? Ramona has used her family’s company to mistreat numerous people.
“Their financial troubles now are simply what they brought upon themselves.”
Furious, Ramona sneered, “Mia, go ahead and boast all you want. Who would believe your sudden transformation from an orphan to a wealthy heiress?
*After all, no one else has heard about this before. You can’t simply fabricate anything you please, can you?”
Jolene interjected, “Exactly! Mia, why hasn’t your chauffeur arrived yet? Are you concerned that if Ramona were to discover who he is, she might inform his wife? That’s why you’re hesitant to bring him here?”