Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
“There are whispers of a potential hacking breach. However, the official statement from the Barrett Group attributes it to a system malfunction, without acknowledging any involvement of hacking.”
“A hacking breach?” Mia’s eyebrow arched in response.
It made sense why Timothy had hurried to the company so urgently. Corporate systems often harbor undisclosed secrets, and if hackers were to uncover and expose them, it could spell, significant trouble.
It seemed Timothy’s technical department lacked competent personnel, perhaps even falling behind in technical proficiency compared to Sage.
Mia couldn’t help but internally scoff at Timothy’s company for falling victim to hacking.
She swiftly texted Shelly: “Shelly, I’m on my way. I’ll be at the mall in an hour.
I’ve already spoken to the store manager, so if you arrive early, feel free to go straight in.”
Shelly responded promptly with an excited emoji, evidently thrilled by the news.
In contrast, Mia maintained her composure. Indeed, the VIP treatment at Vior was a far cry from the standard experience for regular members.
Aware of Shelly’s penchant for vanity, Mia anticipated that she would undoubtedly boast about it.
Seated in the passenger seat, Peyton expressed his surprise, “Ms. Mia, it’s only a half¨Chour drive from here. We don’t need an hour.”
Mia’s eyes sharpened with resolve as she responded, “I know, but that’s precisely my intention.”
Indeed, Shelly’s vanity knew no bounds. Just the previous day at the hospital, she boldly remarked on Luna’s humble upbringing directly in her presence.
During her time with the Barrett family, Mia herself had been an average person without power or influence. It was plausible that Shelly had also ridiculed and underestimated her in the past.
Consequently, Mia resolved to impart a valuable lesson to Shelly today.
As Mia’s car swiftly arrived at the mall, she happened to notice Shelly’s car parked ahead of hers.
Adorned with a designer handbag, Shelly was accompanied by two similarly affluent¨Clooking ladies.
It was evident at first glance that they hailed from wealthy backgrounds, clad in designer attire from head to toe.
Observing Shelly and her companions on the elevator, Mia calmly emerged from her car and selected a different elevator to ascend upstairs.
With an air of superiority, Shelly confidently exited the elevator and turned to her companions, asking, “Are you sure that bitch Blair will be joining us at Vior today?”
“Shelly, I’ve double¨Cchecked. Ms. March will definitely be at Vior today.
Remember how last time you showcased that limited edition Vior bag? It practically drove Ms. March crazy.”
With a smug expression, Shelly glanced at her newly acquired bag. She had brought it to the bar last night, and indeed, it had unsettled Blair.
Blair seemed to always have issues with Shelly. Despite Shelly’s status as the heiress of the Barrett family, Blair dared to look down on her.
Today, Shelly was determined to show Blair just what elite families can do.
“Shelly, Ms. March has a good relationship with Vior. She frequently shops here with her sister Aubrey. We might not stand a chance if we compete with her for the latest dress.”
“Hmph, why should I be afraid? Today, not only will I prevail, but I’ll also ensure that the bitch won’t dare to set foot in Vior again,” Shelly retorted.
With determination in her stride, Shelly hastened toward the Vior store, eager to publicly embarrass Blair.
With Monalize’s VIP membership card in hand, Shelly had the authority to reserve the entire store and remove unwanted individuals.
The mere thought of this scenario filled Shelly with anticipation. She made a mental note to share the experience on social media later.
Observing the spectacle from a distance, Mia couldn’t help but smirk. Beside her, Peyton passed over a tub of popcorn¨Cthe perfect snack for such a dramatic display.
With a triumphant air, Shelly confidently entered the Vior store, her chin held high as she surveyed her surroundings. She exuded a newfound confidence, as if she owned the place herself.
At that moment, two ladies emerged from the fitting room, both clad elegantly in the latest Vior dresses.
201
Striding over in her high heels, Shelly declared, “Blair, unfortunately for you, I’ve set my sights on this dress.”
Blair, too, was a young lady from a prestigious background. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes when she saw Shelly approaching.
“Shelly, did you forget to take the right pill today? I tried on this dress first. If you’re so desperate for it, why don’t you beg me? Maybe I’ll consider letting you have it.” Blair was unfazed by Shelly’s remarks.
Beside Blair, Caroline Ebbling chimed in, “Exactly! There’s a certain protocol to follow, isn’t there? Blair tried it on first, and her membership status outranks yours. If she wants to purchase it, no one can intervene.”
Shelly laughed scornfully. “Who says my membership is inferior to yours?” she retorted sharply. “Today, I’m shopping at Vior as a VIP member. Are you even aware of the perks that come with VIP membership? I could have the staff here remove all of you if I wanted to!”
“Shelly, it seems you’ve completely forgotten to take your medication today. I mean, sure, the VIP members can clear out a place, but in Bern City, those are as rare as hen’s teeth. Typically, they’re reserved for elite matrons. And as far as I know, even Mrs. Barrett doesn’t have one. So, where on earth did you manage to snag yours?”
With a disdainful expression, Shelly shot back, “That’s none of your business. But if you ask me nicely, I might consider telling the staff not to kick you out.”
At last, it was Shelly’s moment to feel superior.
Blair was an incessant thorn in Shelly’s side, constantly showing off just because she possessed Aubrey’s membership card.
Blair’s expression wavered momentarily before she retorted, “Simply stating that you have a VIP membership card doesn’t prove anything. I could easily make the same claim.”
“Yeah, Shelly, why not show us your membership card? None of us here have a VIP membership, so we’re quite intrigued to see one.”
With a cold smirk, Shelly turned to the store attendant, Irinna, and demanded, Get your manager here. Tell them a VIP client demands the area to be cleared and these annoying people to be removed.”
Irinna paused briefly before replying, “I’m sorry, Ms. Barrett, but our manager,
Ms. Gianna, isn’t available today.”
“The manager isn’t here? Then it’s your responsibility to remove these people from the store. Today, I’m reserving the entire place,” Shelly insisted.
Irinna hesitated. “Ms. Barrett, we need to verify your VIP membership card. Do you have it with you?”
Upon hearing this, Shelly immediately felt angry and embarrassed. “Why do you need to verify my card? Your store manager knows I’m coming today. Just call her directly,” she hissed.
Irinna, not wanting to upset Shelly, turned around and made the phone call.
Meanwhile, Blair mocked Shelly, saying, “Shelly, don’t you possess a VIP membership card? Why not just present it? It’s unfair to take it out on the staff.”
“It’s obvious you don’t have a VIP membership card. You’re just trying to act important. Maybe it’s a good thing the store manager isn’t here. If she were, she’d expose your lies, and that would be even more embarrassing,” Caroline chimed in.
Fuming with embarrassment, Shelly shot Irinna a glare. “Have you finished making the call? Get your manager here immediately!”
Irinna set her phone down and addressed Shelly, saying, “I’m sorry, Ms. Barrett, but I couldn’t get in touch with Ms. Gianna. Would you mind waiting for a moment?”
“Get these two women out of here for me, right now!” Shelly bellowed.
Irinna hesitated before saying, “Ms. Barrett, our store wasn’t notified in advance about a VIP member booking the venue. Could you please wait a little longer?”
Blair immediately laughed, saying, “Shelly, stop pretending to be a big shot. If you don’t have VIP status, don’t act like you do. It’s embarrassing to get caught pretending, isn’t it?”
Shelly stood there, her face flushed with embarrassment. She had never felt so humiliated, especially in front of Blair. She wished she could just disappear into a hole right there and then. It was truly infuriating.
Shelly had assumed that everything had been arranged flawlessly. She was told to arrive early, inform the manager, and enjoy the privileges of VIP membership.
However, to her surprise, the manager was unresponsive and nowhere to be found!
As Shelly seethed with frustration, Mia strolled in casually and remarked, ” What’s happening? It seems quite lively here!”
Seeing Shelly’s agitated state, Mia couldn’t help but feel a hint of satisfaction. Nonetheless, she composed herself and asked, “Shelly, what’s wrong? Did someone upset you?”
“Monalize, you’re finally here!” Shelly exclaimed with relief. She had been on the verge of leaving in embarrassment.
However, upon spotting Mia, her eyes lit up, and she promptly approached her.
“Monalize, I made it to the store early. I was planning to ask the manager to clear the area so we could shop without any interruptions.
“But guess what? The manager is nowhere to be found, and she’s not picking up her phone. And now, these people are mocking me, accusing me of not having a VIP membership card and simply pretending.”
Mia paused briefly before responding, “But you never actually had a VIP
membership card, did you?”
Shelly’s expression froze, clearly displeased by Mia’s remark.
However, Mia swiftly interjected with a smile, saying, “I’m just teasing you, don’t take it too seriously.”
Shelly forced a strained smile, realizing she had to endure the situation for the sake of the VIP membership card.
As luck would have it, the missing store manager, Gianna, appeared at that moment.
Wearing a polite and professional smile, Gianna addressed the situation, “I apologize for the inconvenience. My phone had died earlier, and I didn’t notice your call.”
Shelly’s frustration ignited in an instant. “Isn’t it a form of negligence for a store manager to be unreachable? You nearly embarrassed me earlier!”
Gianna quickly apologized, saying, “I’m terribly sorry, Ms. Barrett. I’ll personally attend to you from now on. Will that be acceptable?”
Shelly let out a disdainful snort, shooting a cold glance at Blair beside her. “Get rid of these bothersome individuals,” she commanded.