The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 9

"I'm sorry, but this lady has already claimed this tie. Perhaps I could show you some other styles?" the sales associate said, momentarily stunned by the sudden interruption.

"She hasn't paid for it, so how can it be hers?" Candice retorted, her expression dripping with disdain. "I don't want anything else. I want this one."

Cerys frowned, about to step forward and argue.

But just as she moved, a hand gripped her wrist.

Victoria gave her a slight shake of the head.

"Well..." The associate looked conflicted, unsure whether to accept the card Candice was holding out.

"Candice, let it go. Don't make things difficult for her," Genevieve said, walking over. She then turned to the other two, her hand resting casually on her stomach as she offered a polite smile. "Vic, Cerys. It's been a long time."

Victoria's eyes immediately fell to the hand on Genevieve's belly, and her gaze darkened.

"Don't call us like that. It's disgusting. We're not that close," Cerys snapped, her anger already simmering. Genevieve's overly familiar tone was the last straw.

"I'm sorry, I was being thoughtless..." Genevieve lowered her eyes, her posture making her look like she had been wronged.

Sure enough, Candice immediately jumped in to defend her. "Genevieve, why are you apologizing to them? If anyone should be sorry, it's that bitch who owes you an apology!"Cerys's face hardened. "Who are you calling a bitch?"

"I wasn't talking to you, so why are you getting so worked up? Oh, that's right, I forgot. You're Victoria's little sidekick. What's wrong? Did I strike a nerve?"

Candice shot Cerys a defiant glare and then tossed her credit card at the associate. "What are you waiting for? Go ring it up! Or do you want me to file a complaint against you?"

The associate's face paled. She bent down to pick up the card, then looked at Victoria apologetically.

"Ma'am, perhaps..."

"There's a first come, first served rule for a reason. I like this tie very much, and I have no intention of giving it up," Victoria said. She hadn't wanted to get into a fight with Candice.

With a divorce coming, she wasn't about to stir up any more trouble than she had to. But Cerys was her line in the sand.

"If I don't leave with this tie today, I will also be filing a complaint. I am a VIP client here. You can look me up. My name is Victoria Sanger."

Victoria was a fan of this particular brand. Before the Sanger family's fall from grace, she had been a regular customer, and her loyalty had earned her VIP status. Candice, on the other hand, had only come in because she had happened to see Victoria and Cerys. She rarely, if ever, shopped here, making her a new customer at best.

A complaint from a VIP client versus a complaint from a new one—the associate knew which one carried more weight.

"My apologies, Miss Sanger. I'll go ring this up for you right away."

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