Chapter 9 Blocked After Venmo

After her speech, Charmaine looked at Larissa. She thought that Larissa would be overwhelmed by all these foreign brands. Still, Larissa smiled and showed no emotion.

Charmaine pouted.

Right.

She shouldn't expect much from a country bumpkin.

Larissa must have thought that she was just spewing gibberish just now!

"Mom! I want a Chanel dress. Pleaaaase?" Charmaine held onto Penelope's arm and whined.

"Chanel?" Penelope flicked at her daughter's forehead playfully. "That's going to cost a lot."

"I don't care! I don't care! Daddy says that I need to look glamorous. Don't you want everyone to see how beautiful I am?"

Penelope thought about it and nodded. "It is an important occasion. There will be many young, successful businessmen present. And I want you to impress them. All right. Chanel is it."

If the whole budget went to Charmaine's dress, there wouldn't be any money left for Larissa.

Penelope shot a look at Charmaine before turning to Larissa. "Larissa! Let's pick your dress first."

"Yes, yes! We'll get you a dress first before looking for mine."

Charmaine tried to hold Larissa's hand, but Larissa dodged her.

Deep down, Charmaine was laughing like a madwoman. Once Penelope bought Larissa a dress, they could then leave her somewhere and go shopping for her Chanel dress.

Not wanting to spend more than a dime on Larissa, Penelope searched for cheap, tacky dresses on sale.

"Oh my gosh! Larissa, this will look amazing on you!"

Penelope took out a black lace dress with puffy sleeves and put it on top of Larissa's body to see how it looked. The label on it said it was 19 dollars.

The puffy sleeves made its wearer's shoulder appear gigantic. And the whole thing was in black, like a witch's outfit, not to mention the plasticky lace. Only one word could describe this dress—hideous.

Larissa rolled her eyes. She knew for a fact that Penelope had a good sense of fashion. Yet, she picked this ugly dress for her.

"It will look amazing on you, Larissa," Penelope added.

"That's right, Larissa. The color and cut suit you so well. Why don't you put it on in the dressing room?" Charmaine chimed in.

"No need for that. Trust me. I'm an expert."

Penelope didn't even bother to ask Larissa.

A dress for 19 dollars? That was a bargain!

Letting Larissa try it on meant Larissa would have a reason to reject it. Penelope wouldn't want that inconvenience. She rushed to the cashier and paid for it.

"Anyway, we have your dress now, Larissa." Penelope then shoved the shopping bag into Larissa's hands. "I have to shop for Charmaine's dress now. You can walk around. We'll let you know when you're done."

Larissa lifted the shopping bag with one finger, twirled it a bit, and asked, "Well, well, well. You bought me a cheap dress, yet you'll get Charmaine a dress worth a lot of money. Does Dad know you play favorites?"

Penelope wasn't happy to be threatened. Unfortunately, Larissa was the one who got Ethan the business deal. She also managed to invite Mr. Hamilton to the banquet.

Needless to say, Ethan would take Larissa's side.

Penelope smiled. "You're mistaken, Larissa. I truly think that the dress suits you. If you don't like it, let's find another one."

Charmaine came to her mother's rescue while feigning innocence.

"Larissa, Mom is doing this for you. You have never worn a dress before, so you won't like it. I know this dress is cheap, but it's beautiful and casual. It's perfect for someone who isn't used to grand occasions."

Penelope looked at Charmaine, her eyes full of approval.

Larissa shrugged. "Whatever. I never wanted to shop with you two anyway. You make me look bad."

Penelope and Charmaine fell silent. If Penelope could slap Larissa, she would.

"I see. Then, I'll shop with Charmaine. Have fun!"

"Wait. Give me a thousand dollars." Larissa extended a hand.

"What for?" Penelope protested.

Larissa replied matter-of-factly, "To buy the latest iPhone, of course! As well as some accessories."

"Don't you have a phone already?"

"It's not working well for me. If I can't contact Mr. Hamilton and he ends up not showing up, it's on you."

There was no way Penelope would want to spend that much money on Larissa.

She refused sternly, "Any phone will do. You don't need an expensive one."

"Fine. I'll just ask Dad. He'll buy me a new phone." Larissa turned around and left.

"Wait!" Penelope grew desperate. If Larissa turned to Ethan, Ethan would scold her. "I'll Venmo the money to you.

Penelope gritted her teeth and transferred a thousand dollars to Larissa. After Larissa received the notification, she walked away triumphantly.

Ambrose had given Larissa a credit card, so Larissa did not lack money. Still, it sure felt great to make Penelope pay up.

Revenge was sweet.

Penelope felt humiliated after transferring the money to Larissa's Venmo account. She intended to send her a nasty text on WhatsApp, but the message only came out as a single check mark.

One check mark indicated that the message was sent, but the recipient never received it. The second check mark never appeared even after Penelope waited for some time.

Did Larissa block her after receiving the money? What the …

Penelope bellowed, "That bitch! That piece of shit!"

Her voice turned the heads of many wealthy customers there. They frowned at the sight of a rude, boisterous nouveau riche.

…

Larissa hummed and strolled around the shopping complex. A men's boutique caught her eye. Looking at the mannequin's attire, she thought that Ambrose would look great in it.

Larissa entered the building and pointed at the mannequin. "Can you show me what the mannequin is wearing?"

The salesperson scanned Larissa's outfit. It was a casual look with a plain-looking shopping bag. He thought of her as a poor high school student.

"This is the latest bespoke suit in Ambrollum City. There is only one set available, and it costs 130 thousand dollars," said the salesperson condescendingly.