The air in the Imperial Fashion store crackled with tension as a middle-aged woman, Maggie, the store manager, hurried towards the group, her high heels a sharp staccato against the polished floor. Her bandage dress, a testament to her professional composure, couldn’t quite conceal the anxiety etched on her face.
"Mr. Jim!" she exclaimed, her voice a delicate balance between deference and concern.
Jim, his face flushed with anger, pointed a rigid finger at Advika. "You’re here, Maggie! Now, ask this... this bitch to take off that dress, and while you’re at it, have her slap herself ten times!"
Maggie’s brow furrowed in confusion. "This...?" she asked, her gaze shifting between Advika and the visibly distressed sales girl.
The sales girl, sensing the gravity of the situation, stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly. "Manager! It’s not Miss’s fault. I didn’t know the dress was already booked. I let her try it on. They were even ready to pay for it."
Eris, her voice dripping with disdain, scoffed. "Pay for it? Hmph! I know Advika. Her family isn’t exactly rolling in wealth. How could she possibly afford a custom dress costing tens of thousands?"
’No one ordered a custom dress. This lady is clearly being targeted. But Mr. Jim is a diamond membership holder. Crossing him would be disastrous for business. What should I do?’ Her eyes darted between Eris, Advika, and then back again. Finally, she made a decision.
"Okay," she said, her voice firm but conciliatory. "I understand there’s been a misunderstanding." She turned to Advika. "Miss, this dress is already booked. Would you please take it off?"
’I need to tread carefully.’ She thought. ’They claim this lady has no background, but how did she get into Imperial Fashion without money? And the sales girl said ’they,’ implying a man or a wealthy benefactor brought her here.’
Jim’s face contorted in rage. "What are you saying, Manager Maggie?! She slapped me! I won’t let that slide!"
"Slapped you?" Maggie asked, her eyes widening.
"Yes! So she’ll take off the dress and kneel before me, half-naked!" Jim leered, his eyes lingering on Advika’s figure.
Maggie’s internal conflict intensified. ’This is terrible. What do I do?’
After a moment of agonizing deliberation, she sighed.
"Master Jim," she said, her voice laced with a stern undertone. "This is Imperial Fashion. Our reputation will be tarnished if a customer is insulted in our store. We are powerful enough to handle this properly. Please, let her simply remove the dress and return it. And you, Eris," she turned to the other woman, "as a woman, surely you wouldn’t wish to subject another woman to such humiliation, rig--?"
The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the store. Eris stood, her hand still raised, her face a mask of fury.
"Manager?!" The sales girl gasped, her eyes wide with shock. The other workers on the floor were equally stunned. Even Christopher, who had been observing the scene from a plush couch a few meters away, was momentarily speechless.
"Are you insane?! Who do you think you are?!" Eris spat. "Let me tell you something. You’re just a worker here. With a single word from Jim, your boss will be here to fire you! As a woman, if someone wore your dress, a dress worth tens of thousands of dollars, would you let it go so easily?!"
Maggie, her cheek burning, was momentarily speechless. She hadn’t expected such blatant disrespect.
"Miss Eris," she said, her voice trembling with restrained anger. "I’ll let this pass because of Master Jim. But if you cross the line again, I won’t hesitate to ban you from Imperial Fashion!"
Eris, her eyes instantly well up with tears, turned to Jim.
"Jim! She said she’ll ban me! She’s not showing you any respect! You said that slut should take off the clothes, but she’s siding with her. What if she’s been bribed? Sob..."
Jim, his teeth gritted, turned to Maggie. "I see even a manager can speak to my love with such disrespect. Very well. We’ll see what happens when your boss arrives." He pulled out his phone and made a call.
"The boss?" Maggie’s heart sank.
"This is getting more interesting," Christopher murmured, glancing at his gold wristwatch. "We still have time." He leaned back on the couch, sipping his juice, his gaze fixed on the unfolding drama.
’Why isn’t he helping her?’ The sales girl thought, staring at Christopher. ’He brought her here, but he’s just sitting there, like he doesn’t hear anything?’
"Done! The boss will be here soon!" Jim announced, a smug grin spreading across his face.
’I hope she comes.’ He thought. ’She doesn’t have to show me any special treatment. Even my father would be respectful to her. Perhaps I can negotiate a deal. My father would be pleased.’
Thirty minutes crawled by, the tension in the store thickening with each passing moment. Onlookers had gathered, drawn by the escalating conflict. Christopher continued to observe, sipping his juice, his expression unreadable.
Suddenly, the doors of the store swung open.
"Who is causing trouble in my store?!" a voice boomed, cutting through the tense silence.
Christopher choked on his juice, spraying it across the table. He turned to see Murphy, her face a mask of icy composure, striding into the store, flanked by four imposing bodyguards.
"Uh...?" he stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
’The boss of Imperial Fashion is Murphy?! When did she enter the fashion business? Or did she create Imperial Fashion because of boredom?’ He muttered, watching as she approached the group.
’How many secrets are you hiding?’ he wondered.
Murphy stopped in front of the group, her eyes scanning the scene.
"Madam Murphy! I’m the one who called you!" Jim stepped forward, his voice oozing with false confidence.
’Wow... Jim is so powerful that even the boss of Imperial Fashion came personally.’ Eris thought, her eyes glittering with triumph.
’Oh, shit! The boss is ruthless, especially to troublemakers. What’s going to happen today?’ Maggie thought, her heart pounding in her chest.
The sales girl, her face pale, hid behind Maggie. The entire store held its breath, fear radiating from every employee.
"What happened?" Murphy asked, her voice sharp and demanding. "You said someone was causing trouble and damaging my store’s reputation."
"Madam Murphy, I’m a VIP diamond member," Jim began, his voice laced with indignation. "I ordered a custom dress for my girlfriend. When we came to pick it up, we found it on this lady! When we asked her to take it off, she refused and even slapped me." He pointed a trembling finger at Advika.
Murphy turned to Advika, raising an eyebrow. She recognized the pink-haired girl.
"Boss! He’s lying," Maggie said, her voice firm and clear. "The truth is, no one ordered a custom dress, but He’s claiming he did. And second, this Miss only slapped him because he tried to undress her in public, and his girlfriend also slapped me."
Murphy’s expression turned glacial.
"No! My girlfriend only slapped her because she insulted her!" Jim insisted.
"Okay," Murphy said, nodding curtly. She turned to one of her bodyguards. "Go to my office and bring my laptop. We’ll see if someone really placed an order for this dress."
"Yes, ma’am!" the bodyguard said, and quickly walked away.
The store fell into stunned silence.