Chapter 5
1104words
Time seemed suspended.
George Shaw's smile froze in a rictus that would have been comical under other circumstances.
Victoria's flirtatious expression shattered, her eyes widening in humiliation and disbelief.
Frederick hadn't spent $100 million to help the Shaws or to humiliate me.
He'd spent it... to give me a gift?
What kind of power move was this?
I stared at Frederick Foster, equally stunned by this turn of events.
Had we met before?
I searched through twenty years of memories as "Vivian Shaw" and was certain I'd never encountered him.
"Mr. Foster," I asked with a slight frown, "what exactly are you doing?"
"Nothing special," he replied, his eyes unfathomable as a deep well. "I simply thought it suited you."
His words hung in the air, laden with ambiguity.
Gasps rippled through the crowd around us.
My father's expression had darkened dangerously.
He stepped forward, subtly positioning himself between Frederick and me. "Mr. Foster, my daughter doesn't need gifts from strangers."
His message couldn't have been clearer: Stay away from my daughter.
Frederick appeared unfazed by my father's hostility, his lips curving in a slight smile.
"You misunderstand my intentions, Mr. Johnson. I have nothing but respect for Miss Johnson. This is merely a gesture of admiration."
With that, he gave me a slight nod and walked away, his assistant following closely behind, leaving the crowd staring in awe.
He didn't spare the Shaw family a single glance.
As if they didn't exist.
George and Victoria stood frozen like mannequins, enduring pitying looks and barely concealed smirks from every direction.
Their humiliation was complete.
I watched Frederick's retreating back thoughtfully.
What an enigmatic man.
In the car ride home, my father was still seething.
"That Foster kid is clearly up to something! Vivian, I want you to stay away from him."
I couldn't help but smile. "Dad, I literally just met him tonight."
"Nobody drops $100 million on a first meeting without ulterior motives!" he huffed. "If he thinks he can court my daughter, he'd better think again!"
I burst out laughing.
The world's most powerful businessman had transformed into every overprotective father from a sitcom.
"Dad, relax. I didn't accept the jade," I reassured him.
"Good! That's my girl!" His expression softened. "Tomorrow I'll buy you something better. Hell, I'll buy you an entire jade mine!"
I could only shake my head in amusement.
The ultra-wealthy really did operate on a different level.
Back at the estate, Colin delivered his evening report.
"Miss Johnson, the Gray Group has officially filed for bankruptcy. All assets belonging to Ethan Gray and his father have been frozen. They're essentially penniless now, with creditors lining up."
"And the Shaws?"
"Shaw Group stock dropped thirty percent after hours. And after Mr. Foster's public snub, everyone who was cozying up to them is now keeping their distance. George Shaw left the gala without a single new business card."
I nodded, satisfied.
Frederick Foster's bizarre actions had, intentionally or not, helped me thoroughly humiliate the Shaws.
The message to society's elite was crystal clear: the Shaws were finished.
And I, Vivian Johnson, was the new power player they needed to court.
The following day, as I was reading in my room, Aunt Sophia entered with an odd expression.
"Vivian, dear... Mandy Lewis and Victoria Shaw are downstairs."
I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
They had the nerve to come here?
"What do they want?"
"They claim they're here to apologize," Sophia said, her expression suggesting she didn't believe it for a second. "They've brought gifts and are insisting on seeing you."
I set my book aside and stood.
"I'll see them."
I was curious what new performance they'd prepared.
I descended to the living room where Mandy and Victoria sat awkwardly on the edge of the sofa.
The coffee table before them was laden with expensive gifts—designer bags, jewelry boxes, and what looked like rare ginseng.
When they saw me, Mandy jumped to her feet, plastering on a smile that looked physically painful.
"Vivian! You came down. Mom—I mean, I wanted to see how you're doing."
The correction clearly cost her considerable effort.
Victoria also stood, head bowed in a perfect imitation of contrition.
"Sister," she whispered, "I'm so sorry. Everything was my fault. I should never have taken what was yours. Please forgive me."
On cue, her eyes welled with tears.
Her performance deserved an Academy Award.
I sat across from them, saying nothing, simply observing their little drama unfold.
Seeing I wasn't melting with forgiveness, Mandy grew desperate.
To my surprise, she actually dropped to her knees before me with a theatrical thud.
I startled, instinctively leaning away.
"Vivian!" she wailed, clutching at my legs. "It's all my fault! I was blind not to see what a treasure you are! I don't deserve forgiveness, but please—spare George and Howard! They're innocent in all this!"
Victoria joined her on the floor, sobbing dramatically. "Please, sister! The company is collapsing! Dad's health is failing! Howard can't even get a loan! We know we were wrong—so terribly wrong!"
Their synchronized performance painted me as the villain who had vindictively destroyed their lives.
If I hadn't personally experienced their cruelty, I might have been moved.
But not anymore.
"Are you finished?" I pulled my leg from Mandy's grasp, my voice cold as winter.
Mandy's sobs cut off abruptly as she stared up at me in shock.
"The Shaw family's fate was sealed by your own choices," I said, standing to look down at them. "When you threw me out like garbage, did you ever imagine the tables might turn?"
"And Victoria?" I turned to her, each word precise and cutting. "Stop calling me 'sister.' It makes my skin crawl."
Victoria flinched as if slapped, all color draining from her face.
Seeing her act wasn't working, Mandy's expression hardened.
She rose from her knees, a flash of hatred crossing her face before she masked it with desperation.
"Vivian, even if you don't care about us anymore, what about Ethan? You were engaged! Now that the Grays are ruined, you can't just abandon him!"
Was she seriously trying to use Ethan as leverage?
Her twisted logic was almost laughable.
"Mrs. Lewis," I said coolly, "have you forgotten that it was your family who broke the engagement and pushed Victoria into Ethan's arms the moment you thought I was worthless?"
Mandy's face cycled through white and red.
Just then, a cold voice cut through the tension from the doorway.
"Who says I can't marry Miss Johnson just because my family's bankrupt?"
