Chapter 6: Interaction
Over the phone, Julia reiterated to Lanco’s owner what had happened in the store. With her explanation complete, she ended the call, turned her gaze toward the salesperson, and said, “You go get your phone. You’ll receive a call soon.”
The salesperson’s lips twitched involuntarily, his mind grappling with the possibility of Julia’s claim. Her assertion about being a friend of the Lancôme owner seemed all the more credible now.
“You seem so sure, huh? Wanna make a bet?” Naomi interjected, her voice dripping with sarcasm, as she fixed her gaze on Julia. “If she doesn’t receive a call later, you’ll slap your face. How’s that?”
Julia wasn’t threatened or faltered at all by what Naomi said. Instead, she was irritated at the audacity of Naomi, someone she considered beneath her, daring to belittle her. Unfazed by the challenge, she countered, her voice steady, “And if you lose, you’ll be doing the same.”
Naomi’s chin lifted, confidence dozing from every pore, as she readily accepted, “Consider it a deal.”
However, Daphne pulled Naomi aside and whispered, a frown creasing her forehead, “Naomi, why did you make a bet with her? What if she loses and doesn’t keep her promise?”
Naomi’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as she responded, her voice intentionally audible to Julia, “Simple. If she doesn’t slap herself, I’ll be more than happy to do the honors.”
Before Naomi’s taunt could fully settle, the salesman’s phone erupted into a shrill ring, widening the eyes of all present.
Naomi clung to a fleeting hope that it might be a call from the salesman’s friend. However, that hope dissolved as his words reached her ears.
“Hello, Manager? What can I assist you with?”
The mere mention of “Manager” sent a sinking feeling coursing through Naomi’s heart.
“You’ve certainly outdone yourself this time! Offending a friend of the boss? Seems like you’ve forgotten what your job is. If this negligence continues, consider yourself terminated! And don’t drag me into your mess! Do you even comprehend the impact of your actions?” The manager’s voice reverberated through the phone, a scathing reprimand delivered without restraint.
The salesman’s confidence crumbled, and his courage was shattered by the manager’s berating words. Once the call ended, he turned to Julia with newfound respect, and his demeanor transformed.
“May I ask, are you Miss Watson?”
A casual nod accompanied Julia’s response, “Indeed, I am.”
“Miss Watson, just now, the manager called and said you could take the clothes casually into the store without charge.”
Naomi and Daphne’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in disbelief and shock. They stared at Julia, utterly flabbergasted. They didn’t expect the girl they said to be a poor girl dressed in clothes bought from street vendors to be an acquaintance of Lancôme’s owner.
What shocked them more, which they couldn’t believe, was that Julia was permitted to take anything she wanted for free! Just who was she to be treated like that so highly? Naomi couldn’t accept everything. Thus, she pondered for a moment and lifted her chin again. Looking at Julia’s fairy–looking face, showing a look that she had already understood everything, she uttered, “Ah, now I see! It’s all clear to me. “When she finally caught everyone’s attention, she continued, “You must have hooked up with the manager of this store. And that manager has colluded with you and asked the salesperson to cooperate with your acting. How audacious! To attain such heights, you’re willing to stoop to any level.”
“So, you believe I’m in cahoots with the store manager?” Julia inquired, her voice laced with a mixture of mockery and curiosity.
Naomi’s conviction remained unwavering. “Naturally! Otherwise, why would this salesman cooperate with you to say that?”
Mentally acknowledging Naomi’s steadfast disbelief, Julia realized that explaining herself would be in vain. Naomi had already constructed her version of events, and no amount of clarification would sway her perception.
“I don’t care about your thoughts, but should you keep your promise and slap yourself?”
A scoff burst forth from Naomi, accompanied by an incredulous glare. “Do you think I would honor a bet with you? You, the alleged home–wrecker who meddled with another’s husband? Spare me. You overestimate your worth.” Naomi’s derisive words flowed freely, bolstering her confidence.
She pulled Daphne and was about to leave when Julia cut off her path. Julia’s hand shot forward, the resounding crack of a slap echoing through the air as it struck Naomi’s cheek. A stunned silence settled over the room as onlookers processed the abrupt escalation.
Naomi, collecting herself, stared at Julia with disbelief mixed with a flash of anger. Her voice trembled as she spoke, her disbelief evident, “You–you dared to slap me?” The initial shock transformed into a seething wave of rage as Naomi’s eyes bore into. Julia’s, ablaze with fury. With a swift, deliberate motion, Naomi’s sharp nails extended, aiming to etch her anger onto Julia’s face, targeting her piercing gaze.
