Chapter 177: Blindly Keeping Up with the Joneses

Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Blindly Keeping Up with the Joneses

Standing at the entrance were none other than Loren and Ellie.

Loren still wore a well-tailored suit, though his complexion looked more haggard than the last time they’d met.

Beside him, Ellie wore a pink dress, her makeup flawless, a Gucci tote on her arm, excitement written all over her face. There wasn’t a trace of sorrow.

Irene’s mind flashed back to Loren’s excuse. He’d said Ellie’s father was in the ICU, and he was worried something would happen to her, which was why reporters had caught them in intimate photos.

But now, with her father supposedly still fighting for his life in intensive care, the daughter had time to splurge at a luxury store?

Irene sneered inwardly, disdain flickering in her eyes, and gave them both an indifferent eye-roll.

Either someone was lying, or these two didn’t care whether her father lived or died. Either way, they weren’t good people.

She glanced down at the limited-edition bag in her hand, then at the undisguised envy in Ellie’s eyes, and felt even more certain that breaking up with Loren so decisively had been the right call.

A man who lacked basic empathy—and might even enable the people around him to lie—wasn’t worth an ounce of her energy.

Loren clearly hadn’t expected to run into Irene here. Awkwardness crossed his face, and he took a half-step forward to greet her, but stopped under Irene’s cold stare.

Ellie, however, clung tighter to Loren’s arm, looking at Irene with a hint of provocation, as if flaunting her place beside him.

How had she not noticed before that this woman was two-faced? Seeing the other sales clerks trading glances, Irene had no interest in playing nice, and even less in being a spectacle. She said flatly, "I’ll take both of these. Please wrap them up."

Then she turned to Nicholas with mock sweetness: "Brother, you won’t mind me buying two bags, right?"

For some reason, Nicholas shuddered and waved a hand. "It’s fine, it’s fine. Buy whatever you want, as long as you like them." The memories of his sister acting cute weren’t exactly pleasant.

Once the two bags were packed, he stepped forward naturally, swiped his card, and followed Irene out with the gift bags in hand.

The whole time, aside from the rustle of packaging and the beep of the card machine, no one spoke. Loren and Ellie just stood there without approaching. Only when the door opened and closed again did the atmosphere ease.

The other clerks exchanged looks, barely hiding their excitement. Gossip passed silently between them until the store manager came out to break the tension. "Good afternoon. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Could I see what style of bag that Lady just bought?" Ellie asked directly, ignoring Loren’s disapproving glance.

The staff exchanged even quicker looks at that, but they were trained professionals. No matter what they were screaming inside, their faces barely changed.

"Of course, please come this way." The sales clerk nodded politely and led her to the bag section, pointing to the empty spots where the haze-blue crocodile Birkin and the cream-white Kelly had been.

"The Lady selected from the new autumn/winter collection. This haze-blue crocodile Birkin is limited to ten pieces worldwide, and the other is a cream-white Togo leather Kelly."

At that moment, other customers entered, and the store returned to normal.

Ellie’s eyes lit up. She reached out to touch a display model in the same style but different material, her fingertips grazing the leather, and said stubbornly,

"I want the exact same haze-blue crocodile style as hers. Please wrap it up for me."

The clerk’s smile stayed polite, but a note of apology crept in.

"I’m sorry, Ms. Ellie. This limited-edition crocodile Birkin is only available to Hermès lifetime members. It requires a certain cumulative spend and brand approval. There are currently no spots open for public sale."

"No qualification to purchase?" The excitement on Ellie’s face froze, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her dress.

Several nearby customers glanced her way, and her cheeks burned. She was so embarrassed she wished the floor would swallow her.

She knew she had no standing in Los Angeles. Forget lifetime Hermès membership—she didn’t even have standard VIP status. Her words had been pure impulse.

Loren stood by, his expression cooling further. Hands in his pockets and impatience in his eyes, he still said nothing.

Ellie took a deep breath, forcing down her embarrassment, and pointed to a haze-blue ostrich Birkin nearby. Pretending calm, she said, "Then... then I’ll take this one. Same style, different leather."

The sales clerk agreed at once and pulled out a calculator. "This ostrich Birkin is 9,000 USD. Will you be paying by card or cash?"

"9,000 USD?" Ellie’s pupils contracted, and she could barely hold her smile.

Her family had a nice farm in New Zealand, but she hadn’t started working yet. She hadn’t brought much savings to Los Angeles, and 9,000 USD was nearly a year’s living expenses.

She turned to Loren subconsciously, her eyes pleading, a hint of weakness slipping through. She knew she was being willful, but seeing Irene buy two limited editions so easily, the unwillingness and jealousy of being "outdone" made her desperate to prove herself.

Loren met her gaze, his brows drawing tighter.

If Ellie hadn’t helped him enthusiastically during his study abroad years, he wouldn’t have felt obligated to play host and show her around L.A. Now, his girlfriend had broken up with him because of her. He’d wanted to cut contact, but she’d latched on and wouldn’t let go.

He’d thought it was just a meal. Before he could react, they were in Hermès. He knew Ellie’s financial situation—she wasn’t the kind of person who shopped here. She couldn’t afford it, but insisted on saving face. It was the behavior he despised most. How had she become like this?

He had no intention of stepping in to pay, and said indifferently, "Are you sure you want this? The price isn’t low. Why not think it over?" He hoped she’d take the out.

Ellie’s face flushed bright red, shame and anger mixing.

She understood what Loren meant, but the words were out, and clerks and customers were watching. How could she back down? She gritted her teeth, pulled her credit card from her bag, and said stiffly, "No need to think it over. Charge it."

The clerk took the card and processed the payment quickly.

Ellie watched the numbers jump on the POS machine, her heart clenching. Every second dragged.