Chapter 773: Like a Movie Star

Rosalind Green and Phoebe Huxley found Juliana Rhodes and her friends at the department store, shopping with great enthusiasm. Money gave them confidence, and since women are natural-born shoppers, they were soon laden with bags of all sizes. Still, they hadn’t had their fill.

"I want to buy a pair of red leather shoes for Maeve—the same kind that little girl was wearing. They’re so pretty," said Juliana Rhodes.

Maeve Golding was her daughter, and her sense of style always made her stand out in their village. This was because Juliana Rhodes’s sister-in-law had married a man from Tristone and would often send fashionable clothes back home. However, Tristone’s fashion at the time couldn’t compare to Capria’s. After all, Capria was right next to Port Krol and was certainly much more ahead of the curve.

Mothers are all the same; as soon as they get a little money, they want to spend it on their children. Hearing Juliana Rhodes, Sylvia Swann and Fiona Rhodes were tempted as well. They all had daughters of their own and naturally wanted to dress them up nicely.

"Let’s do it. We’ll each buy a pair. When the weather gets warmer, we can have white dresses made for them. A white dress with red leather shoes will definitely look beautiful."

"Let’s go, let’s go! Which floor were the shoes on again?"

"The third floor. I just bought a pair of men’s leather shoes there."

The procession of women swept up to the third floor. They did indeed have red leather shoes, but they cost eighteen yuan a pair. A pair of adult’s leather shoes, in comparison, was only twenty-two yuan and would last for seven or eight years.

The women hesitated.

"Kids’ feet grow so fast. She’ll definitely outgrow them by next year. Eighteen yuan is too much of a waste," Fiona Rhodes said hesitantly. She didn’t think it was a good value.

The other women felt the same way, but Juliana Rhodes’s mind was made up. "If she outgrows them, we can just give them away. Eighteen yuan might be a bit expensive, but it’s not like we can’t earn that back. You have to spend the money you earn. Otherwise, what’s the point of working ourselves to the bone?"

With that, Fiona Rhodes and the others were tempted once more. After hesitating a bit longer, they all bought the red leather shoes. In truth, they only felt the sting of the expense for a moment at the register. Once they had the beautiful shoes in hand, their hearts filled with delight. It was the pure thrill of shopping, a rush no less satisfying than certain... physical activities!

Rosalind Green and Phoebe Huxley didn’t buy anything, standing to one side and watching over everyone’s purchases. Rosalind had a thoughtful expression, then suddenly exclaimed softly, "I remember now!"

"Remember what?" Phoebe Huxley asked boisterously.

"You know how I was just telling you that June’s mom looks like a movie star? I couldn’t place her then, but I remember now. She looks exactly like her."

"Which star?"

"Diane Ward. She used to be very famous and starred in a lot of movies."

Phoebe Huxley shook her head. "Never heard of her. The only one I know is Yolanda."

"Diane Ward came before Yolanda. She was making movies even before the Liberation. I absolutely loved her films; I even used to collect her posters. It’s a shame she died." Rosalind Green sighed. ’Such a tragic fate for a beautiful woman.’

"Was it an illness?"

"No, she took an overdose of sleeping pills. They couldn’t save her."

Rosalind felt a pang of sadness. When she heard the news of Diane Ward’s suicide over a decade ago, she couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t fathom why such a beautiful woman would choose that path of no return. Back then, the Hawthorne family hadn’t yet fallen from grace, and Rosalind couldn’t understand Diane Ward’s decision.

But over the years, she had finally come to understand. There had been countless times when she, too, had wanted to die. But she had promised Ethan Hawthorne she would keep living, and each time, she gritted her teeth and held on.

A sharp pain lanced through Rosalind’s heart. ’I kept my promise,’ she thought, ’but Ethan Hawthorne betrayed me.’

Phoebe Huxley didn’t ask why. There was no need. It wasn’t hard to guess the reasons behind such a thing.

"Plenty of people look alike. It’s nothing strange," Phoebe Huxley said, changing the subject. "Are you buying anything else?" Rosalind shook her head. "I’m done."

The women had finally shopped to their hearts’ content, and the tractor was piled high with their haul. Juliana Rhodes and her friends went to a restaurant to eat. Phoebe Huxley told Rosalind to go pick up Tang Xiao’nan, as Rosalind was a fast eater. Phoebe herself, however, still wanted to eat for a while longer.