Free Web NovelChapter 17: Casting Pearls Before Swine
Editor: Henyee Translations
While working part-time at DL, Cecelia had met countless male and female models. To hit their monthly targets, they practically lived on alcohol and cigarettes.
Night after night, they moved from table to table, drinking with clients until dawn. Cigarette after cigarette disappeared between their fingers. She’d heard more than once that many of them ended up with serious health problems after only a few years.
She didn’t know how much longer Damien could stay in that line of work. But she genuinely believed he should value every dollar he earned.
Damien hadn’t expected that after all her questions, her final conclusion would be: Save your money. Looking at the sincere concern on her face, he found himself unexpectedly amused. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Alright." He handed her a glass of water. "You’ve lectured me enough." His eyes flicked toward her bandaged foot. "You must be thirsty." Then he added casually, "But you can’t walk around barefoot. I’ll get you a pair of shoes. What size do you wear?"
Drinking water was one thing. Accepting shoes was another. Cecelia wheeled herself forward, picked up the glass, and answered firmly, "I’ll buy them myself."
Damien glanced at her wheelchair. How exactly did she plan to do that? Still, it wasn’t impossible. One level below the hotel was one of Corvane’s most famous luxury shopping centers. The elevator ride took less than two minutes.
The real problem was that, judging by her spending habits, she’d probably refuse to buy anything at all.
Damien had been looking for an opportunity to compensate her. She refused cash, so maybe this would work instead. Ignoring her protest entirely, he said, "Finish your water first."
Once she finished drinking, silence settled between them. They were a man and a woman.
A husband and wife on paper. Alone in a hotel suite.
The awkwardness slowly crept back.
Fortunately, Damien broke it first. "Come with me."
Cecelia blinked. "Where?"
"You’ll see."
Inside the elevator, she watched him press the button for the lower level. She assumed they were heading to the parking garage.
The doors slid open. Light flooded the space before them, and she nearly squinted. Then her eyes widened.
A luxury shopping mall stretched out in every direction. Several stories tall. Sparkling from floor to ceiling. Crystal chandeliers cascaded overhead like waterfalls of light. Glass railings reflected countless glittering displays. Designer storefronts lined the corridors. Every window display looked immaculate.
Elegant. Expensive.
Very expensive.
Cecelia stared. "What are we doing here?"
Damien didn’t answer. He simply pushed her wheelchair forward. A few moments later, they entered a luxury women’s boutique. Even though she’d never owned a designer item in her life, she recognized the brand instantly.
"Wait." Cecelia immediately became alarmed. "We’re buying clothes? No." She shook her head. "I don’t need any."
Damien acted as though he hadn’t heard a word. Turning to a sales associate, he said, "Find a few outfits that suit her. And help her try them on."
Immediately, three sales associates appeared. Within seconds, dresses were being pulled from racks. Recommendations flew from every direction.
Cecelia discreetly flipped over a price tag, and she nearly stopped breathing.
Was that number real?
"I don’t like any of them," she said immediately.
"What about this one?" One sales associate held up a dress excitedly. "This is the same runway design worn by actress Han So-hee during Paris Fashion Week." She smiled proudly. "It’s the only piece available in all of Corvane."
That only confirmed Cecelia’s suspicion. Meaning it was even more expensive. "No, thank you." She forced a smile. "I’ll browse a little more. You can help other customers."
Reluctantly, the sales associates withdrew. The moment they left, Cecelia shot Damien a meaningful look and wheeled herself straight out of the store.
"Why did you bring me here?" Her voice lowered. "This place is ridiculously expensive." She pointed toward the boutique. "One outfit probably costs more than I earn in an entire year. I can’t afford any of this. And I wouldn’t even have anywhere to wear it. Let’s go."
Damien met her gaze calmly. "I’m paying."
Cecelia frowned. "I’m a grown woman with a job. Why would I let you pay for my clothes?"
Damien’s answer came instantly. "Consider it a repayment for saving my life."
Cecelia sighed, "Stop bringing that up. That was years ago. You’ve already helped me more than enough. We’re even." Then she started rolling toward the escalator.
Damien stopped her halfway. "Fine. No clothes. At least let me buy you a pair of shoes."
Unfortunately, the shoes weren’t much better.
Cecelia refused just as stubbornly. "If you really want to help me, take me somewhere normal. It’ll only cost you a little extra time."
For several seconds, Damien stared at her. Then he finally gave in. Not long afterward, they were back in the car. After searching online, Cecelia found a budget shopping center more than six miles away.
"There." She pointed at the screen. "Let’s go there."
When they arrived, Damien unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door. Then Cecelia suddenly said, "I transferred two hundred dollars to you."
He paused. "What?"
"So you’ll have money to pay later, " she said seriously.
Nowadays, whenever a man and woman go shopping together, everyone automatically assumes the man will pay. She didn’t want Damien to feel pressured.
For the first time that day, Damien was genuinely surprised. The gesture was thoughtful. Unexpectedly so.
The moment they entered the shopping center, Cecelia visibly relaxed. Without hesitation, she wheeled herself into a shoe store. The shop was small. Perhaps four hundred square feet. New shoes lined the walls. A clearance table piled high with old inventory sat in the center.
A large sign hung above it.
CLEARANCE — $20 PER PAIR
Ignoring the new arrivals completely, Cecelia rolled directly toward the clearance section. "Excuse me," she asked. "Do you have any mismatched pairs?"
The store owner—a plump middle-aged woman—didn’t seem surprised. "As a matter of fact, I do." She disappeared into the back and returned with a pair. "The style’s older. The sizes don’t match. But the quality is excellent."
Cecelia inspected them. "What sizes?"
"Size seven on the right. Size nine on the left."
Her eyes lit up. Perfect. "How much?"
"They originally sold for over thirty dollars." The owner shrugged. "Nobody wants them. You can have them for ten."
Beside her, Damien frowned. Ten dollars? That was already absurdly cheap.
Apparently not to Cecelia.
"They’re old inventory. And mismatched." She examined the shoes critically. "Nobody’s buying these unless they’re injured like me. What’s your lowest price?"
The owner hesitated. Then she laughed, "You really want them, don’t you? Fine. Five dollars. That’s my final offer."
Damien was speechless. Unfortunately, Cecelia wasn’t finished.
"One dollar."
The owner stared.
Cecelia smiled sweetly. "I guarantee you won’t find another buyer for these shoes anywhere in Corvane. One dollar. I’ll put them on right now."
The owner burst out laughing. "Young lady. You’re unbelievably stingy."
"No deal, then." Without hesitation, Cecelia spun her wheelchair around. "Let’s try another store."
Damien silently approved. Excellent. Those shoes looked exactly like the type that caused people to step on nails. Unfortunately, they only made it halfway to the exit.
"Alright, alright!" The owner called after them. "Come back!" She waved dramatically. "You win! They’re yours!"
Damien stood there completely dumbfounded.
In the end, Cecelia bought a dress and a pair of shoes.
Total spending: Thirty dollars.
She looked thoroughly satisfied. Damien couldn’t say he approved of her shopping habits. But seeing how pleased she was, he kept his opinions to himself.
After finishing her own shopping, Cecelia wheeled straight into a children’s clothing store. Her eyes immediately lit up. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"These are adorable." She picked up a tiny dress. "My daughter would look so cute in this."
Life had become much harder after Candy was born. But while Cecelia pinched pennies for herself, she never hesitated when it came to her daughter.
When buying for herself, she’d bargain over a single dollar. When buying for Candy, she grabbed two outfits and two pairs of shoes without blinking. And still looked tempted to buy more.
"My daughter is so adorable." She held up another dress. "Everything would look good on her."
The pride and affection in her eyes were impossible to miss. Watching her, Damien found himself thinking about Candy. The little girl really was adorable. And she really would look good in anything.
Without thinking, he said, "Then let’s buy a few more."
Cecelia immediately brightened. And for the first time all day, her smile reached her eyes.
