“Did you guys see that? The Rolls-Royce parked next to the Audi A8. I used to think the Audi A8 was a luxury car, but it’s nothing compared to the Phantom.”
In the parking lot, some of the classmates Dina invited had arrived. When they saw Sophia, especially with Leo by her side, they couldn’t resist taunting.
“Look, Sophia is here, and she brought her useless husband with her.”
“Tsk tsk, it’s been so many years, and I find that Sophia has become even more beautiful since our school days. My poor goddess, she’s been wasted on a useless man.”
“Look at that freeloading deadbeat next to our school flower, it’s simply an insult to the school flower. Despite his decent appearance, I bet everything he’s wearing is cheap stuff, not worth more than fifty bucks!”
Just then, a white BMW drove up, and Karen lowered the car window, sticking her head out to greet Leo and Sophia. “Leo! Sophia!”
Sophia responded with a nod, and when Karen parked her car, Sophia let go of Leo’s hand and linked arms with Karen.
“Look, isn’t that Karen? It’s been so many years, and she hasn’t changed a bit. Still so beautiful.”
“But I still think the Sophia looks better. Karen is no match for her.”
“Look at the Rolls-Royce; Dina and her rich husband are getting out!”
The passenger door of the Rolls-Royce opened first, revealing a pair of long legs in black stockings. Then, a woman dressed in expensive attire, with a seductive figure, emerged from the car. She had large sunglasses on her face, and a smug expression was ever-present on her lips.
The driver’s side saw a man in his thirties wearing a dark blue suit, thinning hair, and a slightly paunchy belly. He had glasses perched on his nose.
This man was, of course, Dina’s husband, Franklin.
At the sight of Dina, many women couldn’t help but scream and had stars in their eyes. “School flower or not, it’s all nothing; as a woman, whether you’re happy or not depends on the man you marry!”
“Dina is so lucky, she actually married Franklin, the eldest son of the Stone family, one of the top internet giants in Langstel. Look at her style now; she’s different from ordinary women.”
“Do you notice that LV limited edition bag hanging on her shoulder? And those high-heeled sandals, I saw them in a fashion magazine too, they’re also limited edition, cost over a million!”
“I never believed the ugly duckling turning into a swan story until today. If I ever have a chance, I’d want to be so happy.”
The envy of the female classmates’ voices naturally reached Dina’s ears, but she chose to ignore them. Instead, she extended her hand and linked arms with her husband, walking toward Sophia and the others.
“Sophia, hello! It’s been so many years, and you’re still as stunning as ever,” Dina approached Sophia, wearing a seemingly warm smile on her face.
Before Sophia could respond, Dina continued, “To celebrate your birthday, I’ve specially gathered our old classmates. You don’t need to thank me; after all, we’ve been good friends for so many years.”
Sophia looked at Dina with a somewhat ambiguous expression and replied, “Dina, it’s been many years indeed. It’s rare that you still remember me. I can’t believe you haven’t aged a bit; you’re still the same as during our school days.”
While Sophia’s words might have seemed like a compliment about Dina’s youthfulness on the surface, their deeper meaning conveyed that Dina was still just as materialistic and vulgar as before.
Dina, of course, picked up on the underlying tone of Sophia’s words, but she didn’t mind. Today, since Sophia had come to the party, Dina had all the time she needed to deal with her.
Dina and Sophia were classmates, and from the moment they started college, Dina considered Sophia her arch-nemesis.
The reason was simple; during their university years, whether it was academic performance, looks, or status among male students, Sophia had overshadowed Dina.
Dina was a person with a small mind, so she developed strong feelings of jealousy towards Sophia.
“Sophia, this is my husband Franklin, the eldest son of the Stone family. He’s currently the CEO of E Era Network Technology.”
Dina introduced the man beside her to Sophia, “The Stone family is a top-tier family in Langstel, and my husband’s annual salary is ten million!”
Before coming here, Dina had instructed Franklin on how to handle this, so he was fully prepared now.
Franklin’s gaze scanned Leo a few times, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. “You seem to be… Sorry, I only know that you’re the son-in-law of the Henley family. What’s your name?”
Leo stared at him coldly without saying a word.
“Oh, I remember now. You’re Leo! Honestly, I admire you a lot. After all, it’s not easy to be a freeloader these days.” Franklin’s face carried a smile, but his eyes were filled with contempt.
Dina tugged at Franklin and pretended to be angry. “Honey, he’s Sophia’s husband; how can you say that? I don’t want to see my good friend sad.”
Karen couldn’t stand it anymore and walked up to Dina, giving her a stern look. “Dina, today is Sophia’s birthday. Are you here to celebrate with her, or just to mock her?”
“Oh, I’m sorry; I almost forgot that Sophia is the star of the day.” Dina intentionally swayed her limited edition LV bag. “Let’s go; I’ve reserved an ultra-luxurious private room at Star World.”
As they headed to Star World, the classmates in the background continued to discuss Dina and Sophia as they walked together.
“Just from their backs, I still think Sophia is way ahead of Dina. It’s a pity she married a deadbeat.”
“Compared to the rich Franklin, her deadbeat husband is like an ant beneath an elephant. If Sophia divorces that freeloading son-in-law, I’m definitely going after her!”
“Economic foundation determines superstructure; money is a man’s backbone! Just now, that freeloading husband of Sophia couldn’t even utter a word in response to Dina and Franklin’s ridicule. He’s like a cowardly fighter in front of Franklin.”
” How could a freeloading deadbeat ever dare to contend with the Stone family’s scion? In front of Franklin, this freeloading man’s status is about as significant as a dog’s…”
Leo remained silent throughout, in his view, these people were just clowns who only knew how to talk big. It was a waste of energy to pay them any attention.