“You know, some people just love pretending to be rich. They might only have enough for bus fare but still carry fake designer bags. How could they afford Cherish dressing so plainly?” Ashley scoffed, convinced that anyone with Bianca couldn’t truly be wealthy. Basic items at Cherish cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
She had spent a lot of time convincing Joshua today until he reluctantly gave her a black card to buy something from Cherish.
Meeting Joshua’s parents required her to have luxury items. It was all about keeping up appearances.
Hearing Ashley’s comments, the young women in line examined Bianca and Diana closely. Their simple outfits lacked embellishments, giving the impression they weren’t wealthy, which caused them to disregard the two girls.
They had a strong dislike for women who pretended to be wealthy when they weren’t. Such women were common in their social circles and often looked down upon by others.
Diana, who usually had a short temper, only kept her cool because Bianca stopped her from reacting.
Bianca winked at Diana, stepped out of line, and positioned herself in front of Ashley. With a slight smile, she said, “Ashley, whether we can afford expensive items is our business. But cutting in line is rude. You’ve been making waves online lately and building a reputation for yourself. Do you really want today’s incident to become a trending topic?”
Bianca’s words caught the attention of people nearby, who turned to observe Ashley’s reaction.
In the entertainment industry, there’s a hierarchy of prestige. Movie actors often look down on TV stars, TV actors dismiss those in web series, and high-budget web shows overshadow lower-budget ones.
At the bottom of this hierarchy was Ashley.
These wealthy young women held a dim view of lesser-known actors in web dramas. Wealthy individuals would invest directly in films and TV shows. In contrast, newcomers with some money might fund a production to secure a role, while those lacking talent or good looks and unable to land film or TV roles might turn to online dramas as a last resort for income.
Seeing Ashley’s exaggerated disguise with a hat, large sunglasses, and a mask, the onlookers couldn’t help finding her appearance amusing.
“She’s just in an online drama. Does she really think she’s a big star? How many fans does she think she has?”
“Even without that disguise, I doubt anyone would recognize her.”
“I feel awkward standing next to her. Can she even afford Cherish?”
Ashley seethed silently; her hands clenched into fists. Bianca’s few words had made her a laughingstock. What a sneaky person!
“Bianca, you don’t know this yet, but I’m going to star in Golden Gate Films’ big movie this year. As for the online drama, they just asked me for a favor. I was bored, so I agreed to do it.”
Ashley raised her head proudly.
Excited about becoming Mrs. Reed and supported by Joshua, Ashley’s arrogance soared.
‘A role in Golden Gate Films’ big movie?’
That movie always had a high-budget production and luxurious crew. When the crowd heard about Ashley’s role, they suddenly became more interested in her.
Bianca, smiling kindly, gestured to the security guards patrolling nearby.
At a big event like this brand launch, having security guards was important to keep everything in order.
“What can I help you with, Miss?” A security guard in uniform approached Bianca.
Glancing at Ashley, Bianca smiled at the guard and said, “This customer here cut in line, causing a disruption. If everyone starts doing that, it defeats the purpose of waiting in line. I believe Cherish wouldn’t tolerate such behavior, being an international brand.”
“Bianca, stop making up stories. I was ahead of you all along! You’re just saying this because you want to jump ahead!”
Ashley looked down at Bianca with disdain, confident that as long as she denied cutting the line, Bianca couldn’t do anything to her.
The security guard, assessing the situation, turned to the crowd and asked, “Did anyone see this lady cut in line?”
Everyone shook their heads. Their attention had been on the Cherish opening ceremony, not on the line behind them.
Ashley smirked to herself. She knew she wasn’t just a pretty face without brains. Before confronting Bianca, she had carefully observed the crowd. She wasn’t foolish enough to leave any evidence of cutting in line.
“Can’t you see? This lady just jumped the line!” Diana was fed up. She pointed at Ashley, upset.
“She’s rude, swearing in public like that. She clearly hasn’t learned manners.”
“Maybe her parents didn’t teach her how to behave.”
“She must come from a recently wealthy family.”
“People who suddenly get rich can be awful. They think money can make up for bad manners.”
The people in line showed their disapproval and irritation at Diana’s outburst.
Diana resented how others judged her family for their fresh wealth. What was wrong with having money? Could manners fill an empty stomach?
“If anyone dares to say another word, I’ll shut them up for good!” Diana shouted, pointing angrily at the people gossiping about her in line.
Suddenly, everyone went quiet…
The young women were surprised. They hadn’t expected Diana to be so bold.
“Ma’am, please watch your language and keep it down. This is a public place,” the security guard scolded Diana.
Diana was livid. “You guards should be dealing with the line-cutters instead of lecturing me. Is that what your job is about? You might as well quit.”
“Diana,” Bianca intervened, trying to calm her friend down.
But Diana was too angry to listen to Bianca.
The security guard, visibly annoyed by Diana’s behavior, showed no leniency. “Ma’am, if you continue causing a disturbance, I’ll have to escort you out.”
Ashley, finding amusement in the situation, was nearly laughing. She eagerly awaited the possibility of Bianca and Diana being escorted out by the guards.
“Why should I leave? She’s the one in the wrong here. Lay a finger on me, and I’ll call the police. I refuse to believe there’s no justice left in this world,” Diana declared defiantly, confronting the security guard.
At that moment, a woman in a formal suit approached them. She looked at Diana and Bianca and asked the guard, “What’s happening here?”
“This woman is causing a disturbance. She’s being very loud. I was just about to escort her out,” the guard accused hastily.
“Let me explain. Someone cut in line, and the guard did nothing about it. That’s why I…” Diana, boiling with anger, tried to step forward but was held back by Bianca.
Bianca approached the woman in the suit and asked politely, “Excuse me, may I ask who you are?”