The saleswoman’s sour attitude deepened when Kayden interrupted her. Though she didn’t say it out loud, her thoughts screamed: Yeah, there’s no way you can afford this.
She scrutinized him from head to toe, her disdain barely hidden.
He looked far from wealthy, and even if he sold everything he owned, he might scrape enough to buy a single piece. But that would only plunge someone like him further into hardship.
It was all vanity-pathetic and laughable vanity.
With a professional veneer masking her irritation, she cut straight to the point, “Sir, I understand you want to treat your girlfriend to something nice, but maybe you’d be more comfortable shopping elsewhere. There’s a store just around the corner where the clothes are only a few thousand. Perhaps you should take a look there instead.”
Felicity tugged on Kayden’s arm, nodding quickly. “She’s right, Kayden. Let’s just leave and check out somewhere else.”
The price tags here had already left Felicity reeling. This place was out of their league-way out.
But Kayden shook his head firmly, his voice steady as steel. “No, we’re not going anywhere. Didn’t I just say that only the clothes here barely match your elegance? Pick whatever you like. Money isn’t something you need to worry about. Heck, if you want the entire store, I’ll buy it for you.”
Kayden’s calm confidence was unshakable, as if the world bent to his will.
Felicity had seen this side of him repeatedly today, and every time it left her heart fluttering.
His words just now-
They hit her like a warm embrace. She lowered her head shyly, feeling like a princess for the first time in her life.
Elegance? Her? Felicity had never associated herself with such words. Yet Kayden spoke as if it was undeniable truth.
The saleswoman stood aside, her arms crossed, her lips curling in barely concealed disdain. Elegance? she scoffed internally. The girl looked like a plain village bumpkin, her scarred face dragging her even further down the scale. What kind of “elegance” does he see?
Still, she plastered on a fake smile.
“Alright then, suit yourself.”
Kayden handed the same dress to Felicity, smiling. “Here, try this one on.”
Felicity hesitated, glancing nervously at the saleswoman.
Kayden noticed her reluctance and reassured her. “Go on, try it. That’s what the fitting rooms are for, right? You won’t know if it fits or if you like it until you try it on.”
He didn’t ask the sales associate’s opinion; after all, customers have the right to try on clothes here. Even if they don’t make a purchase, trying on the clothes is not an issue.
But before Felicity could move, the saleswoman stepped in, her voice dripping with faux professionalism. “Sir, there’s a policy here. We require a deposit before allowing anyone to try on the clothes.”
In fact, this wasn’t the store’s policy, but rather her own attempt to get rid of these two country bumpkins who wanted to try on clothes.
Her sole purpose in doing so was to send them away.
Kayden paused, visibly taken aback. “Why?”
The saleswoman raised her chin imperiously. “Well, these are luxury items, and we can’t risk people trying them on without buying. If you decide not to purchase, the deposit is non-refundable.”
Hearing these infuriating words, Kayden gave the female salesperson a once-over. She really looked down on people.
He didn’t rush to get angry, but calmly stared at the salesperson and asked, “So, how much deposit do I need to pay?”
The female salesperson raised one finger and said, “10, 000.”
The number made Felicity’s scalp tingle! A 10, 000 deposit, and if they didn’t buy, it wouldn’t be refunded.
Oh my god!
Spending ten thousand just to try it on? The thought alone made her head spin.
She clutched Kayden’s arm, her voice trembling. “Let’s just go, Kayden. This place isn’t for us.”
But Kayden didn’t budge. Instead, he called out loudly, “Is the store manager here?”
The sudden question startled the saleswoman.
She hesitated, her smug demeanor cracking, as a short-haired woman-stunningly beautiful and exuding authority-walked over.
“I’m the manager. Is there an issue?” the woman asked, her voice warm but direct.
Kayden fixed her with a steady gaze. “Is it true that your store requires a deposit for trying on clothes?”
The manager’s brows furrowed. She glanced sharply at the saleswoman beside her, who stammered defensively, “Manager, I only said that because-well, they clearly don’t look like they can afford anything here, so I thought I’d-”
“Enough!” the manager snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence. “You’ve been trained to treat every customer like royalty. Have you forgotten that already? Your commission for this month is gone.”
Her face darkened as she turned back to Kayden. “My deepest apologies, sir. This staff member is new and clearly misunderstood our policies. Rest assured, there’s no such rule here. Trying on clothes is, of course, free of charge.”
Meanwhile, the manager bowed slightly toward Kayden and Felicity, her tone dripping with sincerity. “Sir, ma’am, I deeply regret the inconvenience. To make amends, we’ll offer you a 10% discount on all items today.”
Kayden glanced at the store manager, who was clearly someone trained for this role. She acted decisively, and it was obvious that she was a top player in the industry, completely different from the salesgirl earlier.
However, none of that mattered to Kayden. He couldn’t care less about those trivial things.
“Alright, forget about the discount,” he said. “I don’t need your discount.”
With that, he handed the dress back to Felicity and said, “Go try it on!”
Kayden waved a hand dismissively.
The manager smiled graciously, then turned to Felicity. “This way, miss. Let me assist you.”
As Felicity disappeared into the fitting room, the saleswoman stood fuming.
Arms crossed, she muttered under her breath, “Seriously? Dressing up a country girl in luxury? It’s ridiculous. She’s like a chicken trying to pass off as a phoenix.”
But her bitter words died in her throat the moment Felicity stepped out of the fitting room.
Her jaw dropped.