Sarah was taken aback. Were we all this conditioned to self-blame?
She looked at Merry and chuckled. “Merry, hitting someone could get you arrested. Don’t feel guilty. Ronald was trying to hurt me, not your fault.”
Her words were lighthearted, clearly trying to comfort Merry and ease her guilt.
Merry believed her. “Really?”
Sarah nodded. “Really.”
Merry’s mood improved significantly, and she invited Sarah to cut the cake.
Oswald couldn’t take his eyes off Sarah, a look of desire in them.
He handed Sarah a plate of cake. “You’re Sarah, right? I’m Merry’s boyfriend. Let’s add each other on WhatsApp.”
Sarah replied, “I didn’t bring my phone.”
Oswald had brought a large gift box, which, when opened, contained a bouquet of fake flowers, the kind you could get for $15 online. His friends’ gifts to Merry were similar – cheap perfume or flashy makeup sets.
Merry’s smile froze slightly. She wasn’t completely oblivious. She could tell if someone was being insincere.
Merry used to give them gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars in luxury items. But if those people hadn’t come, and if Sarah hadn’t come, her birthday would have been really lonely.
Sarah gave Merry a necklace encrusted with diamonds, the latest model from that brand. When Merry opened Sarah’s gift box, she was a bit surprised. She really liked this brand of jewelry and didn’t expect Sarah to remember.
Oswald was a bit envious. “Wow! That must have cost a fortune!”
Sarah smiled slightly. “Not really. When giving a gift, it should match the person.”
Oswald pretended not to catch Sarah’s meaning. “My mom loves this brand of necklaces too, but I don’t have the money to buy her one.”
Sarah responded, “Then work hard, make some money, and buy one for your mom. And don’t forget about your girlfriend. A real man should be independent and self-reliant. Right, Merry?”
Merry thought that Sarah made a lot of sense and nodded vigorously.
Oswald was momentarily stunned. He realized Merry’s friend wasn’t someone easily fooled and decided to drop the subject.
******
Ronald still couldn’t believe that Sarah would disrespect him in front of so many people. But, thinking about the way Sarah acted made him feel a bit warm inside. He found this version of Sarah somehow… more charming.
Elisa caught up to him, her eyes red. “Ronald…”
Ronald snapped back to reality.
What was he thinking?
He already had Elisa.
Only a woman like Elisa, who depended on him entirely and was pure, was a good match for him.
And honestly, even though Elisa wasn’t as refined as Sarah, she did bear a slight resemblance to her, didn’t she?
Sarah had abandoned him for her studies. Now, she was marrying another man for money. She was already a tainted woman.
A woman like Elisa, who didn’t care about career or money and only loved him, was his true match.
Elisa looked at Ronald with teary eyes. “Ronald, you still love Sarah, don’t you? If you do, I’ll let you two be together. I don’t want anything, just for you to be happy.”
Ronald held her tightly. “What are you thinking? Good girl, the one I love is you! She’s just a vain, bad woman.”
Elisa said, “But she’s so elegant and beautiful. I feel like an ugly duckling next to her. The jewelry and clothes she’s wearing today, I’ll never be able to have them in my life.”
Ronald pulled her into his Ferrari. “You deserve the best. Those things would look even better on you.”
That evening, Sarah and Merry left the hotel together. As they walked through the lobby, they saw Elisa and Ronald again.
Sarah looked at her own clothes and then at Elisa, who was wearing the same beige outfit, the same pearl earrings, and a necklace.
Oh, no…
It was like cosplay done to an uncanny level.
As soon as Elisa saw Sarah, she hid behind Ronald like a scared little rabbit.
Merry got annoyed seeing Elisa imitate Sarah.
It was bad enough that Elisa secretly got her eyes, nose, and mouth to look like Sarah’s, but wearing the same clothes and jewelry too?
Did this woman have no taste of her own?
Merry rolled up her sleeves. “Sarah, that bitch is copying you again. I’m gonna hit her!”
Sarah stopped Merry. Though in the original story, Merry played the role of a henchman many times, always bullying Elisa for Sarah, in real life, seeing this cute girl ready to fight surprised Sarah.
“Forget it,” Sarah said, glancing at Elisa. “Don’t bother with her.”
In the original story, after Sarah tragically died, Elisa got pregnant. Ronald, worried that Merry would take revenge on the pregnant Elisa for Sarah’s death, had Merry killed in a car accident.
It was described as a rainy night with heavy traffic, and Merry’s body wasn’t found until the next day, so disfigured it was unrecognizable. Her parents were abroad at the time, and by the time they returned, the driver who killed her was nowhere to be found, leaving Merry’s death unresolved.
All of Sarah’s close friends either ended up in jail or met similarly tragic ends, with no exceptions.
Sarah didn’t know if the plot would follow the same path. If it did, with all the luck on Elisa and Ronald’s side, she and her friends would be doomed.
All she could do was distance herself from this crazy couple and make it clear she wasn’t interested in Ronald anymore.
As for Elisa copying her-let her.
Sarah didn’t wear the same clothes or jewelry every day. If Elisa wanted to imitate, she’d have to keep up with every change.
Seeing Elisa so afraid of Sarah, Ronald couldn’t help but pull Elisa behind him protectively.
He looked at Elisa, then at Sarah.
Strangely, when they wore different clothes or only had a few similar items, Ronald thought Elisa resembled Sarah. But when they dressed exactly the same, the resemblance faded.
First, there was the skin tone. Sarah had a cool, milky white complexion, naturally glowing like a light bulb, which the beige outfit enhanced. Elisa’s skin, while also fair, was two shades darker, making the beige outfit age her a bit.
Then, there was the bone structure. Sarah had a small head and face, a long neck, and perfectly proportioned shoulders and neck, like a sculpture. This made her look like a runway model in the sleek, straight-lined outfit. Elisa, on the other hand, had a cute, slightly larger head and face. The fitted shoulder lines made her head look even bigger.
Comparing the two, was like seeing a poor imitation doll next to a finely crafted porcelain one.
Ronald felt irritated but kept a proud expression. “Elisa, I think you look better in this outfit.”
Sarah responded, “Sure, sure, Mr. Ronald. Your eyes always see the best.”
Ronald felt like Sarah was mocking him.
Merry said, “Obviously, you look better. She’s just trying to imitate you.”
Ronald coldly replied, “Merry, don’t be ridiculous. If you weren’t a woman, I would’ve hit you already!”
Sarah added, “Mr. Ronald, looks like you here only dare to threaten women.”
Ronald’s face turned dark with anger.
On her drive home, Sarah kept thinking about the Smith family dinner.
She really didn’t know how to handle it.
The thought of Holden, the unpredictable big shot of the Smith family, gave her a headache.
For some reason, dealing with him seemed more challenging than dealing with Ronald. Holden was just more difficult to read.
As she arrived at the parking lot, her phone rang.
An unfamiliar number showed up, and an unfamiliar voice spoke, “Hey, is this Mrs. Holden? Holden needs your help at the hotel.”
Sarah was puzzled. “What?”