Freya chose a lipstick of a classic color. Soon, the three of them were done choosing their gifts for Lily.
After paying for their gifts, Brucille noticed that Rainie’s clothes looked old and shabby. He felt that her outfit was inappropriate for a birthday party.
He suggested, “Rainie, why don’t I buy some clothes for you?”
Rainie looked at her own clothes and said, “I didn’t expect you to be such a vain person. I’d like to thank you for the gifts on their behalf. Please, stop following me.”
She pushed Brucille away and left with Lauren and Freya.
In the taxi. Lauren said, “Rainie, you should’ve invited your brother to join us. They’re all bringing their boyfriends. If not, Kenny will definitely come at you.”
“No way. Who in the world brings their brother to a birthday party? It’s so weird,” Rainie replied.
Freya said bluntly, “I’ll be honest with you. I overheard Kenny talking to his minions, saying that he’s going to make you drunk tonight and take advantage of you. That’s why I told you not to go, but you wouldn’t listen.”
Freya’s words scared Rainie for a bit. Rainie was not a good drinker. She would probably get drunk after having a few drinks.
After much consideration, she bit the bullet and called Brucille. She then told him the time and location of the birthday party.
Brucille had just left the shopping mall. After receiving Rainie’s phone call, he turned back and bought her a dress.
Before the party began, he handed the dress to Rainie.
“I’ve bought this for you. It’s not expensive, only about 300 yuan. It should look good on you.”
Not believing him, Rainie checked the price tag. Although 300 yuan was still not a small amount to her, she could still accept it.
After putting on the dress, she looked as pretty as a fairy despite matching it with a pair of white sneakers.
“What do you think? Does this look okay? Do you think it’s too revealing?” Rainie asked Brucille.
Brucille replied with a smile, “Even T-shirts expose both of your arms. How is this revealing? Go on and enjoy. Call me if anything happens. I’ll be waiting for you downstairs.”
Of course, Rainie was not going to bring Brucille to Lily’s birthday party. She only asked Brucille to watch out for her safety.
When Rainie appeared at the birthday party wearing the long dress, Lauren was surprised.
She exclaimed, “Wow! Rainie, is this dress your secret possession? It’s so pretty! Do you wear it just on special occasions?”
Rainie had a slender figure and a fair complexion. Due to malnutrition, her skin looked even paler. Wearing this dress made her look ethereal.
Besides, she had delicate facial features. The dress made her stand out even more.
Rainie was a little embarrassed as she said, “My brother paid 300 yuan for it. It’s too expensive though.”
“Are you still living in the eighties? Let’s go and pass Lily her gift,” Lauren said.
Lily, who was the main character of that night, was dressed glamorously. She had a boyfriend that came from a wealthy family named Laird Chang.
That evening, she invited the whole class to her birthday party. As the prettiest girl in class, she enjoyed the spotlight.
She wore a long white dress, pink crystal shoes, and a glittering diamond ring on her ring finger. Every once in a while, she would raise her left hand inadvertently.
Coupled with her beautiful hair style, she was definitely the most dazzling one among the girls at the party.
Rainie walked over and said, “Happy birthday, Lily. This is a present for you.”
Lily took the box from her politely. She opened it, and then closed it back. “Thank you, Rainie. It’s so beautiful. You must’ve spent a lot on it.”
Rainie replied, “It’s not that expensive. I’m glad that you like it.”
“Lily, this is a genuine Longines watch,” Lauren said.
Lily’s facial expression changed slightly. After that, she received Lauren’s gift without commenting on the watch.
Holding a glass of champagne in her hand, Serene Fong walked toward them from the crowd. “Hey, Rainie. I heard that you are working as a dishwasher at a hotel, is that true? I’m surprised you can afford such an expensive gift for Lily! Do you really have to do that to butter your friend up?”
Serene had a rich family background. She did not even lower her voice when she spoke. Therefore, the rest of the classmates around could hear her words clearly.
Seeing her classmates looking over with peculiar looks, she continued, “I guess you haven’t known. Rainie gave Lily a Longines watch. Do you all know how much a Longines watch costs? Close to 10, 000 yuan.”
“If I remember correctly, Rainie has never even bought herself clothes costing more than 100 yuan for the past three years. Yet she bought a gift worth more than 10, 000 yuan for Lily! How generous she is.”
A classmate next to her commented without hesitation, “It’s definitely fake. There are plenty of fake Longines watches sold everywhere, and one probably costs only a few hundred yuan. What the seller has to do is to put a logo on them.”
Serene went on, “Exactly. She’s probably trying to flatter Lily, knowing that Lily has a rich boyfriend now. But she could only use such a despicable way as she has no money.”
Serene sneered, waiting for Rainie to make a fool of herself.
Meanwhile, Lauren retorted, “Serene, what do you mean? I was with Rainie when she bought the gift. This watch was definitely bought from an actual Longines counter.”
“You don’t need to cover up for her. I’ll just ask you one thing. How much is the dress she’s wearing?” Serene asked mockingly.
Rainie replied softly, “My brother said that he bought it for 300 yuan.”
Upon hearing that, Serene laughed so hard that she spilled her champagne.
“I knew it. You like to buy fakes. That’s why the Longines watch is definitely fake. This dress is from Prada’s latest summer collection. The retail price is 19, 999 yuan. Did you just say you bought it for 300 yuan? Either your brother is the owner of the store, or it’s a fake.”
After hearing Serene’s remarks, everyone started to discuss Rainie in a low voice. Although Rainie was poor, she had never tried to look rich. Hence, everyone was used to seeing her poor appearance.
That night, however, she acted so generous all of a sudden. Not only did she give Lily an expensive watch, but she also wore a branded dress herself. Her behavior gave those rich girls a chance to make fun of her.
Rainie defended herself weakly, “I didn’t say that this dress is branded. It just looks like the branded one.”
However, Serene was determined to humiliate Rainie that night.
“How could you say such things? You are so ignorant, Rainie. Wearing a fake branded dress, it just shows how vain you are. You’ve been pretending to look pitiful all this time, haven’t you?” Serene said.
Being surrounded by her classmates, Rainie felt as if she was a monkey performing in the zoo. She was at a loss. She wanted to escape, but she was surrounded by so many people that she couldn’t find a way out.
“What are you guys doing?”
Kenny Leung’s voice came from behind them. Everyone made way for him.
“You’re here Mr. Leung. Your darling, Rainie, gave Lily a fake Longines watch. She is also wearing a fake branded dress herself,” Serene said.
Kenny replied with a playful smile, “Serene, don’t you know her family’s situation? You shouldn’t expect too much.”
After that, he glanced at Rainie satirically.
In a strange tone, he said, “I’ve already told you, Rainie. If you agree to be my girlfriend, you won’t ever have to wear fakes again.”
Lauren pushed through the crowd and ran straight to the lobby downstairs. She wanted to ask Brucille whether he was here to help Rainie or hurt her.