Chapter 10: Doing Something Bad

The mother and son shopped until the afternoon before slowly starting back. Before they left, Amanda Vance picked up an outfit she bought on a whim from a street stall, even managing to haggle the price down by more than half.

Felix Ford looked at her with even greater admiration. ’Mom is so amazing!’

She tossed the original bag and placed the outfit in a box bearing the ’July’ logo. A slow smile spread across Amanda Vance’s lips. Seeing her son’s adorable expression, she reached out and tickled his chin. With a grin, she headed into the Vance family home, unsurprised to find Shirley Vance in the living room.

She was clinging to Holly Vance’s arm, chattering about something or other with a rather excited expression on her face.

The moment she saw Amanda return, she immediately fell silent. All three of them turned to look at them.

Amanda Vance pretended not to see them and started leading her son straight upstairs.

"Stop!" Holly Vance said, his voice low and stern.

Amanda Vance turned her head to see Shirley Vance smirking with schadenfreude. She coolly averted her gaze and looked at Holly Vance. "Is there something you need?"

"Where did you get the money?" Holly Vance asked bluntly, forgoing any pleasantries. His eyes were filled with suspicion and disdain, as if he’d already decided her funds were ill-gotten.

"I earned it."

Her words were met with a sneer.

Shirley Vance walked over. "Sister, why don’t you tell us what you do? How on earth did you earn so much money?"

Amanda Vance gave her a long, meaningful look. "You, of all people, should know how to make a lot of money quickly. Why are you so concerned with my pocket change?"

Shirley’s face fell as she understood the jab. The thought of the car Simon Sheffield had bought for her—a model worth just over a million—made her stomach turn. He couldn’t even afford one worth ten million, so he could only show her the lowest-end options. She had gritted her teeth in frustration. Ordinarily, she would have been thrilled with it, but now... the thought of parking it at home next to Amanda’s car was just too humiliating.

Now, hearing Amanda’s taunt, she was practically seething.

Seeing that her daughter was about to lose her composure, Sarah Sullivan quickly stepped in, her voice gentle. "Alright now, let’s all sit down for dinner. Megan, your father didn’t mean anything by it. You’re all grown up now and have the ability to work and support yourself, which puts our minds at ease. Your father’s got things covered at home, so you don’t need to worry. We’ll take care of the company’s problems, too. We won’t touch your money."

’Wow, so considerate.’

’If it weren’t for Holly Vance’s increasingly hostile glare, I might have actually believed her.’

She recalled the information she’d dug up: The Vance Group was in desperate need of a large cash infusion. Holly Vance had tried to secure a loan, but the banks had turned him down after their assessment. As for his old friends, they were all avoiding him.

’At a time like this, knowing his eldest daughter had money, how could he possibly let the opportunity slip by?’

Amanda Vance chuckled and shrugged. "Thank you, that’s a relief. As it happens, I spent all my money on the car. Good thing I’m at home where I don’t have to pay for room and board. Nothing to worry about."

She said this with an expression that screamed, ’You guys are the best.’

Sarah Sullivan was taken aback. She never expected this. Forcing a stiff smile, she stammered, "It’s... it’s all gone?"

"Yep. I won that money from a lottery ticket I bought before coming back to Celestia. Otherwise, how could I ever afford a car like that on my salary alone? The cost of living abroad is so high, plus I have a child to raise. Everything costs a fortune. I’m just so lucky you’re all willing to take care of me."

As she spoke, she gazed at them with a look of profound gratitude, savoring the delightful shifts in their expressions.

’So, she couldn’t make it abroad and came back to mooch off her family? And she blew all her once-in-a-lifetime lottery winnings on a car?’

Shirley Vance didn’t want to believe it. But she did remember seeing a news story on her phone a while back about a woman from Celestia winning a huge jackpot. She’d even felt a pang of jealousy, wondering why it couldn’t have been her. To think that woman was actually Amanda Vance... A sour feeling churned in her stomach.

’Then, hearing she’d spent it all on a car, Shirley thought she was an idiot. A car is just a tool to get around. It depreciates the second you drive it off the lot. It’s not like a house, which can actually go up in value.’

’Definitely brainless.’

She shot Amanda a contemptuous look.

Holly Vance was so furious his blood pressure felt like it was about to spike. "Foolish!"

’Eighty million! A full eighty million!’

’That money would have been perfect for saving the company! Money begets money; who knows how many times over he could have multiplied it? And she just went and bought a car.’ His heart sank. Still unwilling to give up, he pressed, "Not even a little bit is left?"

Amanda Vance put on a troubled expression, awkwardly trying to hide the bags in her hands behind her back.

But Shirley’s eyes were sharp. She’d already spotted the logo on the bags Amanda was holding—they were all from July!

July was a brand that had only emerged in the last few years, but it had quickly taken the market by storm. Its prices were absurdly high, yet people were still fighting tooth and nail to get their hands on it.

Moreover, July’s mysterious designer made every piece a limited edition, with many being one-of-a-kind. There was no risk of showing up in the same outfit as someone else. This made the brand irresistible to wealthy socialites and heiresses. Given their status, the last thing they wanted was to see someone else wearing their clothes.

Even for Shirley, buying something from July would mean gritting her teeth and saving up for ages. And yet, Amanda had bought so much!

Amanda said sheepishly, "I didn’t bring many clothes back with me, and I thought the pieces from this brand were really nice, so I just bought them. My old salary mostly went toward living expenses, so I could never save much. It’s a good thing I won the lottery. It was a little over eighty million. I used the extra to buy these clothes, and now I have..." She counted on her fingers. "I should have about sixty point seven eight yuan left."

’The number was so precise, with whole numbers and change. It reminded him of when he was poor and had to account for every single cent, afraid to overspend even a little.’

Holly Vance’s heart went completely cold. He shot her a disgusted look and said with an icy face, "You’re a spendthrift. Since you’ve spent all your money, you can skip dinner."

With that, the three of them walked directly to the dining table, not even bothering to call her over.

’So much for their promise to "take care of me." What a load of crap.’

Amanda Vance gave a lazy yawn and led her son upstairs.

Felix Ford had to stifle a laugh. Playing along, he put on a pained expression and said, "Mom, is it because I’m too expensive?"

Understanding his cue immediately, Amanda Vance stroked his little cheek and said, "It’s not your fault, sweetie. Mommy saw the latest season’s collection and just couldn’t resist. I even bought two pieces at once. Sigh... It’s all my fault for being so impulsive."

’The latest collection from July!’

Shirley, who had been straining to hear their conversation, froze. Her eyes widened as she heard this, her gaze fixed on the bags in Amanda’s hand. She wished she could just snatch them away.

Feeling Shirley’s stare, Amanda couldn’t help but let a smirk grace her lips.

Back in her room, she took out the new outfit and sprinkled something colorless and odorless onto it. Once the fabric had completely absorbed the substance, she folded it, placed it back in the box, and warned Felix Ford not to touch it.

Felix Ford nodded. "Mom, is the mean lady going to take the clothes?"

"Of course. That one," Amanda said, "is just like her mother. Their favorite hobby is coveting what belongs to others."

’A new piece from July’s collection... With Shirley’s need to always one-up me, how could she possibly allow me to have something she doesn’t?’

’She’s a big spender, so she never saves much in a month. There’s no way she can afford July on her own. Besides, now that there’s a brand-new set right here in the house, why would she spend her own money to buy one?’

’The bait has been laid. It’s only a matter of time before she bites.’

A smile played on her lips—the same one he wore whenever he was about to get into some mischief. Felix Ford propped his chin on his hands, his eyes following her every move. The more he looked at her, the more he adored her.

’How can Mom be so cute even when she’s plotting something bad?’