Chapter 647 - 643: Seeing You, I Thought This Place Was Cheap

Abby reluctantly emerged from behind the counter and stopped in front of Yvonne Sterling and Brendan Harris. Before speaking, she sized them up with an impatient look, then subconsciously pursed her lips.

’This woman’s collar is pilling, and her whole outfit probably isn’t worth a dime. And she dares to wander around our store?’

"Could we please have two pairs of gloves?" Brendan Harris asked, ignoring the saleswoman’s expression. "I’d like to feel it, too."

But the saleswoman seemed to ignore Brendan Harris completely. She began speaking in a condescending tone, "You two, the area you are looking at is the central display of our brand’s flagship store. All the crystals on display are high-grade natural crystals, so the prices are generally quite high."

Yvonne Sterling was a business owner herself. At their family’s roast meat shop, Brendan Harris was in charge of the cooking while she handled the customers and sales.

So she knew better than anyone when a salesperson was speaking with an attitude.

"What’s the problem?" Yvonne Sterling’s expression soured. She looked at the young woman before her and demanded in an unfriendly tone, "Are we not allowed to touch the crystals in this section?"

Her directness stunned Abby for a moment.

’She thought that poor people like this would get flustered and try to flee the moment they heard the prices were high. She never expected the woman to actually dare to question her.’

"It’s not that you can’t touch them, but..."

"Does touching them mean we have to buy them?" Yvonne Sterling cut her off, demanding again.

Abby was at a loss for words. "No, that’s not it. I’m saying..."

"If that’s not what you’re saying, then shut your mouth and get the gloves! Two pairs!"

"I..." Abby’s face flushed red, and she was momentarily speechless.

’She’d never seen a poor person be so shamelessly bold!’

But with other customers and the manager in the store, Abby had no choice but to obediently go to the counter and get the gloves.

"Here," she said, subconsciously reciting the standard procedure. "Please be gentle when handling the crystals." But the irritation lingered, fueled by her disdain for the two customers in front of her. She couldn’t help but add, "They’re very expensive!"

"Oh, really?" Yvonne Sterling glanced at her. Instead of getting angry, she calmly retorted, "Seeing you working here, I thought this place was cheap. That’s why I came in."

Abby’s eyes widened in shock and anger, only to be met with Yvonne Sterling’s smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Standing to the side, Brendan Harris watched the young woman and shook his head helplessly. ’You’ve got nothing better to do, kid? Why’d you have to go and provoke her?’ he thought.

In all their years of marriage, Yvonne Sterling had always been the one to take the lead in public matters.

She was generous, warm, and straightforward, which was why customers loved her.

It was true that she was sensitive on the inside and cried easily.

But when trouble arose, she became sharp-tongued and assertive—a side of her that even he, her husband, found intimidating.

And especially because he had an honest and quiet nature, his wife couldn’t stand to see anyone bully him.

"Don’t just stand there gawking like a fool. Are you getting paid for nothing? Start the sales pitch!" Yvonne Sterling said to the young saleswoman.

Abby had to swallow her anger. Having met her match, she could only force herself to begin the introduction. "This Crystal Coral is made from natural Remuria crystal. Its clarity, color, and carving are all of the highest grade..."

"Honey, go ahead and touch it," Yvonne Sterling said, motioning for Brendan Harris to reach out. Even through the glove, the cool, pure temperature of the crystal could be felt against his skin.

"It’s really nice," Brendan Harris said. "It’s just too expensive."

The moment she heard the two words "too expensive," Abby couldn’t help but purse her lips. If they weren’t standing right in front of her, she would have rolled her eyes.

Yvonne Sterling knew it was expensive, of course. She had no intention of buying it; she was just annoyed by the young woman’s attitude and had insisted on seeing it out of spite.

"It is expensive," Yvonne agreed. "Let’s look at something else while we wait for Cecilia."

’Expensive is expensive, and there’s no shame in admitting it,’ she thought. ’Some people think our roast goose is expensive, too.’

’But compared to this, that’s nothing. This crystal is the real definition of expensive.’

But as she was taking off her glove, the silk fabric suddenly snagged on her ring. A long thread was pulled loose, its end tangled around the setting of Yvonne’s ring.

"It’s snagged," Brendan Harris said, reaching out to help.

He didn’t notice the young saleswoman gasp, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. She quickly turned and shouted, "Manager!"

The manager, who was in another part of the store, heard the shout and looked over. Seeing the urgent look on Abby’s face, she excused herself from the customer she was with and walked over. "What is it?"

Abby pointed at the glove snagged on the ring.

The manager’s brow furrowed after a single glance. She hurried behind the counter, took out a professional magnifying glass, and began to inspect the Crystal Coral that Yvonne Sterling had just handled.

Yvonne Sterling and Brendan Harris exchanged a worried look. Then they heard the manager say, "Ma’am, you’re not supposed to wear any metal jewelry when handling the crystals. Natural crystal is very fragile, and metal can easily scratch it."

With that, she positioned the magnifying glass over a specific spot and gestured for Yvonne Sterling to look. "Ma’am, please see for yourself."

Yvonne Sterling leaned in. Looking very closely with her naked eye, she saw that there was, indeed, a scratch on the crystal’s surface.

"This..."

"It’s scratched?" Brendan Harris asked in alarm.

Seeing that the two "paupers" had gotten into trouble, the young saleswoman couldn’t hide her gloating expression. "I told you not to touch things recklessly, but you just had to. Whether you can afford it or not is one thing, but if you damage it, you have to pay!"

Hearing that she had to pay, Yvonne Sterling instinctively glanced at the price tag.

Her heart sank.

It was even more expensive than that sixteen-dollar vase from before. This crimson, gradient-colored Crystal Coral cost over forty dollars!

"Do we have to pay the full price?" Yvonne Sterling asked the manager, her heart pounding with anxiety.

The manager nodded. "Ma’am, our store policy is that any items damaged by customers must be compensated at full price."

"It’s just one scratch, isn’t that a bit much?" Brendan Harris said, growing anxious. "You need a magnifying glass to even see it."

"Actually, a scratch this long is visible to the naked eye even without the magnifying glass," the manager explained calmly. "Sir, ma’am, the value of a crystal lies in its integrity. If a piece is flawed, it’s not worth much, no matter how clear it is. I hope you can understand."

Yvonne Sterling grabbed Brendan Harris’s arm in a panic, knowing she had made a terrible mistake.

’A crystal worth over forty dollars!’

Brendan Harris quickly put a steadying hand on his wife. "It’s okay. We have money in our account. We can afford it."

"It’s too much," Yvonne Sterling said, her heart aching. ’That was the money Cecilia helped us get back. If we use it all to pay for this crystal, there won’t be much left.’

Seeing their expressions—especially the anxious, pale face of the woman who had dared to talk back to her—Abby couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. The words tumbled out in a mocking tone, "You really shouldn’t wander into luxury brand stores like this in the future. What’s the point of window shopping? Now you’ve damaged something and you’re all in a panic, but panicking is useless. You still have to pay."

"I think you’re the one in a hurry," a new voice said. Cecilia Sterling had appeared in the store at some point, her sharp gaze fixed on the saleswoman as she spoke in a grim voice. "In a hurry to get fired and go home."