Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford (by Koi Fish) novel Chapter 705

Chapter 705

From that single frantic glance, Rebecca instantly picked up on a hidden piece of information: Vance had bought these things for Catherine.

No matter the timeline, Vance really was absurdly generous when it came to throwing money around.

“A knockoff?” Rebecca smirked. “What about the shoes on your feet, then? Are those fake, too? They’re trending so hard right now that a genuine pair goes for at least $7,000, right?”

Right on cue, the whispers in the crowd began to shift directions.

“No kidding. She claims she’s working to save up for college tuition, but just the pieces she’s wearing right now could cover three years of classes.”

“Well, she said it was fake. Maybe it really is just a cheap knockoff?”

“Who knows?”

Before Rebecca even had to say another word, an eager bystander shouted, “Just pull up your order history and show us the purchase link! That’ll prove it once and for all!”

Catherine completely lost her composure. Her eyes darted straight to Vance as she stammered, “I… I bought them at a flea market. How would there be a purchase link?”

Someone chimed in, “Hey, there’s a flagship boutique downstairs. Why don’t we just go down there right now and let the sales associates authenticate it?”

“I’m not going!” Catherine shrieked, dropping the victim act in her panic. “Why do I have to prove anything to anyone? Who are you to accuse me here? If you’re so sure they’re real, then you find the proof!”

Vance’s eyes dimmed further. Even the bistro employee who had been fiercely shielding her slowly let go of her, casting a deeply conflicted, strange look her way.

Honestly, the moment a high school girl claiming to be dirt–poor starts draping herself in luxury brands—whether they were authentic or cheap knockoffs -any credibility she had evaporated instantly.

Sure enough, someone scoffed, “Poverty–stricken but decked out in designer gear? Who cares if it’s real or fake? My family does perfectly fine, and I don’t even recognize half of these luxury logos.”

Humiliated and furious, she snapped, “What are you looking at? Why are you harboring so much malice toward a total stranger? I didn’t spend a single cent of your money, so what right do you have to judge me?”

The rest of the crowd quickly agreed that it was turning into a massive waste of time anyway, and the juicy gossip had dried up. They quickly chorused, “Yeah, seriously. Let’s just go eat.”

“Hey, boss! You gave your word that our meals tonight would be totally free. That promise still stands, right?” someone called out, terrified that Vance might renege on his offer now that the drama was dying down.

Vance’s eyes finally flickered. “Yeah, of course.‘

“Alright, let’s go. There are no open tables inside right now anyway, so let’s take a lap around the mall and come back later to grab our seats.”

With that, the customer who had been mid–meal filed back inside to finish eating, while those  waiting for an open table dispersed to wander the floor.

The waiting area finally quieted down. The bistro employee abandoned Catherine to return to her post.

Only the four of them remained, the visual lines cleanly drawn: Vance, Jenny, and Rebecca stood tightly on one side, while Catherine was left isolated on the other.