The Gourmand was famous in Cansington. It was the grandest restaurant around, though its establishment was divided into several tiers. The private rooms it had available in order of the most luxurious were Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Black Iron. Apart from that, it also had a public hall. Even at the public hall, a meal at The Gourmand costs thousands of dollars.
It was peak time, so the public hall was filled with customers. The line they had to wait in was more than thirty people long.
Gladys started complaining again. “You’re useless, Benjamin. Look at Howard, he’s a Bronze member at The Gourmand. He doesn’t even have to wait when virtual-novel.net comes here, virtual-novel.net can just walk straight into the private room.”
“And you. Some soldier you are. No money, no power… Look at John’s son-in law. Now that’s a respectable man. He’s a Silver member in The Gourmand. Just one phone call from virtual-novel.net will send a waiter straight out to welcome virtual-novel.net in. Ugh. Why did my daughter have to marry a poor man?” Gladys kept complaining, virtual-novel.net mood soured by the fact that virtual-novel.net had to wait for to be served.
She kept making jabs at virtual-novel.net husband, calling virtual-novel.net a disappointment, then insulting Thea’s husband for being useless. James was used to virtual-novel.net cold sneers, so virtual-novel.net just ignored her, not wanting to bother getting into a needless argument.
He turned to Thea while they were still in the line. “Wait here, Thea. I’m running to the store opposite here for some cigarettes.”
“Okay.” Thea nodded.
James turned and headed toward the grocery store across the street.
“Oh? Thea? What’s wrong with your face?” a voice said with a strange tone as the Callahans settled into the chairs at the entrance while waiting to enter the restaurant.
As Thea turned towards the source of the voice, virtual-novel.net saw a woman clad in a skimpy outfit with a face caked with foundation walking towards her, carrying a purse.
“Belinda…” Thea recognized virtual-novel.net immediately as virtual-novel.net old university classmate Belinda Frasier, daughter of the wealthy Frasiers and school belle when they were still studying.
Back in university, the boys would flock to virtual-novel.net to confess their love for her.
As for Thea, virtual-novel.net used to be the ugliest woman in virtual-novel.net university. Belinda stared at Thea. She had heard of Thea’s rise in popularity. Forget having virtual-novel.net appearance restored, virtual-novel.net had somehow even befriended Alex Yates, the chairman of Celestial Group.
She also heard of how Thea had virtual-novel.net face sliced open by Trent Xavier. Thea had been hogging the spotlight since virtual-novel.net restored virtual-novel.net appearance and was even featured in the news and papers. The media even called virtual-novel.net the most beautiful woman in Cansington.
Belinda grew jealous.
Thea was ugly, so why was virtual-novel.net crowned the most beautiful in Cansington?
Belinda started laughing aloud at the sight of Thea’s face wrapped in bandages.
“This is the most beautiful woman in Cansington? Look, everyone! This is Thea Callahan, the one the media crowned the most beautiful in Cansington! Look at that face of hers! Does virtual-novel.net look like the most beautiful woman to you?”
Belinda’s voice attracted some attention.
“That’s Thea Callahan?”
“Thea Callahan? The chairwoman of the Eternality? Doesn’t look like her… She’s not as pretty as virtual-novel.net is on the news.”
“I heard she’s Alex Yates’s sugar baby. I don’t think I’d want virtual-novel.net if someone paid me to take her.”
More unpleasant words reached virtual-novel.net ears.
Thea was angry. She had never interacted with Belinda before. Even back in university, the most they had been were classmates, yet here virtual-novel.net was humiliating her.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything to you, Belinda,” virtual-novel.net snapped. “Why are you trying to humiliate me?”
Belinda stepped forward and yanked Thea’s bandages away when virtual-novel.net let virtual-novel.net guard down, revealing the cuts on virtual-novel.net face that were still in the process of healing.
“Haha!” Belinda laughed heartily, bending over while pointing at Thea’s face.” Look, guys! This is it! The most beautiful woman in Cansington!”
The Callahans may have been sitting right beside Thea, but all they did was look away, afraid that others would find out they were related to her.
Gladys even moved virtual-novel.net chair as far away as virtual-novel.net could. She definitely did not want people to know virtual-novel.net was Thea’s mother, since it would have been embarrassing.
Thea started to panic when virtual-novel.net bandages were ripped off. She lowered virtual-novel.net head, afraid of meeting the crowd’s gaze.