The next morning, when Clarissa woke up, Matthew and Catherine had just arrived home.
She walked out of the room in a daze to the sight of Matthew with bags of groceries hanging on both his arms. It was a funny scene.
“Lazy girl, you’re finally awake. Matthew woke up early in the morning. He even took a jog before accompanying me to the morning market. Look at you now.”
As Catherine nagged on, Clarissa stuck her tongue out playfully and headed to the bathroom.
When she finally exited the bathroom, her gaze was clear. She skipped out happily.
Matthew laid out the breakfast they bought earlier. The three of them sat down to enjoy the spread.
Catherine was obviously in a jolly mood.
After breakfast, Clarissa asked, “What happened to Grandma? She can’t seem to stop beaming.”
Matthew caressed her smooth cheek adoringly.
He satisfied himself with a kiss and nibbled on her earlobe before replying lazily, “She feels proud.”
“Proud of what?”
“She introduced me to her neighbors and friends at the morning market.”
Clarissa’s lips twitched wordlessly. Oh, so that was what happened.
I should’ve known. Those who go to the morning market are elderly people from our neighborhood or nearby. Grandma knows most of them. As Matthew tagged along, she must’ve boasted about him proudly.
Looking up, Clarissa studied the man’s attractive features and let out a laugh.
“Grandma must be proud to have such a handsome grandson-in-law.”
She stood on tiptoes and gave him a loud smack. “Good job. This is your reward.”
“Darling, this is too simple a reward. I want more than that.”
With that, he captured her mouth in a long and passionate kiss.
That morning, Clarissa brought Matthew around W City. Instead of visiting the tourist spots, they visited the places familiar to her—her alma mater, favorite park, the favorite cafe where she used to type her heart out, and some local eateries.
At this moment, Matthew was no longer the stern president of Tyson Corporation. He accompanied his girlfriend for the whole day like a normal boyfriend would do.
Even though he kept a low profile, heads kept turning in his direction. Besides, Clarissa was also a gorgeous beauty. A striking couple like them attracted plenty of attraction.
The tall man was cool, but he spoiled his pretty girlfriend to bits. Delighted by his antics, the young woman let out a tinkling laugh.
“Oh, my. What a hunk! He’s indifferent to others, but he’ll always put on a smile whenever he looks at his girlfriend.”
“Yes, yes. Aww, he’s so striking. Could he be a rich man?”
A few young ladies gathered and tittered at the sight of Matthew and Clarissa, who were currently standing in front of a food stall. They weren’t the only ones, as plenty of passers-by were staring at the couple.
“Rich man? Rich people wouldn’t buy food at roadside stalls. Don’t be silly.”
Mimi glanced in the direction of the couple and scoffed in disdain.
“Mimi, perhaps his girlfriend likes to eat at roadside stalls. He’s being attentive. Besides, look at the girl. She’s holding an expensive bag, and her bracelet costs a few thousand. I can’t make out the brand of the man’s outfit, but he’s obviously not an ordinary man. Just now, his watch peeked out from underneath his sleeves. It’s obviously a Calatrava!”
“Seriously? Are you sure? I know who they are.”
Mimi sneered. “The woman is rich enough to afford the bag and bracelet. But they might be fakes. That man is her kept man. He’s pretty poor.”
“Really? You know who they are?” her friend inquired.
“Yes, that’s my cousin. She told me that her boyfriend’s a poor fellow. I can’t believe she’s foolish enough to spend her money on him,” scoffed Mimi.
She’s rich, but refused to lend money to us. Look, she can afford to buy expensive bags and jewelry. Jealousy shone in Mimi’s gaze.
A flash of disdain appeared in the eyes of the girl who recognized the brands on Matthew and Clarissa.
Why would they tell you the truth? She thought silently.
“Let’s go. What they wear is none of your business.”
Feeling upset, Mimi glared at the couple as jealousy overwhelmed her entire being. Suddenly, the man looked up and met her gaze.
A chill immediately crept up Mimi’s spine, causing her to shiver involuntarily. Matthew looked away without a word. It was over in a few seconds, but Mimi was already sweating profusely under the man’s icy gaze.
“Hey, Mimi. What’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?”
Mimi shook her head and cursed under her breath. She left the scene swiftly with her friends.
After a day of fun, Mimi returned home. The moment she saw her dilapidated house, her brows crinkled up in disgust.
As she had been to her friends’ villas or semi-detached houses, her own house seemed terribly tiny in comparison. Her family had to struggle to make ends meet. She couldn’t help but grit her teeth in jealousy at the thought of Clarissa’s house being bigger than theirs.
Gloria was cooking in the kitchen. She immediately chided her daughter. “Did you steal my money again? The two hundred in my purse went missing! That was you, right?”
“So what if it was me? It was just two hundred!”
“Just two hundred? Mimi Lester, you know we’re barely making ends meet, right? You’re studying performing arts, which cost a lot. Your dad and I work hard every day just for you. Can’t you please grow up and be sensible?”
Mimi’s irritation flared up at her mother’s words.
“That’s because you’re useless. Why would I need to grow up and be sensible?”
“You—”
“Enough! Stop quarrelling!”
Suddenly, Jacob came out of his room and roared. Both mother and daughter immediately fell silent.
Taking a seat, he told his daughter, “We paid for your acting classes, dance classes, and art classes so we can have a better future. Don’t worry. If you need money, I’ll give it to you. Our current investment will be worth it if you succeed in the future.”
Mimi plopped down beside her father and beamed happily. “Dad, don’t worry. If I succeed in the future, I’ll take good care of you. I was unhappy earlier because I saw Clarissa on the streets with that toy boy of hers. Why is she so selfish? She lives in a big house and wears expensive clothes. Her outfit today costs thousands. She even has a toyboy. If she gives some of her money to us, we won’t be so constrained and living on a very tight budget! How selfish of her!”
After listening to her explanation, both Jacob and Gloria were upset.
Gloria stopped reprimanding her daughter for stealing her money. Instead, she sat down beside them and started cursing Clarissa for being stingy.
“That’s right. We’re her only family, but she refused to give us some of her earnings. Instead, she gave it to that kept man of hers. If she was generous enough, we would be living in a new house and running our business smoothly. Damned brat. She’s annoying, just like her mother. I need to go back there. She won’t listen to us, but she’ll listen to her grandma. We’ll ask for twenty grand and her accessories worth a few grand. Why is she saving all the money? She should give some to Mimi to buy some pretty clothes.”
“Yes, Mom. I’ll come along. Grandma will pity us. You just have to cry until she softens and tells Clarissa to give us some money. I want to buy some accessories, too. My friends who are taking the test own plenty of accessories from luxury brands. I’ll see if Clarissa has any. If she does, I’ll borrow it from her.”
“Borrow? She’s your cousin. Tell her to buy for you.”
“Sure.”
Both of them started daydreaming.
Jacob was the only person with a sense of reason left. “Wait, we’ll bring your mom over and take care of her when the kept man leaves, or when Clary isn’t home. After a few days, she’ll succumb to our pleas.”
“Dad, you’re smart. After she leaves, I’ll go to her room. She must have a lot of clothes and bags. I saw her using a bag that I’ve been coveting after.”
“Sure. You can have everything. Don’t worry.”
Clarissa had no idea the Lesters were scheming to get her stuff.
After spending two days in W City peacefully, they returned to D City.
Matthew threw himself into work once they arrived at Zen Highlands. Clarissa was occupied, too.
She started updating her novel regularly. If she had time, she’d post some tweets on her Twitter. As The World was about to premiere soon, she had to promote the drama as well. Sometimes, she’d also mention the progress of the filming. Besides that, Yael had started hiring a few assistants and PR executives for her studio.
Clarissa had never interfered with Yael’s decision. After all, the latter was a professional whom she could trust. She prided herself on being the least troubled boss ever.
Recently, she had also been added to an interesting WhatsApp group.
The participants were Jeremy, Yarick, Justin, Henry, and also Matthew, who rarely spoke out.
Clarissa was the first female participant in the group.
She rarely talked in the group unless someone initiated a conversation.
Anyone who wished to start a conversation topic would have to send money to everyone in the group. Every time Clarissa received their money, she’d be shocked at how much they gave just to share some gossip.
Hence, she dared not speak out in the group.
The ones who loved to share gossip in this group were Yarick and Jeremy. Clarissa didn’t know those respectable men were such gossipers.
They’d share various gossips such as which millionaire’s illegitimate offspring were fighting over the family inheritance; how a top actress in showbiz had slept her way up; and who the biological mother of someone’s son was.
Clarissa was bombarded with new information almost every day.
Today, she became the center of the gossip.
Yarick: Clarissa, look. Your name is in the trending topics. New influencer Clary!
He then sent her a screenshot of the trending topics and a photo of her wearing Ellie’s new designs.
Clarissa’s heart sank. Did they figure out who I actually am?
