Solana turned instinctively.
Averie lit up as if discovering a new world, rushing over before even setting down her bag. “Solana, it is you! I thought I was seeing things.”
Solana frowned slightly. ‘God, what rotten luck! Run into Averie here,‘ she thought.
“Averie, who is it?” Two girls followed, clutching their designer bags.
Solana recognized them instantly: Vivian Blake and Sophia Moore. Their families had known each other for years, so she’d grown up with them.
Vivian and Sophia, however, cared more about handbags than homework. Their parents had always compared them to Solana, the straight–A student, urging them to “learn from Solana” and “ask her for help with homework.”
Needless to say, they’d resented her deeply. The name “Solana Webb” was
a curse for them.
During Solana’s previous life, when she was humiliated and confined to the Webb mansion, these two had spread rumors that she was a gold–digger clinging to the Webbs. Those lies nearly drowned her in public scorn.
Now, seeing them flock to Averie, Solana thought, ‘Perfect match–three peas in a rotten pod.’
Averie smiled sweetly. “Just Solana Webb. Oh, wait–she’s Solana Spencer now don’t need to introduce Vivian and Sophia, do I? Childhood friends and all.”
Then she turned to Solana and said, “I
Averie’s tone dripped with subtle jealousy. She’d always been envied for her looks and had few real friends.
‘But it doesn’t matter,’ she thought. ‘Even though they’ve known Solana since childhood, they’ll only be my friends from now on. This thought finally brought her some comfort.
Sophia approached with a sneer. “Who do we have here?” She scanned Solana with disdain. “What are you doing here?”
Vivian, finally free from her parents‘ constant “Be more like Solana” lectures, smirked. “Back to your roots, huh? Still acting like a princess? This place is way out of your league now.”
Sophia added, “Averie, be careful. I bet she’ll come crawling back to the Webbs once she can’t handle country life. Your parents are too soft–hearted. Mrs. Webb even said they considered keeping her–eighteen years of habit, right?”
Solana scoffed inwardly. ‘Does anyone actually buy Gloria’s fake sympathy?‘
Vivian jumped in. “Why else would she be here? She probably tracked us down. Stalking us, knowing we’d be shopping here.”
Solana was speechless. ‘Seriously? Are you delusional?‘ she screamed inwardly.
Averie fake–pouted. “Come on, don’t be mean. Eighteen years as Webbs‘ golden girl didn’t just vanish. Even though my adoptive parents were awful, I still dream of them sometimes.”
Solana snapped, “You’ve got nerve.”
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38
Chapter 23
Averie’s smile tightened. “Don’t be mad, Solana. Vivian and Sophia mean well. We all know you’re just window–shopping.” She emphasized, “After all, you can’t afford Hermès anymore.”
Averie emphasized “Hermès” with the wrong pronunciation, glaring at Solana as if to say, “Take the hint and go away.”
Solana stepped back, pointing to the brand name on the glass. “Hermès–the ‘H‘ is silent.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Averie’s face contorted with fury. Her attempt to humiliate Solana had backfired. ‘Damn it! Why the hell is the “H” silent in Hermès?!‘ Averie seethed internally.
Vivian awkwardly patted her arm. “Come on, don’t let her get to you. She’s just jealous she can’t afford it.”
Sophia chimed in, “Forget her. Let’s check the new bags. They have so many styles this season.”
Averie let herself be pulled along, but her face stung like she’d been slapped.
She remembered that night when she panicked after crashing Mateo’s fancy car.
To her surprise, Robert immediately handled the repairs with Gordon. Instead of getting mad, Gordon joked that maybe the accident would lead to a romance.
To them, the huge repair cost was just part of everyday life, but to Averie, it had been a nightmare.
And later, Robert pulled her aside and snapped, “The repairs barely cost a million. Why are you acting all scared? People will think the Webbs are crumbling over pocket change! Where’s our family’s dignity?”
Averie knew she didn’t meet Robert’s standards. She wasn’t a real socialite–even Mateo called her a “country bumpkin.”
But she tried. She studied designer brands, memorized luxury car models for Mateo’s sake, and practiced proper manners even in her dreams.
Yet Solana’s effortless correction made all her efforts seem ridiculous.
‘I bet Vivian and Sophia are laughing at me behind my back,’ Averie thought bitterly. ‘They’re just pretending to be nice to spare my feelings.‘
Vivian tried to cheer her up. “There’s a trendy Instagram–famous restaurant downstairs. Let’s go eat there–food fixes everything, right?”
Sophia chimed in, “She’s all talk. We’ll never have to see her again anyway–she’ll definitely have to transfer schools. Oh, didn’t Mateo say he’d join us for lunch?”
At the mention of Mateo, Averie forced a smile but still said, “Don’t be too harsh. She lost everything overnight. Kind of pathetic.”
Vivian huffed, “After stealing your parents for eighteen years? Stop defending her.”
Sophia sighed. “It’s precisely because you’re so kind that she dares to treat you like this, Averie.”
