Chapter 9 Although She Was Poor, She Still Had Her Dignity

Although Carla was poor, she still had her dignity. She clenched her fists tightly when Nina belittled her and accused her of being something that she was not. If Evan hadn't been there, she would have slapped Nina by now.

'No, how can a slap be enough? This woman is a despicable human being! Even if her face was beaten into a pulp, it wouldn't be enough!' Carla thought to herself, trying hard to control her temper.

"Shut up, Nina! Apologize to Carla now!"

Just as Carla was about to lose her temper, Evan spoke up.

He gave his girlfriend a reproachful look. He already knew that Nina didn't like Carla and had tried on several occasions, to fill his head with stories of bad things that Carla was supposed to have done. At that time, he just thought that Nina might have misunderstood certain things about Carla and besides his girlfriend did have a tendency of being straightforward and bold. So he didn't pay too much attention.

But now he realized that if there were misunderstandings between Nina and Carla, then they must be huge ones.

Seeing that Evan was angry with her, Nina leaned coquettishly into his arms, raised her chin and pouted her lips at him. "Don't be angry with me, honey.

Maybe what I said was too harsh and straightforward, but I just don't like this woman. She gets under my skin!

I'm not stupid. I can see that she likes you. But I am your girlfriend and it makes me jealous when I see you chatting with another woman. Especially when I know that she likes you. That's why I said those harsh things."

Evan was about to reprimand Nina, but after hearing what she said and seeing her pouty face, he couldn't bring himself to do it. So he looked up at Carla apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Carla. Please forgive Nina. She's just a blunt girl, often speaking sharply but meaning no harm. So please don't take it to heart."

As soon as Carla heard Evan try and make excuses for his girlfriend's unacceptable behavior, it seemed to add fuel to the fire.

'Don't mind?

How can I possibly not mind?

Right now, I would like nothing more than to rip that bitch's hair out and shove it all down her filthy throat. What does Evan possibly see in her?' Carla sneered under her breath.

However, a smart woman should not be spiteful, especially in front of the man she liked.

"It doesn't matter, Evan. It's just like water off a duck's back. I won't take what she said seriously." Carla then gave him a smile, pretending that she had not been affected.

As soon as she heard Carla's response, Nina shot Carla an angry glare and narrowed her eyes at her.

'How dare you brush me off like that!' She gnashed her teeth, seething.

Evan hadn't noticed Nina's expression and thought that everything was sorted out between his girlfriend and Carla. "Well, Carla, I want to invite you and your brother to lunch later. Just take it as my apology, okay?"

Carla blinked in surprise and a broad happy smile crept onto her face. She glanced over to the pirate ship ride to see where Sean and Terence were.

When she spotted them both, she couldn't help but notice how attractive they both were. Although her little brother was only 10, he was a good looking boy and Terence was a gorgeous buff guy. Any female that walked past them would have a look and admire their attractiveness, from little girls to married women.

"That sounds great. Just one thing though, it's not just the two of us, but there are three of us. Is that still okay?"

After all she was verbally abused by Evan's girlfriend, it would only seem fair that he made up for it by buying them all lunch.

It would also save her the cost of three lunches for today. What a good deal. It was a win-win situation for Carla. An offer that she certainly wouldn't refuse.

"Of course, no problem!" Evan answered with a friendly smile.

As soon as Carla got the OK from Evan, she waved to Sean and Terence to come and join her.

"Come here, Sean!"

Hearing his sister calling to him

from the other side, Sean quickly sprang to his feet and ran over to her in a flash.

"Carla!" he called sweetly.

He linked his arm through hers protectively and glared back at Nina who was standing next to Evan.

Carla smiled and ruffled up his hair. "Sean, you remember Evan."

"Hello, Evan. It's good to see you again." Sean nodded and greeted Evan politely.

"Hi, Sean. It's good to see you too." Even a ten-year-old boy showed better manners than Evan's girlfriend who was much older.

Nina knew that Carla was provoking her. She just snorted slightly, ignoring them both.

Just then Terence approached them. Nina's jaw dropped as her gaze followed him.

"By the way, Evan, I haven't had a chance to introduce him to you. This is... my boyfriend, Terence An."

Carla looked at Terence as he approached them. She smiled sweetly and quickly went to Terence, pretending to give him a slight hug, while she whispered in his ear,"Didn't you always say that you wanted to repay me? Well, now is your chance. You have to perform well."

Terence's deep eyes glistened mischievously. He gave her a wink, to let her know that he was in on the act. He then wrapped his muscular arm around her waist, pulling her to him.

'I'm impressed. Carla is quite a smart girl. Anyone in her situation would have blown a fuse, given what she just went through with Evan's girlfriend. But she managed to contain her anger. Obviously, her hard life had taught her to survive in different situations.

That's why she knew how to handle herself in this predicament.

I thought she might either run over and fight with that woman like a shrew.

Or, be a coward and just turn around and run away.

But she did neither.'

While Nina stood beside Evan, watching Terence and Carla with jealousy and rage in her eyes, Evan was taken aback. He seemed shocked at the news.

"Carla, did you just say... he's your boyfriend?" Evan asked, dumbfounded.

Carla looked up at Terence who was even taller than Evan and smiled lovingly. "Yes, Evan. We haven't been together that long. That's probably why you haven't heard about us yet."

Terence took a step forward to introduce himself with an extended arm.

"Terence," he said, shaking Evan's hand firmly and maintaining eye contact. "I want to thank you for helping Carla out. I think it should be me to invite you out to lunch. To show you my appreciation."

Carla had been smiling sweetly behind him until she heard what he said. The smile on her face froze at once. She reached out inconspicuously and gave him a sharp pinch on the waist.

'Damn you!

I was going to kill two birds with one stone. Evan was going to treat us to a meal to pay for his girlfriend's rude remarks and it was also a way to humiliate Nina as well.

Now you're pretending to be some gallant gentleman. But do you have any money? So in the end, it will still be me who has to pay for all of us!'

Terence didn't flinch. He maintained the smile on his face and grabbed her sneaky little hand, holding it in his. "Carla, wouldn't you also like to thank him for his kindness? It was so lucky that you ran into him today. Why don't we take advantage of the situation and thank him together. What do you think?"

Carla cleared her throat and grinned stiffly. "What a good idea! I know to the west of the amusement park..."

But before Carla could finish, Terence continued,"Well, there's a Michelin-starred restaurant to the east of the amusement park. Let's go there at noon."

Carla suddenly felt like she had just been hit by a thunderbolt from out of the sky.

'What?

A Michelin-starred restaurant? Are you fucking kidding me?'

She wasn't feeling cool, calm and collected anymore. Her mind was racing at a million miles an hour. She was going to suggest going to the west side of the amusement park, where everyday people could afford to eat.

Whereas to the east side, they were all super-expensive restaurants that especially catered for distinguished guests or very wealthy people.

And that Michelin-starred restaurant was the most expensive of all of those super-expensive restaurants.

Just then, Nina suddenly opened her mouth.

"Good! Evan, since Carla's boyfriend insists on inviting us out to lunch, then it would be rude of us to refuse, right?"

Nina's gaze never left Terence, she surveyed him from head to toe. 'Although the man's temperament and appearance are impeccable, his clothes are not brands that I know.

So there's only one possibility. He is pretending to be rich!

Well, I'd like to see if this man really has that kind of wealth.'

"All right." Evan nodded, agreeing with her.

"Come on, dear. Didn't you say that you were hungry? Let's go to lunch."

When Terence took Carla's hand again, he found that her palms were sweaty and she was trembling. He frowned and asked softly,"What's wrong Carla? Are you not feeling well?"

"Of course I'm not feeling well. I feel pain all over, especially in my heart,"

Carla muttered helplessly.

'How could I possibly be feeling well?

With five of us going to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, it's going to cost me an arm and a leg, probably hundreds of dollars.'