Chapter 4

That very night, Margaret wasted no time dialing every relative she knew.

"Yes, it's me! Our Chloe really made it big. She found herself a billionaire heir..."

"Listen, the day after tomorrow is Saturday. I'm treating everyone to a big feast at the hotel..."

"Don't worry about paying! I told you, my son-in-law is loaded..."

"It's settled then! If you don't show up, you're disrespecting me."

Just like that, she stayed on the phone for over two hours, calling every relative she could think of.

Before long, Friday night rolled around.

Joe sat on the sofa, scrolling through his phone with a worried frown.

"Margaret, do you think Chloe ran into trouble? I texted her yesterday, and she still hasn't answered."

Margaret chewed on an apple while scrolling on her phone, completely unconcerned.

"What trouble could she possibly be in? You're just overthinking it! If you ask me, they hit it off right away and got so caught up in their little lovers' paradise that she forgot to text. You're an old man, so of course you don't get these things. Stop sticking your nose in and don't ruin their moment!"

"You really think so?" Joe asked, still somewhat skeptical.

"Of course! In all the romance novels I read, that's exactly how it goes between the male and female leads. Our Chloe is the undeniable main character here. It's definitely the same for her."

Unbelievable. She was truly brain-rotted by romance novels!

What was even more ridiculous was that Joe actually bought into her nonsense.

The next day, Saturday.

Joe and Margaret got up early to dress up.

From the looks of it, you'd think they were heading to a royal wedding.

To watch the drama unfold, Jessica and I also went to the grand hotel.

The hotel belonged to Jessica's family, so it was effortless for us to disguise ourselves as banquet servers.

Bundled up and disguised from head to toe, we slipped into the private dining room.

The room was already packed with relatives.

Joe and Margaret strutted in with their chins held high.

Seeing them arrive, the relatives jumped to their feet, showering them with flattery.

"Wealth really does do wonders! You two look twenty years younger all of a sudden."

Everyone chimed in with agreement.

"Tell me about it! When they walked in, I thought it was a lord and lady from some high-society family!"

"Margaret, come over here! Sit next to me. I've always loved you the most since we were kids."

I scoffed under my breath.

When they were broke, everyone avoided them like the plague. Now that they supposedly had money, everyone was practically tripping over themselves to kiss up to them.

Too bad for you all—you're in for a massive disappointment!

Margaret waved a hand, summoning Jessica over like royalty.

"Let's eat and talk. Server, bring out the absolute most expensive and finest dishes your hotel has to offer. Every single one of them."

Jessica nodded, jotting down notes on her notepad, and spoke in an ultra-professional tone:

"Certainly, ma'am. Just to confirm, that comes to a total of thirty-eight signature dishes, amounting to $42,000."

Hearing that, Joe and Margaret's expressions shifted several times.

After all, dropping tens of thousands on a single meal was undeniably painful.

The surrounding relatives gasped in shock.

"That much? Are the dishes coated in gold?"

"What's there to worry about? Margaret is treating us! To her, that kind of cash is pocket change!"