The Cherished Wife

Rowena and Teresa could not contain their laughter after Winter's outrageous claim. Winter got mad when she saw Noelle's friends cracking up together. "Noelle, are your friends always this rude?" Noelle blinked innocently. "Are they not allowed to laugh/ Would you rather they cried, sis?" "You..."

"I think you should go back to shopping with your mother-in-law. Saint Di is a top-notch brand here in Zyphonia, and the clothes are quality stuff. They'd really suit you. Oh, and why don't you try on the outfits the ladies picked out earlier? I'm feeling generous today because Collosus Group gave me a hefty bonus for the new year, so it's on me!"

Emilia's entourage of rich ladies perked up at that. Truth be told, they did not really care who the clothes came from. If it was free, they were all for it. Despite Winter's bragging, they had hit up plenty of stores without her buying a thing. It was only when they got to Saint Di that Winter finally brought out her purse.

Initially, they were clueless about what was going on, but after Noelle spelled it out for them, the pieces fell into place. Winter was not trying to give them a gift. She was obviously angling for some free brownie points with the magnificent Saint Di. On the other hand, Noelle was the real deal-she did not hesitate to whip out her credit card when she wanted something.

"Isn't this Winter's lovely sister? She's such a gem, so beautiful and sweet! Well, we can't decline her kind offer!"

"Whatever makes you happy!" Noelle grinned. "Dear family friends, go ahead and pick out a few outfits! It's not every day we get to celebrate the new year, so let's celebrate in style!"

stormy. She saw how Noelle had charmed her friends while Winter stood by helplessly. For the first time, Emilia felt like she had been metaphorically slapped, and

How can I let you foot the bill?" Winter felt the sting of embarrassment as well. Noelle, that little troublemaker, was obviously doing this on purpose. "You aren't exactly rich despite your job at Colossus Group, so splurging on

and pulled at her sleeve. "Just because you've got cash doesn't mean

it off. "Don't worry about it. It's all in

you really going to do this?"

eyebrow, curious to hear the next

her voice dripping with insinuation,

around them sucked in a breath. Winter's jab was crystal clear: she was accusing Noelle of being a gold digger and not being subtle about

"Sister, did you forget? You and Mom set me up with my current