Chapter 223 It was back 10 years ago when Charmine was just a 13-year-old. Known as the Jordan familyâs adopted daughter, she was just in seventh grade when-under Tiffanyâs influence-she fell in love with gothic fashion. While everyone dressed elegantly, she wore weird-looking clothes. She even went to school in wild and afro-textured hair, and she became everyoneâs object of hatred despised especially the Jordans.
At the time, Tiffany merely assured her, âCharmine, you have to remember this: Everyone has the right to be unique and beautiful. Not everyone has to live like one another, and Julian likes you to be unique! Even if the entire family hates you, you still have us!â
Charmine was played for a fool under their wicked influence, and she even thought that her family did not understand her and did not support her hobbies and preference. During one of their fights, Charmine ran out of the house and bumped into D.K by chance.
D.K was â at that period -a mere local designer. His given name was Fumo Kingston, hailing from the Kingston family with over a hundred years of embroidery history. According to the legend, their ancestors had worked and served the royal family for a few generations. It was a pity that machines had replaced hand embroideries, and traditional clothes had been replaced by more modern clothes and designs.
Even though the Kingstons were gradually washed out of the trend, Fumo remained committed to the making of traditional wear.
His girlfriend said he was too old-fashioned and stubborn, and she eventually broke up with him. It was their breakup that inspired him to merge modern designs with traditional ones, and it birthed elegant and exquisite gowns bridging traditions with the present.
D.K was his ex-girlfriendâs initials. Unfortunately, when he became less stubborn and old fashioned, his ex-girlfriend did not come back to him. After all, his girlfriend had sadly passed away the day she left him, due to a car accident...
That happened 10 years ago, Fumo told Charmine everything when he was drunk by the roadside. He even said, âShe loved red gowns, saying that people can see her right away when sheâs in red. After her death, I made her a gown in her favorite shade of red and named it Phoenix, hoping she could come back to life, reborn again like a phoenix.
âStill, I know thatâs impossible. Iâve placed this project aside ever since I was thirty, and now Iâm seventy. I donât have the courage to complete it. Iâm afraid that if I complete it, she wonât even return to the living world. Iâm afraid that the only belief I have will disappoint me in the end...
âIâve lost in this yearâs fashion week. I had a gut feeling my Phoenix could win, but I just canât seem to continue and finish it...!
âIf I ever finish it one day, it means that Iâm about to leave this world, and I can go and finally meet her...
âYoung lady, Phoenix represents my lifelong devotion, my lifelong hard work. Do you think I can make it happen?â
When the young Charmine was listening to the drunk old man mumbling, she had no idea what âdevotionâ was, so she did not take it to heart. Yet, this memory was fresh in her mind all these years. Even when she recalled it at this current time, she could still remember the expression on Fumoâs face, his face full of passion and nostalgia.
After Julian cheated on her, Charmine somehow felt Fumoâs story and understood it much more. Fumoâs devotion with his ex-
girlfriend was something Charmine could never have in her entire life.
Charmine knew no one would moan over her death; no one would miss her that long.
Therefore, she wanted to buy this gown not because it was unique, but Fumoâs raw passion and love should not be ruined by some unknown people.
Meanwhile, the price had gone up to eighty million. Everyone was throwing money left and right without understanding the gownâs true value.
In the end, someone with a âKellyMillanâ username commented, (One billion!]
Everyone in the live-stream was staggered in utter shock.
[Kelly Millan? The sexiest supermodel Kelly Millan?]
(One billion? Is she for real? This is just a gown after all! Howâs it worth a billion?!)
(Kelly Milan, are you crazy?)
[Iâm not crazy. Iâm rich! Iâm buying it anyway! Who else is asking? Bring it on!) Kelly typed in her response right away.
Charmine had been taking the entire limelight in the modeling industry as of late, and lots of artists in her company were waiting to terminate their contracts. Kelly Milan was downright livid at the situation. All she wanted to do was to let out her anger through retail therapy.
Furthermore, as the most-celebrated supermodel, she had to be stunning tomorrow night at the Night of Glory. She had to out-
dress everyone, especially Charmine!
When Charmine saw Kelly Milanâs comment, her lips curled up into a smirk as she typed on her keyboard.