Chapter 216

Chapter 216:

Teresa seemed to remember something suddenly, and her face turned ghostly pale with fear. She tried to push Madisyn away, but Madisyn was too strong to be moved. A moment later, something slipped from Teresa’s sleeve.

It was a small box opener.

“What’s this?”

“It seems like a box opener for unpacking items.” Madisyn took it, and a sharp blade was exposed.

Madisyn gave Teresa a knowing smile.

Teresa found herself locked in Madisyn’s gaze. “This is my box opener. Is there an issue?”

“Okay.” Madisyn lightly scratched the bag with the opener.

“What are you doing?” Teresa exclaimed, startled.

Madisyn showed the bag to everyone. “Can you believe this supposed million-dollar bag made of genuine leather got scratched just from me trying it on? Look at this scratch made by the box opener. Doesn’t it look like the first one?”

The crowd inspected the marks and found they indeed looked alike.

“I found it strange too. This kind of leather shouldn’t be scratched so easily unless a lot of force is used.”

“That’s true. Both scratches look identical.” Suspicious eyes turned towards Teresa.

Feeling the weight of the stares, Teresa involuntarily stepped back.

“No, I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me!” Teresa protested immediately.

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Madisyn faced Teresa. “I didn’t say you did it, yet you confessed yourself. I’m not like you. Since you attempted to set me up, I think it’s only fair I teach you a lesson.” She passed the box opener to Andrew. “Could you have an expert look at this? If the blade really scratched the bag, there should be some residue on it.”

Teresa caught her breath at these words.

Madisyn’s firm tone convinced everyone around. Their looks at Teresa became filled with disdain. Madisyn said, “Call the police, too. I’m going to sue her for blackmail.”

Andrew responded, “Right away.”

He then took out his phone.

Teresa’s eyes widened in horror, and her legs buckled as she fell to the floor.

“No, please don’t.” Teresa trembled.

Everyone grasped the situation immediately without further explanation.

“So, she really did it herself, huh?”

“Are all the employees here like that?”

“Unbelievable! You need to explain this, or I’ll never shop here again.”

The crowd began to express their outrage loudly. The shop manager, having watched the scene unfold, approached with sweat on his brow.

“I apologize, miss. This employee was recently hired. You don’t have to pay for this bag. I deeply regret this disappointing experience,” he said.

Madisyn glanced at Teresa. “You apologized on behalf of the store, but her blackmail was personal. I’m still going to sue her.”

“Madisyn!” Teresa broke down, tears flowing. “Why are you doing this to me?”

Her eyes were filled with hatred. She was already broke; why was Madisyn still so harsh? Was Madisyn determined to ruin her completely?

“You set me up first, remember?” Madisyn asked coolly.

Teresa retorted, “I only wanted to teach you a minor lesson. How can you do this to me?”

“You think demanding over a million dollars is a ‘minor lesson’?” Madisyn arched an eyebrow. “Well, this suits me fine. You can handle the payment yourself. After all, it’s just ‘a minor lesson’ to you.” A chill swept through Teresa instantly.

She had almost forgotten that she was the one who had damaged the bag, and now she faced a penalty of over a million dollars.

Teresa had tried every means to get a job at this store, hoping it would mark the beginning of her financial recovery. But by the second day, she was already faced with the daunting task of coming up with one million dollars.

Dizziness overwhelmed Teresa. The manager said without sympathy, “You caused the scratch. You need to pay for it.”

“I…” Despair washed over Teresa.

Madisyn stood there, poised and elegant, which only heightened Teresa’s sense of injustice.

Teresa’s sharp cry caught everyone off guard.

In the next moment, Teresa dashed to the mall’s railing and swung one leg over. She looked back at Madisyn with eyes red from weeping. “Madisyn, you drove me to this; you’re pushing me to death!” Then, she turned, poised to jump.

Everyone froze, and a crowd quickly formed.

“Take it easy, young lady!”

“If you hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Get down from there. It’s just money. You can make it back.”

People tried to calm Teresa, unable to just watch someone potentially end their life.

Teresa continued to sob, utterly heartbroken. Someone turned to Madisyn and said, “Please, say something. We’re talking about a human life here.” Tears flowed down Teresa’s cheeks as she watched Madisyn approach. “Scared now, Madisyn? I’ll never forgive you, even in death!”

“Then why don’t you jump?” Madisyn retorted.

Teresa’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected Madisyn to say that. Didn’t Madisyn worry about being blamed if she actually went through with it? As Teresa turned back to the edge, she suddenly became aware of the height. She began to tremble. The thought of the pain if she jumped was terrifying.

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