This Time, I'll Kill You

The store manager hesitated when she heard Harper demand that Sophia's clothes be stripped off.

Harper noticed and gave her a threatening look.

"What are you waiting for? If you don't do it, we won't buy anything. Go get it back, and I'll pay double for this dress."

The store manager, sweating, tried to explain, "Miss Martinez is an important customer. She deserves the latest fashion, not discounted clothes from three years ago."

Harper sneered at Sophia. "No wonder you look so poor. You're wearing clothes from three years ago."

Sophia shot back, "Even if I'm poor, at least I don't pick up garbage and act like it's treasure, unlike you."

Harper's face twisted with anger. "I will marry Master Garcia!" Then she turned to the store manager. "Strip her clothes off!"

The store manager couldn't let them keep arguing, or it would hurt business. She turned to Sophia. "Let me take a look first."

Sophia firmly refused. "I won't let Harper humiliate me."

Harper saw that the store manager wouldn't help her and couldn't find a way to fight back against Sophia. So, she turned to Joseph.

"Master Garcia, I want the clothes on Sophia’s body." She gave Joseph an excuse, hoping he would protect her and take Sophia's dress off himself.

But Sophia gave Joseph a cold glare. "If you dare touch me, I'll tell my husband you harassed me as soon as I get home."

Joseph's hand froze in mid-air. His face twisted with rage. "How dare you!"

Sophia stood tall. "Do you really think I wouldn't?"

Joseph clenched his jaw but pulled his hand back.

Harper was confused. Why did Joseph keep backing down? She had given him a perfect excuse to act against Sophia, but he didn't take it.

She made up her mind—she would fight for her place and become Mrs. Garcia.

"I’ll do it myself!" She rolled up her sleeves and walked toward Sophia. "Let's see what excuse you come up with now."

Sophia’s eyes turned icy. She raised her right hand.

"My slap doesn't discriminate," she warned.

Harper quickly stepped back, still remembering the pain from the last time Sophia slapped her.

Harper turned her frustration on the store manager. "I’ll pay double for this dress!" She kicked him in the leg. "Now go get it!"

The store manager nearly cried. He had no choice but to approach Sophia and apologize. "Miss Martinez, I'm sorry, but this dress is not for sale. Please return it."

Sophia glanced at the store manager, then turned to the sales clerk who had just given her the bill. The clerk was too scared to move, so Sophia walked into the fitting room.

The store manager let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Harper and assured her, "Miss Li, don't worry. When Miss Martinez takes off the dress, I’ll give it to you for free."

Harper was smug. "No need for free. I said I’d pay double, so I will."

The store manager immediately agreed. "Yes, Miss Li. You can pay double."

But when Sophia walked out of the fitting room, everyone’s expressions changed.

"I just went to get my purse," she said with a smirk. "Don’t even think about it. I won’t take this dress off."

She pulled out her card and handed it to the sales clerk. "Swipe it."

Harper was furious. "Sophia, I’m not selling you this dress!"

The sales clerk hesitated, looking at the credit card in her hand.

The store manager felt like she had the worst luck today. She tried to reason with Sophia. "Miss Martinez, this dress is an old style. Since Miss Li is willing to pay twice the price, why not use that money to buy a new design from this year?"

"I'm not selling it." Sophia’s voice was firm.

The store manager lowered her voice. "Miss Martinez, how about this? You return the dress, and I’ll give you an 80% discount on any new style in the store."

She wasn’t sure about Sophia’s background, but she could tell this woman wasn't afraid of the powerful Garcia family. She didn't want to offend Sophia, just in case.

Years of experience taught her that women’s personalities were unpredictable. Even if Sophia had picked out a discounted dress, she clearly wasn’t ordinary.

But she had no choice. She couldn’t offend either side, so she had to find a way to settle this.

"I like this dress," Sophia said. "I don’t need a discount, and I won’t return it."

The store manager pleaded, "Miss Martinez, how about I give you some clothes from the discount section for free, and you give this dress to Miss Li?"

"No," Sophia refused.

"Miss Martinez, why are you being so stubborn?"

Sophia's face turned cold. "This dress is about my dignity!"

Seeing that the store manager couldn't do anything and afraid of getting beaten again, Harper had no choice but to act cute in Joseph’s arms.

"Master Garcia, she wants this dress. Why don’t you just give it to her? I’ll be so happy if you do."

Joseph frowned and impatiently pushed Harper away.

"Sophia, take off this dress and give it to Harper. I’ll buy you every dress in this store."

Sophia smiled. It was breathtaking—like a proud swan lifting its neck.

"I'm not interested."

Harper was both shocked and thrilled that Joseph would do this for her.

"Sophia, you don’t know what’s good for you," Harper spat angrily.

Sophia smirked. "So what? What can you do about it?"

"You’re a shameless, dirty woman!" Harper had no way to deal with Sophia, so she resorted to insults. "Take off your clothes!"

"Take off my clothes?" Sophia’s gaze flicked to Harper’s chest with a mocking smile. "Harper, when you look in the mirror every day, do you only look at your face and ignore your chest?"

Harper frowned. "What do you mean?"

"My meaning is obvious." Sophia laughed. "Even if I took off my clothes, you couldn’t wear them."

Harper was still confused.

Sophia chuckled. "Because your size is too big. You wear low-cut, tight clothes every day. Haven’t you noticed? Your clothes are so tight that it’s obvious—your silicone implants aren’t even symmetrical."

Harper quickly lowered her head to look at herself.

Asymmetric? How could that be?

Both sides of her body looked fine, right?

"Sophia, you..." Her voice trailed off as she looked up and saw everyone staring at her with piercing eyes.

In an instant, she realized that she had been humiliated by Sophia.

Because of her reaction, everyone now believed she had undergone silicone plastic surgery.

At that moment, Joseph saw how foolish Harper looked and wanted to leave. It was obvious that Sophia was mocking her, yet Harper still didn't understand.

"Sophia, you fox! I'm all-natural and have never used silicone!" Harper shouted, breaking down emotionally. She stepped forward, trying to hit Sophia. "Stop talking nonsense!"

Sophia never thought Harper was important. A cold smile appeared on her face.

She couldn't even be bothered to use a silver needle on Harper. Instead, she kicked Harper hard in the stomach.

"Ah..." Harper cried out in pain, clutching her stomach as she crouched on the ground. Tears streamed down her face.

Sophia coldly stared at the once-beautiful Harper, now reduced to a miserable state.

"Joseph, your woman has been beaten by me, and you don't even react?" she asked, looking at Joseph. "Hurry up and comfort her. Look at how pitiful she is."

"She's too stupid," Joseph said, not even looking at Harper. Then, he turned to Sophia with a malicious tone. "You're vicious."

Harper felt humiliated. Joseph's mockery made her tears fall even harder. She glared at Sophia with hatred.

"Sophia, you'll have a bad ending!" she screamed.

Sophia watched Joseph and Harper fight like wild dogs. The scene made her feel especially pleased.

"Who are you calling a fox?" she asked innocently, looking at Harper, who was still crouched on the ground.

"You! You're the fox!" Harper blurted out without thinking.