Chapter 24: A Phoenix in Distress Is Even Inferior to a Rooster
"Yusef, what would you like to drink?" Monte holds a wine glass.
"Whiskey." Yusef answers and sits on the sofa.
After pouring wine for Yusef, Monte looks at Macy, "Miss Downey, how about you?"
Before Macy replies, Yusef has already made a decision for her, "Juice."
Monte winks meaningfully to him, and then orders the waiter to bring a glass of orange juice.
Without doubt, this trivial detail is enough to highlight his special treatment for the new girl. Everyone in the room cannot resist stealing a glance at Macy.
Macy actually has an impression of two of the girls since long time ago they played with Macy once. At this moment, these two girls are talking about something in a whisper. Although she can't hear their conversation, it's not hard to guess that they are discussing the bankruptcy of the Downey's.
The waiter then hands Macy the juice. She politely says, "Thank you."
With a casual glance, she inadvertently sees the girl in red is staring at her.
Macy looks away, and after a while, she feels the girl's eyes narrowly upon her again.
What's going on? Is there anything on her face?
In a trance, Macy suddenly finds the man is leaning towards her.
She looks up as catching Yusef's black eyes. Surprisingly, his eyes are full of tender feelings now, "What do you wanna eat tomorrow night? I can book a restaurant in advance."
He doesn't ask loudly, but it is still enough for everyone around them to hear it. Macy frowns with wonder.
Why does Yusef suddenly ask what she wants to eat tomorrow in that kind of ambiguous tone? In fact, it has been very misleading for her to join this gathering. With Yusef's remarks, it causes other people to look at them with more speculation now.
As Macy is still thinking about the answer, she feels the man pinching her waist deliberately.
Turning around, Macy sees the girl in red keeps staring at them intently, the small face twisted. Macy suddenly realizes that...
Yusef is acting?
Macy bits her lip. Even though she is reluctant, she still responds gently, "It is up to you."
Yusef nods to her but says nothing more.
After a while, Monte makes Ellison to talk with Yusef aside. Macy sits on the sofa, vacantly staring at the exquisite glass holding in her hand.
The two girls whom Macy knows are named Sherry Fackler and Amanda Chalkley. The moment they find Yusef go away, they can't help looking at Macy and asking, "Miss Downey, what a surprise!" "As soon as the Downey's goes bankrupt, you even build a relationship with Mr. Penn."
These two girls keep putting Macy down with obvious irony.
Lowering her head, Mary doesn't reply them anything.
It is too hard to argue this since their side has more people. Moreover, the bankruptcy of the Downey's and the relationship between her and Yusef are both indisputable facts.
"Macy, weren't you the girlfriend of Eliot before? Why does you suddenly change your target?"
"That's right, everybody knows that you were with Eliot, but in moments you get off with Yusef. Macy, you are a real one for flirting with the boys."
The two girls become more and more excited, making the men beside them laugh all the time.
Sherry grows bored as she realizes that Macy remained speechless for a long time, so she begins to talk with the girl with the red dress, "Euphemia, didn't Yusef's grandfather always wanna fix you up with Yusef? How do you feel about our Macy's appearance?"
Obviously, Sherry talks away without thinking twice, and she is not afraid of offending others. After she finishes, Euphemia's face is even much darker.
The situation is finally getting through to Macy. No wonder Euphemia keeps staring at her just now, it turns out that they have this special relationship.
Considering the idea of Yusef's grandfather, now she understands that the reason why Yusef brings her here and deliberately stages an intimate drama with her are just parts of the act. Clearly Yusef makes use of her again.
This comes as a bit of a disappointment, Macy wonders.
Suddenly, the girl sitting opposite Macy, Euphemia Henderson, begins at last, "I am pretty sure that his grandfather knows what kind of woman deserve Yusef. You don't need to worry about it." On the surface Euphemia is answering Sherry, but among the words, she actually devalues Macy.
Macy looks at Euphemia but finds that the girl is stared fixedly at her as well.
Taking a deep breath, not as serious as Euphemia, instead, Macy throws a faint smile, and then looks away as the girl becomes a little shocked.
Everybody here today is the one she can't afford to offend. She isn't willing to provoke anyone even if Yusef is able to help her, since she doesn't want to owe him too much.
Nevertheless, her patience is not equal to lack of temper.
Watching Macy remain silent for a long time, Sherry directly walks to her and sits down by her side.
She picks up a bottle of wine, pours half a glass, and hands it to Macy. "We are old friends, right? Let's have a drink together."
Macy refuses, "I'm sorry, I've abstained from alcohol now."
"Really? I still remember you drank a lot at Eliot's birthday party before." Sherry chuckles,
Amanda interjects a remark, "That is in front of Eliot. Maybe Yusef likes well-behaved girls, so she switches the mode!"
The men around them can't help laughing.
Sherry gets drunk, along with becoming bolder. Though Macy doesn't want to catch the wine glass, Sherry still insists on putting the glass to her hand.
By accident, the wine splashes out of the glass and spills onto Macy's clothes. Scowling at her, Macy emphasizes again in a cold voice, "Sherry, I said, I would not drink."
Although she repeatedly reminds herself to show the greatest patience, it doesn't mean that she will have others do anything they want.
Feeling Macy's anger, Sherry also turns hostile immediately. She splashes the wine in the glass on Macy, "Miss Downey, how dare you? Haven't you ever heard that a phoenix in distress is even inferior to a rooster?"
Everyone turns to look at them. Macy experiences color flame up in her cheeks and her heart holds a fire now. Clenching her fists, she chooses to walk towards the stairs without saying a word. Suddenly, a solid chest appears in front of her, and then someone cuddles her with the powerful arm.
As she looks up at Yusef's handsome face, he is staring at Sherry, saying flatly, "Excuse me, could you please tell me who is the phoenix, and who is the rooster?"☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐