Hailey stomped her foot in frustration. "What could he possibly have to do? Rhysand is avoiding me on purpose! He ignored me when I looked for him two days ago, didn't answer my call yesterday, and now he's not here again! Tell him that he better come pick me up today, or I'll tell my dad he's slacking at work!"
With that, she angrily kicked the BMW's door, leaving a scratch on it with the heel of her expensive Prada shoes.
The driver's face turned pale, and he nodded quickly, looking even more nervous.
Seeing Hailey, the male shopping guide instantly left Ariel and rushed over to greet her. "Miss Ocean! You're looking more stunning than ever today! And your outfit, wow, it's so beautiful. You look like a fairy!"
Hailey, still fuming, giggled at the compliment. "Your mouth is sweet! Trying to sell me something, huh? Get me a set of your new massage cream, and while I'm here, I'll get a facial."
She pointed at the guide. "You better be the one to do it for me."
"Of course, Miss Ocean! I'll make sure you get the best treatment." The shopping guide smiled widely. "You're naturally beautiful, unlike some people who come in hoping for a freebie just because they've run out of money."
He lifted his chin, motioning toward Ariel.
Hailey turned her head and spotted Ariel. She froze for a moment, then smirked with disdain.
"I was wondering which broke person was trying to sneak in for a makeover, and it turns out to be you."
"I'm here to see someone," Ariel replied, trying to stay calm.
"See someone?" Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you must've heard that Callum is here. Are you trying to seduce him again, Ariel? You're such a sly fox!"
Ariel Ocean didn't realize that Callum Aimes had shown up until he was already there.
She snapped back, "I'm not looking for him!"
"Not him? Then who could it be?" Hailey Ocean glared at her fiercely. "Everyone knows you got dumped by my brother-in-law and have been trying to win him back. He doesn't even want to look at you! You're just a sneaky fox, always seducing men."
Hailey kept calling her a "fox spirit" without caring about the crowd gathering to watch the scene. Ariel's face turned cold, and she said, "If you keep insulting me, I'll—"
"Ariel, Hailey's not insulting anyone," Callum's voice interrupted her from behind. He walked over to Hailey's side.
Seeing Callum, Hailey became even more smug and laughed, "Exactly! What's there to be angry about? I didn't insult you. Everything I said is true."
Ariel looked at the two of them and thought, _Birds of a feather flock together._
She lightly bit her lip and spoke softly, "I'm not mad, because only the beautiful ones get called fox spirits. The ones who aren't pretty, no matter how much they change their face, can only be called weasels."
As soon as she finished speaking, the people around them started laughing, their eyes darting between the two of them.
Ariel wore a simple dress, but her natural beauty shined through.
Her delicate, almond-shaped eyes looked both innocent and charming, and her porcelain skin, along with her soft red lips, made her stand out.
Even the teardrop-shaped mole under her left eye made her look like someone worth protecting.
Hailey was pretty too, with fancy makeup, but next to Ariel, she looked like she was trying too hard.
Several passersby glanced at Hailey with mocking looks and whispered to each other.
Hailey, who had felt smug just moments before, was now trembling with anger. Her sharp voice wavered, "Ariel, how dare you insult me?!"
She never expected to be confronted like this.
Back when they lived together at the Ocean estate, Ariel would always keep her head down and never fight back.
Now that Ariel had left, Hailey was shocked to see this sharp side of her.
Ariel looked down and said quietly, "Did I curse at you?"
"Yellow weasel," Ariel repeated, referring to the animal. "I didn't even use any bad words."
Hailey was trembling, but Ariel stayed calm.
Back when she lived with the Ocean family, Ariel had been all alone.
No one stood up for her, so she had to endure everything quietly. But now, she didn't have to live under anyone's shadow anymore.
Ariel felt grateful that Rhysand had married her, despite all the pressure. At least she wasn't alone anymore.