Stella's eyes widened in disbelief. She glanced at Megan, who nodded in confirmation. The room was abuzz with murmurs, everyone astonished by this revelation.
"You mean to tell me that this poor brat bought the real Mayweather bag?" Michael spat, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Yes, he did," Megan affirmed. "We saw him buy it at the mall. It was the genuine article."
Michael's face contorted with rage. "How is that possible? He's just a pauper!"
Justin stepped forward, his expression calm but his eyes steely. "Things change, Michael. You don't know everything about me."
"Enough, Michael," Linda said, her voice firm. "You've embarrassed yourself enough for one night."
Michael's fury reached a boiling point. "You think you can humiliate me like this? Both of you will pay for this!"
Kendrick, sensing that things were about to escalate, quickly intervened. "Michael, let's go outside. We need to talk."
Michael hesitated, glaring daggers at Justin and Linda before reluctantly following Kendrick out of the room. Kendrick turned back briefly and mouthed, "I'll handle this."
Inside, the tension began to dissipate. Linda turned to Justin, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, Justin. This means so much to me."
Justin smiled, feeling a warm sense of pride. "I'm just glad you like it."
As the guests resumed their conversations and the atmosphere lightened, Linda addressed the crowd. "Since Michael decided to ruin the initial party, let's make sure the rest of the night is unforgettable. Everyone, let's enjoy ourselves!"
The crowd cheered, the energy in the room lifting once more. Linda led Justin to the dance floor, and they joined the others in a lively dance. The music was upbeat, and for a while, everyone forgot about the earlier drama.
After a few songs, Linda and Justin stepped outside to catch their breath. The night air was cool and refreshing.
"Are you okay?" Linda asked, her eyes searching Justin's face.
"I'm fine," Justin replied, his voice steady. "I'm more concerned about you."
Linda smiled, squeezing his hand. "I'm okay, especially with you by my side."
As they stood there, enjoying the quiet moment, they noticed Kendrick approaching them with an angry look on his face.
"Kendrick, is everything okay?" Linda asked.
"What's going on between the two of you?" Kendrick demanded angrily.
"Whatever is going on between Justin and me is none of your business," Linda replied firmly.
"Yes, it is my business!" Kendrick yelled. "You're my twin sister, so I have the right to know what's going on with you and this pauper."
Linda became infuriated when Kendrick referred to Justin as a pauper. "Firstly, don't ever call Justin a pauper. And secondly, you don't have any right to know what's going on in my life. The fact that you're my twin doesn't give you any control over me."
Kendrick's anger grew, especially since Linda was defending Justin. "Linda, do you know how angry Mom and Dad will be when they find out you've broken up with Michael?" Kendrick asked.
"I don't care if Mom gets angry or Dad gets mad at me," Linda replied. "I never liked Michael, and they both knew it before they suggested that I date him. This is my life, Kendrick. I choose whoever I want to be with."
"So, you chose to be with this pauper instead?" Kendrick asked, pointing angrily at Justin.
"I said don't ever call Justin a pauper!" Linda yelled, then slapped Kendrick in anger.
Justin's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't expecting Linda to go that far to defend him. Kendrick, on the other hand, felt humiliated and furious. He couldn't believe his sister had slapped him for calling Justin a pauper.
"How dare you slap me?" Kendrick shouted, seething with rage.
"And how dare you call Justin a pauper?" Linda retorted, stepping closer to Kendrick with a stern expression.
"Because that's what he is!" Kendrick yelled in anger. "He is nothing but a poor guy and you don't need someone like him in your life!"
Sensing the tension, Justin immediately stood between them. "Please, stop this," he said, but Kendrick punched him angrily.
"Stay out of this," Kendrick said after punching Justin in the face.
Justin staggered back, his lips starting to bleed.
"Justin!" Linda exclaimed in shock, seeing his bleeding lips.
"It's okay, Linda," Justin said, giving her a slight smile despite the pain.
"I've got my eyes on you, pauper, and I'll make you regret dating my sister," Kendrick threatened, then walked back inside.
"Are you okay?" Linda asked softly, her voice filled with concern.
"Yeah, I'm good," Justin replied with a reassuring smile.
"I'm so sorry about my brother," Linda apologized as she gently wiped the blood off Justin's lips with a handkerchief.
"It's not your fault," Justin said. "But he thinks we're dating for real. He thinks I'm really your boyfriend."
Linda smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, then she asked, "So, do you want us to date for real?"
"Like I said earlier, the decision is up to you," Justin replied with a nervous smile.
"And what makes you say that the decision is up to me?" Linda asked as she gazed into his eyes.
"Well, I'm a poor guy and I can't afford to give you what other guys can. So, it's up to you to choose if you want to date me or not," Justin replied, and Linda scoffed.
"Do you think I care about your financial status, Justin?'' Linda asked, and Justin chuckled nervously.
"I don't know," Justin replied.
"Justin, I don't care if you're poor or rich. All I care about is you," Linda said, and a smile appeared on Justin's face.
"So, do you want to be my girlfriend?" Justin asked nervously.
Linda was about to give him a response when Alex approached them. Alex smiled when he saw the romantic position Justin and Linda were in.
"What's up, lovers," Alex said playfully as he walked to them.
"Hey, Alex," Linda replied as she unwrapped her arms from Justin's neck.
"Has Michael left?" Justin asked Alex.
"Yeah, he left, but he seemed pretty upset," Alex replied.
Alex looked at Justin with a hint of respect in his eyes. "You did good, Justin. Standing up to Michael like that... I always knew you had it in you."
"Thanks, man," Justin said, feeling a surge of confidence.
Alex nodded, then turned to Linda. "I'm going back inside. Are you two coming?"
"In a bit," Linda replied. "We just need a moment."
Alex gave them a nod and headed back inside, leaving Linda and Justin alone once more.
Linda turned to Justin, her expression serious. "I meant what I said earlier. You're different, Justin. And I like that."
Justin's heart swelled with emotion. "I like you too, Linda. More than I can put into words."
"So, are we officially dating now?" Linda asked with a smile.
"Yeah," Justin replied, them Linda leaned in and gave him a kiss.
As their lips met, Justin felt a rush of emotions, and his heart raced with excitement and happiness. The kiss was gentle, and when they finally pulled away, they both smiled with their faces inches apart.
"I guess that makes it official," Justin said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Linda nodded, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Yes, it does."
They stood there for a moment, savoring the newfound connection between them. The night air was cool and refreshing.
"Justin, I've got a question," Linda said.
"Go on," Justin replied.
"How did you manage to get me such an expensive bag for my birthday?" Linda asked. "I mean, you're hardworking and you've probably got a job, but the bag is way too expensive, so I can't help but wonder how you managed to purchase it."
Justin's mind began to race when he heard her question. He wasn't expecting her to ask him that question, so he didn't know what he was going to say to her.