Chapter 5
The next day, I pushed Adrian's wheelchair to Meridian Galleria in downtown Seabridge.
Officially, I was accompanying my "disabled" uncle-in-law for some fresh air. In reality, he was reviewing the Griffin family's assets.
Adrian secretly owned thirty percent of this mall.
We had just reached the second-floor atrium when fate decided to be unpleasant.
Ethan walked out of the boutique carrying several shopping bags, with Tessa hanging on his arm.
Tessa spotted me instantly and stopped walking.
She wore full makeup and the latest couture. She looked dazzling with expensive jewelry.
When she saw me pushing Adrian's wheelchair, the smug superiority in her eyes practically overflowed.
"Oh, Nina." Tessa covered her mouth in mock surprise. "What a coincidence. You brought… Adrian shopping too? But the prices here are pretty high. Can you even afford it with your current financial situation?"
Ethan looked at us coldly, his gaze filled with disgust.
As if remembering something, Tessa took an orange shopping bag from Ethan.
She pulled out a bright orange Birkin bag and held it against herself.
"Ethan, this color is way too loud. Only tacky nouveau riche from the countryside would carry something like this. I don't like it." She turned to me with a fake smile. "But Nina, this color actually suits you. I tried it on and decided I didn't want it, but it's still brand new. Why don't you take it?"
Ethan grabbed the bag impatiently and tossed it toward me without even looking.
"Take it." His tone sounded like he was throwing scraps to a beggar. "Just like the seven years you spent with me. Maybe it's a little worn out and Tessa doesn't want it anymore, but it's still a luxury brand. Carry it. Don't embarrass the Griffin family."
The bag worth hundreds of thousands of dollars flew through the air in an arc straight toward my face.
I didn't catch it.
I simply shifted slightly and stepped to the left.
The bag slammed onto the marble floor, the expensive leather almost seeming to cry out in protest.
The air went silent for two seconds.
Ethan's expression darkened. "Nina, are you asking for trouble?"
I ignored him and looked down at the bag on the floor, frowning slightly.
I opened my purse and took out a pack of sterile medical gloves.
With a ripping sound, the bag was torn open.
I calmly pulled on two layers of gloves, snapping the elastic tight around my wrists. Then I pulled out a pair of long stainless steel surgical forceps.
Sales assistants and passersby nearby stopped to watch the scene with curiosity.
I bent down and carefully lifted the edge of the bag's handle with the tip of the forceps, minimizing contact.
It looked like I was collecting a piece of toxic evidence from a crime scene.
Ethan and Tessa froze, completely unable to understand what I was doing.
Holding the bag with the forceps, I walked toward the center of the mall.
I stopped beside the bin and released the forceps.
I stopped beside the bin and released the forceps.
The designer's bag worth hundreds of thousands dropped into the filthy trash bin with a dull thump.
"Are you insane?!" Tessa screamed, her face twisting with pain.
I removed my gloves, tossed them into the trash along with the forceps, then looked up and spoke clearly so the surrounding stores could hear.
"Based on visual inspection, the item is contaminated with excessive skin debris and high-risk bacteria, along with unidentified cheap perfume chemicals. To prevent biological contamination, it should be disposed of immediately as medical waste."
I looked at Tessa, who was trembling with rage, and calmly added, "I have a cleanliness issue. Anything touched by filthy things makes me sick."
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