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1023 Words
As a big family, the Clark family's arrival in such a manner caught the attention of some guests who couldn't help but sneer at Nicholas, the door-to-door son-in-law.
"Look, that's Nicholas, right? The so-called live-in son-in-law of the Clark family."
"Yep, the guy who married Goddess Georgina. Haha!"
"A loser who got lucky with Goddess Georgina, what a joke!"
"Haha, and I heard he's been sleeping on the floor for three years. What a life!"
A few juniors from the Morgan family gossiped among themselves. Being friends with the Clark family for generations, they knew them quite well.
Hearing the mocking remarks, Georgina felt a bit embarrassed. She turned to Nicholas and said, "Next time, if you have to park the scooter, do it farther away. Can't you see there are so many guests around?"
"Oh," Nicholas responded indifferently.
Esther was fuming, seeing him like that. 'Today was special, but he showed up with such cheap stuff. It was beyond irritating!'
"Hey, did you get Grandma's gift ready?" Georgina asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah, all set," Nicholas replied, flashing a smile and pulling out a worn-out wooden box.
"Oh, seriously?" Georgina groaned, frustrated. "It's Grandma's 70th birthday, and you're handing her this old, beaten-up box?"
"They're not rags," Nicholas said calmly.
'Still, denying it? That box looked like it might fall apart any second!' Esther couldn't hold back and glared at Nicholas, barely holding back her urge to curse him. But just then, they heard an announcement.
"We invite everyone to gather and wish Grandma a happy birthday!"
With that, a swarm of Clark family members entered the villa. Esther rolled her eyes at Nicholas, biting her tongue, and walked inside.
Inside the villa, all the guests had already taken their seats. Barbara looked all dolled up with a big smile on her face.
"Torque Industries' CEO has come to celebrate with us!" the host announced.
And then, a middle-aged man strolled in. It was Corvin Crest, a man worth a few hundred dollars alone, and he had a close bond with Barbara. His secretary was with him, carrying a large box.
"I wish Mrs. Clark a happy birthday and another prosperous year!" Corvin laughed and opened the box.
Everyone gasped in awe!
The box contained a beautiful 16th-century cloisonné vase!
Talk about splurging! A million-dollar birthday gift!
"Please take a seat, Mr. Crest. Don't spend so much next time. I'll remember it in my heart, thank you," Barbara acted modestly but couldn't stop smiling. Everyone knew she loved her antiques, so this gift was spot-on!
After such a lavish present, everything else seemed pretty mundane. But then, Ryan stepped into the limelight, and all eyes were on him. Word had spread that Ryan had prepared a grand gift for the matriarch, especially because she doted on him the most!
Ryan held a box, playfully adjusting his bangs, and formally presented his gift to the old granny.
"Grandma, your filial grandson wishes you a long life and happiness!" Ryan grinned.
Nobody paid much attention to his words because everyone focused on the box he held. It wasn't huge, but it had a stunning turquoise color, like some high-grade jade!
Talk about extravagance! The whole box was freaking made out of a gem!
Ryan went on with some kind words and finally got to the main show, snapping his fingers dramatically.
The room suddenly went dark, and the bed curtains were drawn, making it pitch black.
But before people could freak out, Ryan said, "No need to panic, folks. I got a special gift for Grandma, so I killed the lights."
And just like that, he popped open the box, and everyone freaked out!
Inside the box was a freaking fist-sized night pearl! It didn't shine like broad daylight but glowed like eight or nine candles combined.
That pearl had to be worth a fortune! Like, at least two million or more!
"You did well!" Barbara beamed. "I knew I loved you for a reason!"
The whole crowd applauded, and rightfully so. This gift was heartfelt, no doubt. Finding a night pearl this big in all of Broxton would be like finding a needle in a haystack!
But amid the praises, Nicholas couldn't help but snicker.
'Was Ryan pulling a fast one here?' Most people might not see it, but Nicholas had an eye for precious things. That Night Pearl was synthetic, no doubt about it.
Growing up in the Godfrey family, he'd seen all kinds of treasures. The family head's office had a night pearl the size of a fist that cost over ten million. And it was expensive because it was something even money couldn't buy.
Natural night pearls were super rare and valuable. In ancient times, only the royals could get their hands on them.
With so many people wanting to get their hands on it, some sneaky folks went and created fake ones using chemicals.
Ryan's Night Pearl was obviously a counterfeit. He could even spot the glue in the middle!
"What's so funny?" Ryan immediately called Nicholas out, pointing at him.
All eyes turned to Nicholas.
"Oops, sorry, couldn't help it." Nicholas covered his mouth, "Your Night Pearl just looked too fake."
"You're full of crap!" Ryan's face turned red as he yelled back.
He knew his pearl was fake too. But nobody in the Clark family ever dealt with Night Pearls, so they couldn't tell. Now that Nicholas exposed him, Ryan was getting anxious.
"Nicholas quit it," Georgina lightly touched Nicholas's arm.
Ryan was definitely going to retaliate if Nicholas kept this up.
As expected, Ryan smirked, "You're just a good-for-nothing son-in-law with a measly two hundred dollars as pocket money. Of course, you wouldn't know about Night Pearls. I'll let it slide, but let's see what crappy gift you got for Grandma."
Ryan had already seen Nicholas holding a busted-up box. Haha, the box looked like it came straight from a dollar store!
Nicholas didn't say anything, but he couldn't stop laughing.
On the other hand, Esther was fuming. She gritted her teeth, glaring at Nicholas, "If you laugh again, get the hell out of here!"
- Writer
