Love Began with the First Meeting

"Zoey, I think we should just let it go," Vivi said, her mind still far off.

"Why? Vivi, are you afraid of her?" Zoey asked in confusion. She found it ridiculous that she would even think that.

Vivi felt her heart skip a beat at Zoey's words. She sneered, "Afraid of her? How could I, a respectable woman from the powerful Zhuang family, be afraid of a slut like her? Fine, let's go. I just want to see what kind of clothes that bitch is selling."

The two gallivanted towards the shop laughing and chatting. Meanwhile, Ximena had no idea what was coming for her.

She had just finished two consecutive meetings. She discussed with her clients what designs they would like and other important details. She sat at her table and sipped her tea to relax. She rubbed her own shoulders as a way to relax. When she scanned the room full of clothes that she designed, she couldn't help but burst with pride. She felt like she was looking at her own children.

When the word "children" came to her mind, her eyes dimmed.

"I thought it would be at least big but it's so small. Do they even have customers? Why would anyone go here? It's so cheap. Nothing new here, cheap clothes can only be bought by cheap people."

When Ximena heard this, she rushed right out as she already had a feeling on who they were. True enough, as expected, she found Vivi and Zoey standing outside. "I wonder what Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Li will think if they hear you talking about the place that they had just ordered clothes from like that," Ximena spat.

Vivi's face turned pale. Although Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Li weren't born to the royal family, they were both noble and respectable women. The Zhuang family wouldn't dare offend either the Zhao family and the Li family. "You..." Vivi was speechless.

Ximena had her arms crossed over her chest and a cold smile was pasted on her face. "Me? Okay, go on. What about me?"

Zoey pointed at Ximena and spoke in an arrogant tone, "Hmm! Do you think that just because my brother gave you a shop that means that you're worth something? It means nothing! My brother will give me anything as long as I ask!" "Anything? You think he'd give you Leng's Corporations if you wanted it?" Ximena interrupted her.

Zoey knew very well that Aaron would never give Leng's Corporations to her regardless if she wanted it or not. She was at a loss for words. Her face turned pale then green when she saw the triumphant look on Ximena's face.

Vivi rushed to Zoey's defense, "Hmm... Some people have seen so little of the world. Thus, they have no idea that what treasured is actually cheap as dirt. Like the saying goes, mistaking a stone for a treasure. However, they think so much of themselves, and feel proud of stealing things from others. It makes me sick just to look at you."

Ximena didn't want to argue with these senseless women. She wished she'd never seen them in the first place. If Ximena were being frank, sometimes, she thought the two of them as idiots. They were lucky they had been born into rich families because if they were in Ximena's place, they would have died a long time ago.

"What did you mean by that? Are you saying that Aaron is the stone, or that no one else sees how much of a treasure Aaron really is?" Ximena said in a cold voice and staring Vivi down.

Ximena's words enraged Vivi further. What she really meant was that the shop that Aaron gave to Ximena was so small but Ximena saw it as something special like a treasure. She would never say anything to demean Aaron.

"You..." she said, speechless.

Ximena stepped forward and grabbed Vivi's chin with her fingers, sneering, "I think you need to be reminded again. Aaron's warned you before. The last time you did this, things didn't turn out so well for you. Even a dog understands what not to do after being told off. I guess a dog's smarter than you, huh?"

Vivi's chin started to hurt from Ximena's tight grip. Her face reddened with anger at Ximena's words. Never had she been insulted like this in her entire life.

Angered, she slapped Ximena across the face. The sound reverberated throughout the shop.

The shop fell into a thick silence.

Zoey's eyes widened in disbelief. She shifted her glance from Vivi to Ximena. She never expected Vivi to resort to violence and she wondered why Ximena hadn't dodged the attack.

Out of fear, an employee ran back inside the office to call Aaron-no one else noticed.

Vivi had never slapped anyone else before. Even though she came from a rich and powerful family, never had she had to resort to such means. If someone was making trouble for her, someone else could do her dirty work for her. She'd been told that this was not the way a proper lady should act.

Ximena lightly touched her sore cheek. With a faint smile on her lips, she said, "Wow, I didn't know Miss Zhuang would have the guts to do that." As soon as the words left Ximena's mouth, she pounced on Vivi pushing her to the ground. She wrapped Vivi's neck with her hands.

When Vivi fell to the floor, tears welled up in her eyes from the impact. As Ximena tightened her grip around her neck, she stared back in disbelief. Zoey, by the side, looked so scared for her life at what was happening. "What... What are you doing?"

Vivi asked. She found it difficult to breathe and talk with Ximena's hands wrung around her neck. She looked at Ximena in fear, hands trembling. Ximena gave her a sweet smile in response. She fished a pair of scissors out of her pocket and pointed it closely to Vivi's cheek.

"What am I doing? Miss Zhuang, you slapped me. I have to give you something in return. As a lady who was well-educated, don't you know better than to give back when you receive?" Ximena's eyes dimmed as she continued, "My life doesn't mean anything. Not as valuable as yours at least. I won't lose anything, really. My useless life in exchange for your valuable one. I think it would suit me well to do that. I'd gain more than I'd lose."

Vivi's eyes widened again in disbelief. She couldn't fathom how reckless Ximena was being. Tears continued to well up under her eyes. She'd never felt so threatened and so unsafe. The sharp blade of the scissors was so close to her cheek that she could feel the cool blade pressed against her face. Just the tiniest pressure and Ximena could easily cut through her cheek.

"No... No..." Vivi was scared.

"Miss Zhuang, you're so beautiful. No wonder Aaron likes you. Your skin is so smooth just like an expensive piece of jade; so delicate like a flower. How I'd love to cut it... Would you like me to? Miss Zhuang?" The sweet smile on Ximena's face horrified Vivi to no end. All the colors had drained out of Vivi's face. In a trembling voice, she plead, "Don't. Please. Aaron wouldn't let it go if you do this!"

Ximena sneered at her, "Maybe..." She smiled even bigger as she continued speaking, "Maybe he would get mad at me but maybe he'll get mad at you too."

Vivi looked terrified. What Ximena said was true no matter how much she refused to accept it. She knew that Aaron would most likely to take Ximena's side over hers.

Ximena let go of Vivi. She stood up and fixed her hair. Still with a smile on her face, she said, "Anyway, I'm the one who's with him. Not you. If I were you, I'd be more careful trying to take what's not yours. I wouldn't want anything happening to you. I have nothing more to say to you."

"You... You..." Vivi wasn't able to finish her sentence as she burst into tears before she could. Meanwhile, Zoey still look stunned from what had happened. She was scared of Ximena.

"In fact, what do you have to be proud of? Do you really think you're better than me? You're wrong. We're just two of his many women. Neither of us is better than the other." After Ximena finished speaking, she gestured for both of them to leave. "If you have nothing more to say, please leave. My shop's too small for ladies such as yourselves," she said.

Vivi's makeup had been ruined by her tears. Her eyes had swollen in a funny shape.

When Aaron arrived at the shop, Ximena had been threatening Vivi with the scissors. Ken had been ready to go inside when Aaron had stopped him. Aaron had wanted to see how Ximena would handle the situation.

When he heard Ximena claim that neither of them was better than the other because they were just two of his many women, he felt his heart twist.

He despised how Ximena demeaned herself. She might have not grown up in a rich and powerful family like this but soon, she'd be the queen of this rich and powerful family of his. He would make her as noble as a queen. Now that Vivi and Zoey were leaving, Aaron decided to show himself to them. As soon as Vivi saw Aaron, she burst into tears.

"Aaron..." Vivi cried out. She ran to him and enveloped herself around, trembling like a puppy.

"Ximena hit Vivi!" Zoey took the responsibility of explaining to Aaron so as to put Ximena under a bad light.

Ximena remained quiet, uttering only mocking sounds as she looked at Aaron blankly. She told herself that she would leave but her feet remained planted on the floor. She wanted to hear what Aaron had to say.