billion book
Chapter 41
The room buzzed with envious murmurs.
"Looks like we’re already full from all this lovey-dovey talk, and dinner hasn’t even started yet,” someone joked. Vivian grinned and chimed in, "So, when are you going to bring your boyfriend over for us to meet? A great guy like that is a rare find."
Linda blushed and laughed, "Sure, when the time comes."
Though Linda was chatting with everyone else, her eyes kept drifting to Chloe. But Chloe’s face remained inscrutable, showing no sign of interest. Linda’s heart sank a little.
Just then, the server brought over the tablet with the menu. Linda handed it to Chloe. "Chloe, pick whatever you like. Don’t hold back."
Chloe took the tablet with a smile and swiftly made her choices. A few minutes later, she handed it back to Linda. "You might want to check it over."
Linda waved it off and passed it to the server. "I trust your taste."
Soon, the dishes began arriving. At first, everyone was having a great time, enjoying the food and drinks. But before long, Linda noticed something odd. Two hours had passed, and the plates and bottles kept coming.
Everyone was too wrapped up in the feast, showering her with compliments on her generosity, so Linda stayed quiet. But when the meal finally ended, the server brought over the bill, and Linda’s jaw dropped.
Ninety-eight thousand!
She looked at the server in disbelief. “How can it be this expensive?”
The server explained patiently, “You’ve ordered every dish on our menu, including some rare off- menu items. The total cost came to eighteen thousand, and you also ordered four bottles of our twenty-thousand-a-bottle red wine. Plus, there's the five percent service charge.”
Linda felt like she might faint. She didn’t have that kind of money. She had thought the bill might be high, but not this high.
The others were just as stunned and began to turn on Chloe.
“Chloe, was this some kind of payback? You racked up a ninety-eight thousand bill! Where’s your shame?”
“Have you never had good food before? Why are you taking advantage of Linda like this?”
“I think Chloe should foot the bill. She ordered it. She should pay for it.”
Chloe remained unflustered, her smile unwavering. “You were all quiet while eating the truffle casserole and Kobe beef. No one complained about how expensive the ingredients were. And as for the wine, I only ordered one bottle; you guys added the rest.”
“Chloe, don’t try to weasel out of this.”
Chloe replied calmly, “If you’re all that concerned for Linda, let’s split the bill evenly. No one ate less than anyone else. It’s the fairest way.”
Suddenly, everyone fell silent. Splitting the bill would mean each person would have to pay almost ten thousand, which was a few months' salary for most of them.
A girl next to Linda spoke up. “Linda’s boyfriend is well-off. She’s going to be living the high life soon. She won’t mind covering a meal for us.”
Linda felt like she was on a spit over a fire. The truth was, she and Lucas didn’t have much money. Since Lucas went abroad, the Moncada family had cut off his financial support. Their life overseas wasn’t as glamorous as people thought. Lucas was too proud to ask his family for help, and Linda only had a few tens of thousands in her account, money she’d earned from tutoring over the past three years.