CHAPTER 27: PRS 27

Upon arriving downstairs, Isabella Clark, a 22-year-old woman currently riding the high of her fortune, stopped in her tracks. Two days ago, she had heard that an apartment on the second floor of the Imperial Residence Complex was for sale. She abruptly turned toward the security post, while her friend, Siva, continued walking toward where Isabella’s car was parked.

"Morning, Miss Isabella. How can I help you?" greeted the friendly security guard, who was none other than Ambo.

Isabella smiled slightly. "Morning, Mr. Ambo. By the way, I heard unit number 12 is for sale? Has anyone sold it yet?" she asked, trying to get some information to take advantage of the cashback promotion valid only today. "Because I’m interested in buying it if it’s still available. I happen to need an extra unit for my assistant."

Ambo nodded quickly. "Still, Miss. No one has sold yet. The owner has been advertising for several months, but no one has seriously asked for a purchase. Why? Are you interested in buying it, Miss Isabella?" he asked eagerly. "If Miss Isabella buys it, I’m sure the owner will be thrilled. He’s been a bit discouraged because it hasn’t sold for so long."

Isabella smiled sweetly, crossing her arms across her chest. "That’s the plan, sir. If possible, please contact the owner. If possible, we’ll meet here this afternoon. I have some business outside from morning until noon. I’ll be back around four or five in the afternoon. Is the owner available now?"

"Yes, Miss. I’ll contact the owner later. I’ll make sure he can meet me this afternoon. I have the owner’s direct phone number, so it won’t be difficult to arrange a meeting." Ambo could barely hide his wide smile. He could already imagine the commission he would receive if the unit sold.

Isabella nodded firmly. She had indeed thought everything through carefully. Although the unit wasn’t as big as the apartment she currently lived in, at least if Siva stayed in the same place, her friend wouldn’t have to tire herself out traveling back and forth to pick her up and drop her off every day. "I’ve calculated everything," she thought. Plus, the 10x cashback from Bank N made her even more enthusiastic.

After finishing that brief errand, Isabella and Siva set off for the largest mall in XX City. The trip only took about twenty minutes. As soon as she parked her brand-new Mercedes Benz, Isabella immediately took Siva’s hand.

"We’re having fun all day today. You can choose whatever you like, I’ll pay," Isabella said, patting her chest proudly. "Don’t be shy, Sis. Just think of it as a bonus from me for all the hard work you’ve done to help me. I’ll buy you anything you want."

Siva chuckled at her friend’s arrogant tone. "You’re like that, Bella, always acting like a boss. Don’t be wasteful, you’ll regret it," she said, shaking her head. "I know you have a lot of money now, but it has to be managed wisely. Investing is good, but wasting money isn’t good for your long-term finances."

"Wasteful? I’m actually being smart about taking advantage of opportunities. That 10x cashback doesn’t come every day. When I shop, my money actually increases," Isabella replied confidently. "Sis Siva, you have to trust me. This isn’t a waste of money, it’s an investment strategy. Every rupiah I spend today will return tenfold. So the more I shop, the more profit I’ll make. This is a golden opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted!"

Before Siva could respond, one of the store employees, recognizing Isabella’s beautiful face, immediately shared her photo in the mall’s internal group. An instant commotion ensued! Almost all the shop assistants stood outside, hoping the famously generous woman would stop by.

"Please come in, Sis. It just so happens that the new styles arrived last night," a clothing store employee said kindly. "We just got the latest collection from Paris. The designs are very exclusive and only available in limited quantities. You’ll love the collection."

Isabella, intent on buying everything, immediately pulled Siva inside. "Come on, Sis! Let’s make this entire store run out of stock! Choose everything you like. Don’t hesitate. Today we’ll shop until we drop!"

Every time she finished shopping and left the store, Isabella’s phone vibrated. Notifications from the Phoenix System app and his account at Bank N kept pinging, signaling a large cashback deposit. A wide smile spread across his face.

"Today, I’m really going to inflate my account," he said excitedly. "Look, Sis. Every time I shop, my money actually increases. It’s like magic! The more I shop, the richer I get!"

He didn’t carry the groceries himself. He had them delivered directly to his apartment in the Imperial Residence Complex.

But Siva gradually became overwhelmed. "Bella, enough. You’ve already bought me so many things. I feel bad, I swear," she said, refusing as Isabella offered another designer bag at an exorbitant price. "This is too much. I don’t know where to store it all. My room isn’t as big as yours, Bella. And I don’t feel like I deserve such expensive things."

"But your parents and younger siblings haven’t gotten any either. I’ve made a huge profit, so it’s only natural that I share," Isabella replied firmly. "Sis Siva has helped me so much. Without your help, I wouldn’t be able to run my business smoothly. So this isn’t a free gift. It’s a token of appreciation for your hard work. Besides, I want your family to feel happy too. Your younger siblings would be happy to get new clothes and shoes. And your parents would also need many things for their daily lives."

Siva fell silent. She knew that if Isabella was stubborn, nothing could stop her. She resigned herself to being pulled into another shop after another. Isabella even managed to buy three new sets of uniforms for the employees at Royal Scott Bakery and her stationery store.

"Maximize your cashback! Enrich yourself! Hahaha!" Isabella thought happily.

All the store employees who received tips from her looked delighted. They even whispered to each other, "This is our regular jackpot customer. If Miss Isabella comes, the sales target will be reached immediately. The manager must be very happy today. Maybe we’ll all get an extra bonus!"

She visited almost every store in the mall. Isabella Clark’s name became ingrained in the minds of all the mall employees as a wealthy, generous and generous young woman.

While Isabella was busy with her shopping spree, everyone else’s lives were in stark contrast.

Revan and his family were in a depressed mood. The judge had just struck the gavel. Revan had officially been sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling company funds. Even more devastating, he was ordered to pay for all the losses he caused. The luxury home he had just moved into was forced to be confiscated.

"I don’t want to live in a small, cramped place like this, Dad!" whined his wife, Margaret, when they moved into the simple two-bedroom house Joseph Mahendra had bought. "Look at this house! The kitchen is tiny, the bathroom is cramped, the living room is nothing. How can I live in a place like this? It’s not fit for our family!"

Joseph tried to reassure her. "At least we still have our own house, Mom. Small is fine, as long as it’s clean. We can still live decently. We’re thankful we don’t have to rent or live with other people. This is much better than having no place to live at all."

Margaret snorted and slammed the door. She was furious. For a woman accustomed to luxury, moving to a village house felt like a mini-apocalyptic disaster. She then called Scarlet, her daughter, who was known to be very close to wealthy men.

"Lula, you have to buy me a new house. I can’t live in this shack," Margaret complained in a spoiled tone. "Your dad doesn’t have the money to buy a decent house. You have a lot of rich friends. Surely you can help me, right? I can’t live like this forever, honey. The neighbors here are rude too. They always give me those nasty looks."

But Scarlet, who was with her sugar daddy, just sighed lazily. "Mom, I’m busy. I’ve transferred the money. Don’t fuss. Mommy can go shopping, so she’ll be happy. I can’t keep hearing your complaints. I have my own life to take care of."

Margaret immediately brightened when the transfer notification came in. "It’s okay if Scarlet doesn’t come home, as long as the transfer goes through," she muttered. She immediately ordered an online taxi to go shopping, just to cheer herself up.

Their new neighbors looked at her sarcastically. "I heard that family fell into poverty because they took over their daughter-in-law’s assets and then cruelly kicked her out," whispered a woman. "Their daughter-in-law said she’d helped them a lot, but they betrayed her. Now you see, karma really does exist."

"That’s karma. It pays off so quickly," another chimed in. "They’ve already fallen into poverty in less than a year. God is just. Evil people will surely reap their rewards."

Gossip spread like wildfire. Revan’s family name became the subject of gossip in the village. But Margaret didn’t care. She continued to blame others.

"Damn it! This is all Arlina’s fault! If only she had left willingly, maybe my fate wouldn’t be this bad!" she grumbled hatefully. "She must have been the one who reported Revan to the police. She must have been the one spreading the bad rumors about our family. This is all her fault!"

Margaret and Revan refused to reflect at all. They refused to admit their own mistakes, even though what they experienced was nothing more than the fruits of their own actions.

Meanwhile, on the other side of City XX, Isabella continued to smile with satisfaction. Her hand tightly clutched the last shopping bag, and she turned to Siva.

"How about it, Sis? Happy, right? Today we beat all the malls in City XX. I think we’ve visited almost every store here. Today’s shopping was truly satisfying!"

Siva just laughed resignedly. "I’m happy, but I don’t know if you’re crazy or a genius, Bella. Your shopping style is truly extraordinary. I’ve never seen anyone spend this much in one day."

Isabella laughed broadly. "Maybe both. But what’s certain is, my Bank N balance is getting fatter! And that’s the most important thing. Today is the best day of my life!"

That day, Isabella truly set a record for her crazy shopping spree. But behind all the joy, there were many other lives that were actually getting worse.

And that’s the irony. While one party reaps great fortune, the other is sinking into ruin.