C3 A Small Gift

At the Continental Properties sales center where Dagny worked.

"Dagny, you hit the jackpot today! Mr. Browning didn't even haggle; he snapped up three houses just like that. You truly are the star saleswoman of Continental Properties," Gemma, clad in a sleek black business suit, beamed with a hint of envy in her voice.

Gemma was not just Dagny's colleague but also her best friend, which made their bond especially strong.

"You're raking in two thousand dollars per house—that's a windfall! I say we play tycoons for the evening and celebrate in style. What do you say?"

Dagny responded with a smile, "I'd love to, but I can't tonight. I've made plans with Eustace to catch a movie."

"Eustace?" Gemma's lips twisted into a sneer of contempt.

"Dagny, what's so great about that Eustace? Forgive my frankness, but he's jobless, aimless, and living off you—a total deadbeat. He doesn't deserve you."

"If I were in your shoes, I'd have dumped him ages ago. You're beautiful, you've got a great figure, and let's not forget—Gideon from our very own Continental Properties has his eye on you. Why are you so hung up on a loser like Eustace?"

Dagny's mouth puckered in annoyance. "Gemma, please don't talk about Eustace like that. He loves me, and I love him. Isn't that enough?"

"Love? Dagny, you're not the fresh college grad you once were. How can you still be so naive?"

"Can love fill your stomach? We live in a material world. Without financial stability, love is just a sad fairytale. And let's face the hard truth: you and Eustace have been married for three years. What if you get pregnant and can't work? Who's going to provide for the family then?"

Gemma pressed on, "Once the baby arrives, that's another mouth to feed. Diapers and formula don't come cheap. And as the child grows, there's preschool, then school—the costs will only skyrocket. Can you really handle supporting a whole family on your own? Won't you be exhausted?"

Dagny was at a loss for words in response to Gemma's remarks.

Every woman dreams of a man who can protect her from life's storms and carry the weight of the family on his shoulders.

But Eustace didn't want to work, and she couldn't bring herself to push him.

"Enough, Gemma. Eustace is the man I chose. No matter how disappointing he may be, leaving him is out of the question."

Gemma, frustrated and concerned, said, "Dagny, why can't you see it? If Eustace could provide a happy life for you, I'd hold my tongue. But he's giving you nothing right now. Why do you accept this?"

"You're always scrimping and saving, hesitating over a pricey makeup purchase, never indulging in designer jewelry. Why do you insist on shortchanging yourself?"

"Just divorce Eustace, and with your qualities, you could find someone a hundred, even a thousand times better in a heartbeat. Do you really want to wait until it's too late to have regrets?"

Dagny, visibly upset, replied, "Gemma, that's enough. I don't covet designer jewelry; those are just material things. Without love, what's the difference between a marriage and a tomb? I don't want to damage the bond we've shared for years over this. Work's over, and I don't want to discuss it further."

Seeing that Dagny was genuinely upset, Gemma let out a resigned sigh and dropped the subject, although she couldn't help feeling resentful towards Eustace for compromising her best friend's chance at happiness.

The end of the workday arrived quickly.

Dagny gathered her belongings and headed out of the office.

Eustace had long since arrived at the entrance of Dagny's office, eager to present her with the surprise the moment she stepped out.

"Eustace!"

Spotting him, Dagny's face lit up with joy as she ran to greet him.

"How long have you been here? Did you have to wait long?"

Eustace, smiling, shook his head and said, "Not long at all. I timed it perfectly with your shift ending."

"Dagny!"

Out of nowhere, a voice called out, and Gemma came running over.

Before clocking out, she took extra care to touch up her makeup, her complexion glowing pink and her lips a bold red, adding a touch of allure.

She glanced at Eustace, taking in his outfit that looked like it didn't cost more than a few hundred bucks, and her eyes betrayed a hint of disdain.

"Where are you two headed?" she inquired.

"We're going to grab dinner first, then catch a movie," Dagny replied.

Gemma chimed in, "Why don't we all go together? My boyfriend will be here any minute. He can drive us, saving you the trouble of hailing a cab."

It was then that Gemma's eyes landed on the gift box in Eustace's hands, adorned with the Patek Philippe logo.

"Eustace, what's that you're holding? A gift for Dagny?" she asked.

Dagny, too, noticed the gift box for the first time, her expression one of surprise.

"Yeah, I was passing by the mall on my way here and picked up a little something for Dagny," Eustace explained.

"A little something? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks like a Patek Philippe watch," Gemma said, her face clouding with skepticism. She always kept tabs on luxury brands, aiming to land a wealthy husband, and thus spent nearly all her earnings on designer labels to boost her market value.

She had once eyed a Patek Philippe watch and was well aware of its hefty price tag.

"You're kidding, right? Even the least expensive Patek Philippe watch costs over a hundred thousand. And you're calling it a 'small gift'? You, a stay-at-home spouse, where would you get the money for such an expensive watch? It wouldn't happen to be a high-quality knockoff, would it?" she prodded.

Dagny's face fell at Gemma's doubt, her expression turning sour.

She wasn't concerned about the nature of Eustace's gift, but the prospect of him gifting a counterfeit watch—and being called out by Gemma—was mortifying.

Gemma didn't wait for Eustace to respond; she lunged for the gift box, eager to seize the chance to mock him. She hadn't expected him to make it so easy.

If she could reveal Eustace's fake watch right there, Dagny would see his true colors, and that might just lead to the end of their marriage.

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

She eagerly snatched the gift box from Eustace's grasp, hastily pulled out the watch box, and extracted the watch.

Dagny glanced at it and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this the same watch I admired before?"

Eustace responded with a smile, "Yes, I noticed you liked it, so I picked it up for you."

'Picked it up?'

As if he were casually buying groceries at the market?

Gemma inwardly scorned him, yet as she examined the watch, her expression shifted to one of confusion; she couldn't pinpoint any flaws.

"This imitation is remarkably well-crafted; it's nearly indistinguishable from the real thing."

She remained convinced that the watch was a high-quality fake, not an authentic Patek Philippe.

At that moment, a BMW 5x approached and sounded its horn.

Gemma's eyes sparkled with excitement as she quickly said, "Here comes my boyfriend. He's the vice president of a publicly traded company and also owns a Patek Philippe. He can help us verify this watch."

She gestured towards the BMW, and a man in his thirties, clad in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, stepped out.

Gemma clung to his arm, boasting, "Dagny, meet my boyfriend, Camden. He's worked for a Fortune 500 company abroad and recently returned to Rustin. Now, he's a vice president at a local firm."

Camden gave Dagny an appreciative look and said, "Gemma, is this the friend you've mentioned? She's as beautiful as her name, a true gem."

Dagny nodded with a smile, politely greeting, "It's a pleasure to meet you. That's awfully kind of you to say!"

Gemma quickly interjected, "Camden, please take a look at this. Do you think it's a high-quality imitation?"