China Rich Girlfriend (41 page)
Read China Rich Girlfriend Online
Authors: Kevin Kwan
Rachel stared at her in shock.
Was this really happening?
She could see that all the other well-manicured women in the dining room were gawking at them now. The two security guards rushed up behind Rachel's chair. “Is everything okay, miss?”
“You brought
security
? Who do you think you are? Oh this is funny, are you trying to imitate me now? Well, I have
double
the security detail that you do! Roxanne was right about you all alongâyou've been envious of me from day one, and you've been plotting to get Carlton away from me and away from his family. This works out perfectly for you, doesn't it? You want their money all to yourself. Well you can have their pathetic one-point-five billion dollars for all I careâthat's nothing compared to what my family has. You're never in your life going to come close to touching me! All the money in the world is never going to buy you my style or my taste because you'll always be common. You're nothing but a common little bastard!”
Rachel sat completely still for a moment, feeling her face get white hot. Deciding that she wasn't going to endure one more second of Colette's deranged abuse, she pushed her chair back and got up from the table. “You know, this is beyond absurd. For a while there I actually felt bad for you, even though I was violently ill for a week because of your actions. But now I have nothing but pity for you. You're right, I will never be like youâthanks so much for the compliment! You're nothing more than a spoiled, entitled little shit. And unlike you, I'm
proud
of my rootsâI'm not talking about my birth father, I'm talking about the honest, hardworking mother who raised me, and the amazing family that supported her. We didn't make some crazy fortune overnight, and we won't ever need to hire some fancy butler to teach us manners. You don't live in the real world, you never have, so I'm not even going to try arguing with youâit's way below my pay grade to bother. You sit in your perfect little eco-luxury bubble, while your father's companies are
the biggest polluters in China. You may have all the money in the world, but you are the most morally impoverished
child
I've ever met! Grow up, Colette, and get a life!”
With that, Rachel walked out of the hotel and onto the Bund, followed closely by the two bodyguards. “Shall we call the car, miss?” one of them asked.
“You know, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some fresh air. I think I'll be fine from hereâI'll see you guys back at the house.”
Rachel began walking down the famous curved boulevard, looking up at the gleaming art deco buildings and the red Chinese flags fluttering above them. As she passed a happy bride and groom getting their picture taken outside the Peace Hotel, her phone began to ring. It was Carlton.
“Rachel! Are you okay?” he said, sounding anxious and euphoric at the same time.
“Of course. Why?”
“That fight you just had with Coletteâ”
“How did you know about that?” Rachel gasped.
“Someone videoed the whole thing on their phone from the mezzanine right above your table. It's gone viral on WeChat! âSpoiled Bitch Epic Takedown,' that's what they've named it. Blimeyânine million views already!”
NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE WORLD
LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
MAR VISTA CHILD KIDNAPPED IN PRIVATE JET
Breaking News
âVan Nuys Airport was the scene of a high-speed chase last night at around 9:50 when LAPD officers pursued a private jet containing a two-and-a-half-year-old kidnapping victim as it sped down runway 16R. At least four squad cars were involved in pursuing the jet but failed to prevent it from taking off and leaving U.S. airspace.
Minutes before, the child's father, Bernard Tai, had made a frantic 911 call reporting that his daughter, Gisele, had been kidnapped from their home at 11950 Victoria Avenue in Mar Vista. Gisele's babysitter allowed an unidentified woman into the home while Tai was out, and the woman departed with the child. By the time the police had tracked down Gisele at Van Nuys Airport, she was already aboard the private aircraft.
Tai, who is a Singapore citizen but resides in Los Angeles, gave his occupation as unemployed and told LAPD that he was Gisele's full-time caregiver. Tai was unreachable for further comment. LAPD would not release any more information about the jet pending further investigation.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
CHILD HEIRESS KIDNAPPED BY HER MOTHER
Los Angeles
âIn a startling new development in the mysterious “private jet kidnapping” of a Mar Vista child two days ago, the
Los Angeles Times
has learned that the kidnapping victim, Gisele Tai, was taken by her mother, former Hong Kong soap opera actress Kitty Pong. Gisele is the sole heiress and only daughter of Bernard Tai, the president and non-executive vice chairman of TTL Holdings, which is headquartered in Hong Kong.
Tai, who told LAPD that he was “unemployed,” is said to be worth over $4 billion and maintains lavish residences around the world. He is also the owner of the 388-foot megayacht
Kitty's Galore
. However, for the past two years Tai and his family have quietly resided in a 2,807-square-foot house in the upper-middle-class neighborhood of Mar Vista. “I always suspected Bernard had money, but I never knew he had
that
kind of money. I knew he moved to Mar Vista because he wanted to raise his daughter in the most conscious way possible. He's a terrific father. I never once met the wife,” said Linda C. Scout, who took a Nia class with Tai.
Two nights ago, Tai's personal chef, Milla Lignel, who resides at the house and was babysitting that evening, allowed the child's mother, Kitty Pong, into the home. Pong, who is currently estranged from her husband and lives in Hong Kong, removed her daughter from the house. “Madame asked me to make her an omelet, and it only took me
cinq
minutes, but by the time the omelet was ready, madame and Gisele had disappeared,” said a tearful Lignel.
Tai knew something was wrong when he was served with divorce papers in the middle of a sound-bath healing workshop in Santa Monica. After speaking with Ms. Lignel, he immediately suspected that his wife intended to leave the country with their daughter. LAPD has confirmed that Tai activated a secret GPS tracking device in Gisele's TOMS shoes that also alerted the police. The police pursued the child to Van Nuys Airport, but it was too late to stop the private Boeing 747-81.
Officer Scot Ishihara, who was on the scene, calmly noted, “We gave chase, but it's hard to stop a 450-ton jumbo jet from taking off if it wants to.”
Tai, who has filed kidnapping charges against his wife in Los Angeles, has apparently left the country. Calls to TTL's corporate headquarters in Hong Kong were unreturned.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
KITTY TAI ESCAPED WITH DAUGHTER ON MAINLAND BILLIONAIRE'S PLANE
Hong Kong
âThe Los Angeles Police Department, together with officials at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, can now confirm that the Boeing 747-81 used in the alleged “kidnapping” of heiress Gisele Tai by her mother, Kitty Tai, was owned by Chinese industrialist Jack Bing.
Mr. Bing, who is said to be worth upward of $21 billion, apparently lent Mrs. Tai his $350 million jet at the behest of a mutual friend. Mr. Bing's spokesperson today issued this statement: “Mr. Bing lends his planes from time to time to various individuals and organizations on humanitarian grounds. Mr. Bing is not acquainted with Mrs. Tai in any way, but was urged to provide the plane for what he understood to be a humanitarian rescue mission. Neither Mr. Bing nor his family has played any role whatsoever in what is a private family matter between the Tais.”
After a brief refueling stop in Shanghai, Bing's jet landed in Singapore, where representatives for Mrs. Tai say she intends to divorce Bernard Tai and sue for shared custody of her daughter. Tai, who arrived in Singapore earlier today, has already countersued and filed kidnapping charges in both Los Angeles and Singapore.
Giving a brief statement after landing at Changi Airport, Tai, whose face appears to be drastically altered by cosmetic surgery, said, “My wife has never played an active role in the raising of our daughter, and this is a well-documented fact that can be confirmed just by looking at any society magazine to see all the events my wife attends in Asia while her daughter has been in Los Angeles. Gisele has spent most of her conscious life in Los Angeles, and she is missing out on valuable learning and developmental opportunities. This is a tragedy of epic proportions and
Gisele needs to be immediately returned to those who truly love her and care for her.”
Mrs. Tai was unavailable for comment.
NOBLESTMAGAZINE.COM.CN
The latest scoop from China's most trusted society columnist, Honey Chai
Is everyone sitting down? Because I have so many scoops for you that we might as well make a giant banana split! First scoop, and you heard it here FIRST:
Mrs. Bernard Tai
, aka
Kitty Pong
, is the mistress of
Jack Bing!
Extremely reliable sources tell me that Pong and Bing have been carrying on for quite a while now; they met two years ago atâget this
âthe funeral of Kitty's father-in-law
,
Dato' Tai Toh Lui!
Tai was a great mentor of Bing's, and apparently sparks
really
flew at the crematorium when Jack met Kitty. Meanwhile, a devastated Mrs. Bing has reportedly checked into the health spa at Brenners Park-Hotel in Baden-Baden, Germany.
Colette Bing
, who by all accounts is furious with her father, has also left Shanghai and was last seen canoodling with a certain notorious playboy at a club in Ibiza.
Which brings me to my next hot scoop: Everyone on the planet has by now seen the leaked video of Colette's epic takedown by an unidentified woman. It's the video that made Prêt-à -Couture cancel the multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with Colette. I can now reveal that this woman, whose monologue has become a rallying cry for every non-billionaire in China (and unfortunately, there are still quite a few of us who didn't make it onto the
Heron Wealth List
!), is none other than
Rachel Chu
, the
sister
of Colette's ex-paramour
Carlton Bao
. (Everyone still with me here?) Anyway, the video also led to Carlton and Colette's breakup, and when I asked Carlton how he felt the other night at DR Bar, he gave me a frown and said, “What breakup? I've always said that Colette wasn't my girlfriend. But she was a good friend at a time I really needed one, and I wish her the best.” That's a classy response in my book.
Speaking of classy, Carlton's parents,
Bao Gaoliang
and his wife,
Bao Shaoyen
, hosted a farewell dinner party at Yong Foo
Elite last night for his daughter, Rachel Chu, and her husband,
Professor Nicholas Young
, who would be heading back to New York shortly. There wasn't a dry eye in the splendid art deco room when Bao made an emotional toast to his “long lost” daughter, recounting the harrowing story of his youth and how he rescued his infant daughter and her mother from the clutches of an abusive family. The glittering crowd of China's top political and financial powerhouse families clapped wildly after his speech, including Hong Kong's tech titan
Charles Wu
. Wu, who stunned
le tout
Hong Kong by announcing his separation from his wife, Isabel, just weeks ago, spent the whole night glued to the side of a beautiful lady wearing the most drop-dead-gorgeous pleated white dress. Many at the party seemed to know her, but I was never able to catch her name.
When I can mention Yong Foo Elite, abusive families, and girls in white dresses in the same breath, I know it's time to end my column. In the meantime, stay tuned for more updates on the Bing-Pong affair. I just know there will be more bombshells hurtling our way once all the legal teams get involved!
“What in God's name are you doing?” Corinna screeched when she was finally able to reach Kitty.
“I take it you've read this morning's paper? Or did you read Honey Chai's latest post?” Kitty said with a giggle.
“You sound almost as if you're proud of yourself!”
“I
am
proud of myself! I finally got Gisele away from Bernard.”
“But you've completely sabotaged all the work we've done! This scandal is going to do untold damage to your reputation in Hong Kong!” Corinna moaned.
“You know, I no longer care about all that. Ada Poon can have Hong Kong all to herselfâI'm in Singapore now, and there are all these lovely international people here who have lots of fun and don't give a damn about local society. And I've just moved into a fabulous new house on Cluny Park Road. Actually, it's a very old house, but you know what I mean.”
“Oh my goodnessâyou're the mysterious buyer of the Frank Brewer house?”
“Haha. Yes, although just between you and me, it was a gift from Jack.”
“So Honey Chai isn't making it up. You
are
Jack Bing's mistress!”
“I'm not his mistress, I'm his
girlfriend
. Jack has been a wonderful friend to me. He has bought me many lovely things, and he has rescued me and my daughter from the hellhole that was Mar Vista. Funny that the neighborhood was called thatâit means âview of the sea,' but the only view we ever had was of that damn 405 freeway.”
Corinna sighed. “I guess I can't blame you for escaping from there. How is Gisele doing?”
“She's as happy as any little girl can be. She's in the garden playing on the swing with her grandmother. And she's been discovering wonderful things, like pineapple tarts and Barbie dolls.”
“Well, I hope you won't come to regret your actions,” Corinna said worriedly.
“Higher, I think. Sorry, what were you saying, Corinna?” Kitty asked, momentarily distracted.
“I saidâ¦oh never mind. I hope you can work things out with Bernard amicably.”
“What does âamicably' mean?”
“Friendly, peacefully.”
“I don't want a war with Bernard. I just want him to be able to share Gisele with me, that's all.”
“That's the spirit. Anyway, good luck, and be sure to call me the next time you're in Hong Kong.”
“We'll take Gisele for high tea at the Four Seasons!”
“No, the Mandarin. Always the Mandarin. And don't say âhigh tea'âhigh tea is only for factory workers. It's âafternoon tea.'â”
“Of course. Whatever you say, Corinna.”
Kitty hung up the phone and took a few steps back. “You know, Oliver, you were right. It didn't need to be higher. Let's move it all back to where you had it originally.”
Oliver T'sien winked at her. “I was right when I told you to buy this house, and I was right when I told you to buy the painting, wasn't I? I always imagined it looking utterly exquisite against this wall. It's all about how the light filters in through those old lead-glass windows.”
“You're right, it's all going to be utterly exquisite,” Kitty said, gazing out the window as the workmen began rehanging
The Palace of Eighteen Perfections
on her drawing-room wall.