23

Clarence felt his warning as she fixed her gaze on the salesperson. He would see to it that she was fired if she was unable to perform her duties properly. He was, after all, a guy in a powerful position. Thus, the salesperson quickly picked out the most elegant dress in the store and led Stella to the changing area.

"This is the most expensive dress we have, so I'll help you change."

"No, I can do it myself." Even as a little child, Stella never liked having people around her once she shifted.

The salesperson turned pale. "What's the matter with you? You'll have to pay for it if you ruin this outfit because it's so expensive."

"What? Examine your attire. They're just clothes from a department store. Without that man out there, you would never be able to shop here!"

Stella changed on her own a few times, and the salesperson realized she was a target for bullying, so she took a gamble. Stella remained silent.

The salesperson's accurate assessment of her embarrassed her. “All okay, handle it yourself. Don't blame me later, please."

She hurled the gown towards Stella and shut the door forcefully. For a few moments, Stella held the garment in a fog before putting it on.

As the woman put it, the dress was quite fashionable and not at all like the "old-people" ones. Holding the dress' hemline, she moved out in the direction Clarence had been waiting for.

However, nobody was present. Stella’s heart felt empty. How far away did he go? Had he left her because of the way she appeared in the dresses? Before anybody else saw her, she turned and headed back toward the changing rooms.

Prior to going too far, she heard a well-known voice next to one of the mirrors. "Honey, how do I look in this?"

"Is that a legitimate query? Babe, you look stunning in everything."

Unaware of what she was doing, Stella paused in her tracks and moved in the direction of the voices. To have a better look at the two talking, she moved to the side of the heavy curtain. She swiftly ascertained that the other woman and Shawn were the ones. The woman was so pregnant that it was obvious she wouldn't fit in the clothes in her hand as they hugged on a bench and studied one item of clothing.

"What a shame I can't wear this right now."

"Pls purchase it. Once you give birth, you can wear it."

"Honey, you're so good to me."

Stella’s hands clenched. She had never heard Shawn say such kind words to her. She was unaware that she would run into them. The other woman had her eyes turned toward her.

Stella ran for her life. She turned back and, by happenstance, ran into the store employee. The saleswoman collapsed, and without thinking, she grabbed Stella’s dress and pulled her along with her.

The sound of the dress tearing apart was the most dismal thing they had ever heard as they fell. Everyone in the store, including Shawn and that woman, turned to look at the ruckus.

When the salesperson saw the outfit was destroyed, she became quite anxious. She stood up and gave

Stella a scowl. "Are you aware of the price of this dress? You intentionally did this."

Stella was still in disbelief. She made an effort to hide from everyone's looks, but especially from the pair, because she didn't want them to know she was there as well. They ran into each other because she was unaware that someone was following her.

When the saleswoman looked down after hearing the charge, she saw that a decoration that had been covering her shoulder had been ripped off. Stella hastily covered her shoulder and apologized as she noticed others gathered around her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it!"

The salesperson scoffed. "You apologize. This is the best item here; it arrived yesterday from Italy. It was more than fifty thousand dollars. You apologize, but it's not enough. Do you know how to make it right?"

Stella spoke softly while biting her lip. "I will fix it, I promise."

"How? Describe!"

The salesperson yelled as the group of people grew closer together. When Stella heard the whispers going about her, the room kind of swirled around with embarrassment.

"Why, isn't it Charlotte?" The lady holding Shawn chuckled.

"I assumed you wore solely items from discount stores. How come you're here? Was it your intention to rip that dress?”

With her eyes wide open, the crew heard her out and said, "What the hell? Did you mean for this to happen? You will pay for this clothing, which is at least fifty thousand dollars."

The second female laughed. "How is she going to pay for it? Her salary is merely three thousand. She can't even afford the cheap crap now that she lost her job."

Stella took another bite at her lip. Was everything that Shawn told that woman true?

"Stella, grovel before Shawn if you are unable to pay for the dress. For the sake of nostalgia, perhaps he will give you some cash."

She shook her hands. She turned to face Shawn in the interim. Shawn looked both astonished and uncomfortable when they locked eyes. After two years of marriage, despite a waning love, they continued to regard each other as family.

Shawn felt sorry for Stella when she was made fun of. However...

"Shawn, are you gonna help her?" He bowed to admire Nora’s endearing visage.

As he pulled her into his arms, he coughed. "I won't assist any other woman save you, baby. She also believes that helping someone who attempted to cause a commotion is not worth it."

Her ears were pierced by those words like needles. Stella’s gnawed on her lip until it bled.

“I know she's a pain in the ass, but she looks so impoverished right now, honey. Will they hold her here if she doesn't pay for that dress?" Nora’s remarks served as a prompt.

With her phone out, the staff member said, "I'm calling the police right now."

Stella’s brow lifted. The law enforcement agency?

"What a conceited bastard. She smashes things when she is denied them. Naturally, you need to contact the police," said an observer.

"All right. Take a look at her untidy hair. How did you allow her to enter this location?"

"It seems like modern women lack common sense. Did she try these outfits on in an attempt to feel affluent? She now has no money to fix it after ruining it. incredibly funny. To prevent her from committing the same crimes again, the police must educate this woman."

Stella felt ashamed and scrutinized by the jeering laughs all around her. After spending so much time at the bottom, she lost confidence as soon as she entered the upscale store. On top of it, Clarence and Joseph vanished.

She was unsure of the reason. Perhaps she was hopeless, which is why they dumped her. She was dying from the negativity. Tears welled up in her eyes, burning.

Her head hung in shame from the nasty remarks made by the observers. Her entire body trembled, and she thought she may pass out. Every time she felt anxious or desperate, she was known to get vertigo. She could hardly see her hands on her lap due to her fuzziness. She was enveloped by darkness. Then her body fell to one side, and she was grasped by enormous hands.