Finally, she straightened out the hem of the dress and tried to relieve the awkwardness in the air. “It will be fine once we change the size later.”
Joan checked out herself in the mirror. The dress was more elegant and beautiful than it was in the display window, and she appeared more sophisticated because of it. Suddenly, she looked down at Abigail who was busy smoothing out the dress for her. “How long have you known my husband?”
Abigail paused mid-action before standing up straight and raising her brows. “He said that he got the wrong person.”
Joan relaxed and looked less wary as she regarded Abigail through the mirror. “You’re right. He’s so busy every day and I doubt that he has the time to befriend a small shop assistant like you.” Abigail merely smiled, and Joan added, “It’s probably quite tough to work in such a competitive place. Do you get paid by commission?”
Abigail answered in a perfunctory manner while carefully adjusting the belt for Joan, “The job is alright, but I don’t get any commission.”
Joan’s eyes lit up. “Oh, are you the store manager?”
Abigail thought it over for a couple of seconds as she said, “You can put it that way.” Between her and Luna, one was in charge of the internal workings of the store while the other was responsible for the external affairs, so she could be considered as the store manager as well.
Then, Joan slowly bent down, fished out a business card from her purse, and said alluringly, “My husband kind of likes the designs by Alana and would like to order dresses from her for the long term for me, but I only want Alana’s custom designs. If it’s possible, will you help me set up a bridge between us and Alana? My husband is the president of Graham International and money is not an issue. Plus, I can help you get more customers, too.”
Irony washed over Abigail. Does Sean like my designs? Then, does he know that the designer he wants for Joan is the wife he despised and spent three years with?
She didn’t take the business card from Joan’s hand and said in an aloof tone, “Since your husband is so amazing, he should be able to contact Alana himself. Why don’t you ask him for this favor?”
Joan was furious as she didn’t expect a lowly store manager to reject her. So, she kept the business card away, saying sarcastically, “That’s true. I forgot that people of your station won’t have the chance to meet a well-known designer like that.” Then, she shoved Abigail out of the changing room and happened to bump into Sean who was coming over. Immediately, she put on a timid face, as though she was mistreated, and pouted piteously. “Sean, will you please get me someone else? She has a really bad attitude.”
Sean glanced at Abigail as he furrowed his attractive brows tightly, wondering about her purpose here. Why is she doing such a servile job? Moreover, having to face fussy customers. It is a stark contrast to her life with us, the Grahams!
Still, he couldn’t help but sneer. “Stop following others and dive into the service industry if you can’t stay humble.”
His words pricked Abigail like a thorn. These two simply are capable of turning things upside down in perfect harmony, aren’t they?
She curled the corner of her lower lip as she said in a somewhat impolite tone, “Very well, then. I shall let another person serve you. Hopefully, you can successfully ask for Alana’s contact and subsequently introduce more clients to us.”
Abigail left the fitting room area immediately after she finished saying that. Then, she called over an assistant to replace her. Before the assistant entered, she specifically made it clear saying, “Don’t mention my identity when you go in later.” After a momentary pause, she added spitefully, “And if they ask why, tell them that Alana’s husband has just passed away, so she currently isn’t in the mood to design any dresses.” Asking for a chance to meet Alana? Dream on!
The assistant swiftly took the order and walked to the fitting room area. Right then, she heard Joan complaining to Sean. “What’s with her attitude?! I asked her for Alana’s number because I genuinely love this wedding dress. Yet, she responded in such a manner! I can’t believe store attendants nowadays are all so ill-mannered.”
Sean felt his head aching from Joan’s whining. “Why do you want to argue with a store employee? I will ask someone to get Alana’s number and then ask her to come and meet you. Okay?”
The assistant involuntarily pursed her lips and secretly criticized, How hilarious! Ms. Alana was right in front of you moments ago, but you just had to offend her. And now, you still want her to design your dresses?!
So, she conveyed Abigail’s message. “I’m sorry, but Ms. Alana’s husband has just passed away. So, she doesn’t feel like meeting guests at the moment.”
Suddenly, Sean felt his right eyelid twitch. “We shall wait until she’s ready, then.” Alana has just become a widow? That’s quite unfortunate, indeed.
…
Thanks to the distress caused by Sean, Abigail no longer felt sleepy. Hence, she called Luna, “Hey, I have made 1.3 million worth of profit today! So, hurry over and throw me a celebratory party!”
As soon as Luna heard what Abigail said, she knew Abigail had successfully sold the wedding dress. Well, she’s in the midst of a divorce with him. It’s good that she sold it to someone else.
Even so, curiosity got the best of her. Therefore, she asked, “Which unfortunate – Bah! Which magnificent customer has generously bought it?”
“Sean.” Abigail smiled wryly. “He bought it for Joan.”
Luna couldn’t help but screech into the phone, “Why did you still sell it?!”
Abigail couldn’t suppress the tears from welling up in her eyes. Still, she raised her head and struggled to hold them back. “Who cares? We have made a huge profit, haven’t we? That money alone can sustain our expenses for a year!” It was just that Abigail never expected that the thing that she had worked hard for three years would end up in another woman’s possession. Well, I can’t say I didn’t gain anything out of it, can I? At least I sold the dress for 1.3 million. 1.3… January 3rd, the day Sean and I applied for our marriage license at the City Hall. Then again, Sean probably has long forgotten about the date.
In the evening, Abigail did her level best to get wasted. Luna also drank the alcohol like a champ for the sake of keeping Abigail company. As a result, she passed out on the ground.
So, after sending Luna home in a cab, Abigail hailed another one and returned to the studio. However, halfway through the journey, she suddenly remembered that Sean hadn’t seen the divorce settlement. Thus, she figured that she had to go back, take it, and send it over. Hence, she immediately asked the driver to change their destination to the ‘home’ where she had stayed for three years.
After the driver pulled over at the apartment’s front gate, Abigail paid the driver and staggered her way into the building. As soon as she entered the house, a strong force pressed her against the door, followed by her lips getting domineeringly kissed by a man.
Although she was definitely wasted, the familiar scent and burning body heat that assailed her nostrils made her have the urge to burst into tears. His initiative and enthusiasm would have sent her on cloud nine if it was a few days ago.
Yet, all her passion instantly disappeared as soon as she remembered him showing up in the studio with Joan and accompanying her to try on the wedding dress before her eyes in the afternoon.
So, she raised her hand and shoved the man in front of her away with all her strength. Then, she wiped her mouth in disgust. “How desperate are you?! Did Joan not satisfy you enough?”
Sean had obviously just returned home as he was still wearing the suit from this afternoon. He stared at the woman in front of him with sullen eyes as he asked, “What about you? You said you were going to divorce me, right? So, why are you still here in the middle of the night? What’s the matter? You can’t stand the hardship of your current job?”
When she sensed the disdain in his words, she balled her hand into fists, which hung by her side, tightly. “The pay isn’t as great, but the suffering is really far from when I was working for you,” she said snappishly.
Then, she bypassed Sean, headed inside, and turned on the lights in the living room. After she grabbed the divorce settlement and the cards that were on the coffee table, she stuffed them into his arms and snarled, “I came back here to get these. I’m glad that you’re here. That way, I won’t have to make an extra trip tomorrow.”
Sean felt agitated as he glanced at the divorce settlement and the several cards in his hand. I simply thought she was just throwing a tantrum. How dare she think of divorcing me!
“Are you being serious right now?” He held back his anger and managed to ask through his teeth.
Abigail quirked a brow at him and replied nonchalantly, “I am dead serious. Sign it, and we will go through the procedures when both of us are free later.”
Sean looked at his wife before his eyes relentlessly as he thought, We have been married for three years, and Abigail has been fulfilling her duty as Mrs. Graham. She’s well-behaved, obedient, and kind to my family members. More so, she pleases me in every possible way. Yet, she’s like a different person now.
As he regarded her fair and lustrous face painted with impatience that was completely different from before and listened to the icy cold words that escaped her lips, he felt a knife stabbing through his heart as he realized that Abigail was truly looking forward to leaving him. So, he quickly retracted his gaze, turned around, and walked into the living room. “There’s no need for that. I will see you at the City Hall front entrance tomorrow at 9.00AM.” His indifferent voice sounded.
At first, Abigail thought that she was all prepared for this day. It was only at this moment that she truly realized that her heart was still in pain like it was getting pricked with thousands of needles. Half of her body went numb. In fact, she didn’t even know how she managed to walk out of the house.
She returned to the studio in a daze and lay on the bed, only to realize that her stomach was churning in pain after a while.
So, she hastily covered her mouth and rushed into the bathroom before vomiting everything she ate and drank earlier that evening. Still, the pain in her stomach worsened instead of being relieved.
To make matters worse, whenever she suffered from digestive troubles, she would feel nothing but excruciating pain. Since she hadn’t had a relapse for a long time, she had completely forgotten about the agony she would have to endure. Therefore, she didn’t even bother taking her stomach medicine with her when she moved out. At this moment, the journey from her bathroom to her bedside could result in her back drenching in a cold sweat. Still, she gritted her teeth and endured the pain as she grabbed her phone to call Luna.
To her dismay, Luna didn’t hear her phone ringing at all as she was sleeping like a log.
As she feared she would die of pain in the studio tonight, she eventually called Sean after a great deal of hesitation. However, no one picked up during the first call. Thus, she called again. This time, it was answered after the second ring, and a soft, waxy voice sounded from the other end of the phone. As soon as Abigail heard the voice, she could tell it was Joan. “Hello? Who is it?”
He was still alone when I left the apartment just now. Yet, he’s already with Joan within seconds! Damn it! I was out of my mind to think of asking Sean for help! Thus, Abigail swiftly silenced herself instead of answering.
When Joan heard no response on the other end, she tentatively asked, “Is it you, Abigail? Are you looking for Sean?”
As she had no intention of hearing Joan say something nonsense like Sean was taking a shower, she promptly hung up the phone. Then, she curled up on the carpet, frowned, and blocked all of Sean’s contact.
Then, she suddenly lost her vision and passed out once she placed her phone away.
…
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.