"Mr. Vance has asked to buy this dress for his fiancée —Mrs. Vance." The staff said to me. Mrs. Vance? So who am I? And behind me, a young woman was wearing the wedding dress I'd designed for myself. ********** I was checking my custom-made wedding dress at the bridal boutique. I'm a fashion designer. I spent six months making my own gown, for a perfect, once-in-a-lifetime wedding. And a young and pretty girl walked in. The staff told me, "She's rejected ninety-nine dresses in the last three months." "And she has a husband funding every single tantrum." I saw the staff scramble to flatter her. "This one." She turned around and saw my dress. The manager told her that it is personalized customization with an apologetic smile. She pulled out her phone and made a call. Three minutes later, the manager came back to me and said in a low voice. "Ms. Valerie, her husband already acquired the building's retail rights. He asked to buy her the wedding dress." I didn't agree. How could I possibly agree to that? One of the staff leaned close and murmured, "Valerie, you might want to think this over. She's Mrs. Vance. Stella Vance. She is the fiancée of the Vance Group's CEO. It's not worth the friction." Mrs. Vance? So who am I? I didn't answer. I turned to the manager instead. "Get me the contract, please." She handed over the folder. I flipped straight to the last page. There it was. A signature I would recognize anywhere. Bold, slanted, unmistakable. Dominic Vance. My blood ran cold. My fiancé, Dominic, was cheating on me. My knees buckled. I grabbed a glass of water and forced the panic down my throat. I looked up at the girl. She was watching me with a small and satisfied smile. "You're a designer, right?" she said pleasantly. "Imagine the exposure when people see your dress at my wedding. Could really put your name on the map." I stared at her for a long moment. Then I said yes. Stella clapped her hands and headed toward the private dressing room. I offered to do her makeup. "My husband doesn't let me share a vanity with other clients," she said, waving me in. "Everything in here—he had it all bought fresh. Brand new, just for me." I smiled. "He spoils you." She pouted, but her eyes were glowing. "He could at least show up when I try on dresses. I've been here so many times, and today he's too busy." The staff laughed flatterly. "Mr. Vance has come almost every single time. Today must be a real emergency." Stella's pout melted into a grin. "Fine. He would be here if he could." I picked up the brush and started on her brows. She glanced at me in the mirror. "Hey—was that dress supposed to be a gift for someone? Why did the staff say it wasn't for sale?" I paused. Then I smiled. "I designed it for myself." Stella blinked. For a moment she actually looked embarrassed. "Oh. I'm so sorry." She said sorry. But she didn't look like she was letting go of the dress. She caught my eye in the mirror and gave me a little cute wink. "It's just—you know how picky I am. I've turned down nearly a hundred dresses. This is the first one I've loved." She tilted her head. "You're so talented. I'm sure you can design yourself something even better. I believe in you!" I laughed softly and shook my head. "It's fine," I said. "I'm not in a rush."
When I was working on her brows, Stella's phone rang. She put it on speaker. A familiar male voice filled the room. "Hey, baby. How's the fitting going?" The voice was full of affection. He used to talk to me like that. Back when we first moved in together, he'd wake up before me every morning just to whisper in my ear. Valerie. Time to get up. When I ignored him, he'd blow air on my face and tickle me until we were both laughing. I turned my head away. I was afraid Stella would see my tears. Stella pouted at the phone. "Still in the middle of it. Baby, you're really missing out. The dress is unbelievable. I wish you were here." "I'm sorry, sweetheart." His voice was gentle. "Board meeting this afternoon. I can't get out of it. Next time, I promise." "No!" Stella whined. "I finally found one I love. You can't miss this." A short pause. Then he sighed and gave in. "Alright. I'll come as soon as it wraps. Okay?" Stella broke into a grin. Last night I told Dominic I was picking up the finished dress today. I asked him to come with me more than once. He pinched the bridge of his nose and gave me four words. "Don't be so needy." Then he walked back to the bedroom and closed the door. And now Stella bats her eyes once, and he folds completely. His schedule wasn't the problem. I was. Stella giggled into the phone a little longer, then hung up. The staff member beside her sighed dreamily. "Mrs. Vance, the way Mr. Vance treats you—it's honestly unfair to the rest of us." Stella smiled, satisfied. Then she looked at me. "What about you? When's your wedding?" Before I could answer, another designer walked in carrying accessories. She'd never liked me much. She laughed. "Her wedding? We've been watching her design and custom-fit this dress for months. Not once has anyone seen this so-called fiancé of hers. Honestly, who knows if he even exists." She turned to Stella, all warmth. "Not everyone's as blessed as you, Mrs. Vance. Mr. Vance runs a whole empire and still finds time for all of this." I looked down and said nothing. Because she was right. Dominic and I hadn't even set a date. Every step of this had been me—just me, planning a wedding for two people. Stella frowned. She seemed genuinely annoyed on my behalf. "Your fiancé doesn't help at all? You're doing everything alone? That's not okay. You really need to think hard about whether this is the right person." She meant well. But the satisfaction underneath it was hard to miss. I smiled anyway. "You're right. I'll think it over." I turned it back on her. "What about you? Have you set a date?" Stella thought for a moment. "Sometime in the fall. We already handled the legal part. He took care of everything—I just got to pick what I liked." I stilled. "You already made it official?" "May 1st." She stuck out her tongue a little, almost shy. "I love that day. He had a flight booked and I refused to let him cancel it—I mean, go. " She laughed at herself. "Am I too childish? My mom always says I never grew up. But Dominic says that's exactly what he loves. " "He wants to spoil me, protect me. He says I should spend my whole life without a single worry." She smiled. Bright and easy and completely unbothered. My chest went cold. May 1st. My birthday. I'd booked his favorite restaurant and waited until midnight. He texted at eleven: running late, don't wait up. I didn't dig into it. I told myself it was work. But I never expected on my birthday, he was with her. Making it official and promising her a lifetime. I've been with Dominic since I was eighteen. Ten years. In the beginning, he couldn't wait to marry me. He used to joke that he was counting down the days until I was old enough to make it legal. And then he stopped mentioning it altogether. Now I know why. He'd already made his promise to someone else. Once, under a sky full of fireworks, he got down on one knee. He slid the ring onto my finger and said he would love me, protect me, and never let anything hurt me. Now he has made the same vow to another woman.
Stella stepped into the fitting room to change. I went in to help her tie the back and she suddenly lowered her voice. "Could you let the waist out a little?" I looked at her in the mirror. "It fits you perfectly. Letting it out would change the whole silhouette." Stella hesitated. Then she leaned in close. "I'm pregnant. Dominic doesn't know yet. I want to surprise him at the wedding." She met my eyes in the mirror. "By then I'll be showing. If we don't adjust it now, it'll be too late. Please don't say anything." I stood there for a long moment, not moving. She was pregnant. Dominic had gotten another woman pregnant. Stella stroked her stomach with a quiet, happy smile. That smile hurt to look at. I mumbled something and slipped out of the fitting room. I leaned against the door. Two years ago, I was pregnant too. Dominic said it was bad timing. Vance Group was restructuring. He said a baby right now would complicate everything. So I ended it. Because he asked me to. And now Stella was carrying his child. I caught myself thinking something ugly: maybe when he finds out, he won't be so happy about it either. Then Stella's phone lit up on the vanity table. Dominic's name on the screen. "Can you grab that?" Stella called from inside. "I can't move in this thing." I hesitated. And then something dark rose up in me. What would he do if he heard my voice? I picked up the phone. "Hello?" I'd been crying earlier. My voice came out low and rough. Dominic didn't recognize me at all. "Who's this?" I almost laughed. Fine. I'd play it out. "I'm one of the bridal boutique staff. Ms. Stella stepped into the fitting room. Is there anything I need to tell her?" He didn't suspect a thing. "Nothing, just letting her know I'm sending afternoon tea over. Make sure she eats something. I don't want her feeling faint." His voice was so careful and attentive. "Is Ms. Stella not feeling well? Is there anything we should watch out for?" A brief pause. "She's pregnant. She thinks I don't know. I don't want to spoil her surprise. Just keep an eye on her. That's all." I hung up. I sank down slowly until I was crouching on the floor, both hands over my face. Tears slipped through my fingers. So he did want children. Just not mine. Valerie. All those years. And you never saw it. Stella came out of the fitting room. She was breathtaking. My dress was made to my measurements. And it fit her like it was always meant for her. Just like the man I had chosen. We had the same taste. The staff crowded around her, gushing. Stella loved every second of it. She lifted the hem, did a slow spin, then snapped a photo and sent it to Dominic. Baby, look at this dress. Good eye, right? His reply came back almost instantly. Beautiful. Wear it home for me. The staff smiled. "Oh my god, Mrs. Vance—you two are so cute. I can't stand it!" Stella went a little pink and didn't reply.
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