꧁ Cʀᴏᴏᴋs: Bᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴇᴅ ʙʏ Bʟᴏᴏᴅ ꧂

14. Dʀᴇss ᴜᴘ

Four days later... Wednesday

I received a letter in the mail and it's either about to tell me I got the job or I didn't. I anxiously tore it open, my hands trembling as I read: 'We regret to inform you that'...

I didn't need to read any further than that to know what my answer was. And as I glanced down at the text below it, you wanna know why I was denied? I guess they figured out I had a criminal background, likely recognizing my name from headlines or something. God who knows I don't know what goes into that stuff. All I know is that I can't explain myself because they've already made up their mind.

What do I tell Michael? I can't have him knowing anything about what happened. But how am I supposed to explain why they rejected me? Will I ever just get to live a normal life without my past getting in the way, for christ's sake? Is that too much to ask?

I mean, I know it's really not that big of a deal. There's other jobs out there, other chances. But it still sucks, no one believes my side of the story. Now I'm left to suffer the consequences of someone else, and that someone I still haven't found yet. Maybe it won't be this way, this was just one unfortunate event, not the end of the world. There's still hope, I shouldn't be so pessimistic so soon.

Besides, I'm going shopping with Lucy and Rose today. The date is in two days, which makes me both extremely excited and nervous. Not that I'm not looking forward to it, but having to explain to him that I didn't get the job is a conversation I'd really prefer not to have. Maybe he won't ask about it. But I have better things to focus on right now.

We first went to a boutique shop to search for dresses, because I lacked any type of nice clothes. There was a space dedicated for dresses of so many kinds, ranging from casual and sweet to glamorous and bold. I felt like a child in a toy store, eagerly scanning up and down the aisles.

"Alright, now we gotta find something that screams YOU. How about you choose a few and me and Rose will pick some we think you'll like, and you can try them all on, sound good?"

I nodded, and we both split into two different aisles. I needed to find something that would not just impress him, but impress me. I wanted to find something that would make me feel like a princess, but I have no idea where to even start.

I ran my fingers across each one, feeling the fabrics and examining their own uniqueness. They were all so alluring, with each one holding its own beauty and individuality. I tried to decide on a few to pick out: should I go for the endearing pink sundress? Or maybe the black silky dress? Elegant and sweet or bold and mysterious?

I glanced at Lucy and Rose chatting with one another as they pulled out one of their choices, enthusiastic. I reminded myself that it's not just about finding some dress. This was a new beginning for me, and I deserve to find something that will make me feel beautiful as I step into a new chapter in my life- a chapter of finding myself, and embracing my own individuality.

Each piece of fabric I examined was a symbol of hope for me, and I slowly started to select a few that stood out to me one by one.

I picked out three I wanted to try on, and Lucy picked two. We hurried to the changing room to start trying them all on. I started with one that I selected:

Flowy, light, and was a nice lavender color. I had mixed opinions so I turned to Lucy and Rose, who both agreed it wasn't my color.

Then the next one was one they picked out: a floral wrap dress with a pinkish color to it. It was a tight fit but I guess not bad. They agreed it looked cute, but I needed something more. It wasn't it. The second dress they chose was a black silky dress that I'm pretty sure Lucy secretly wanted herself. It was way too raunchy for a first date; Rose's comment was "classy not trashy, love". I think I know which one of them picked that dress.