Moments ago, they were at the hospital. Now, Maddison found herself in one of the largest malls in the city, Luxor Palace. The building had eight floors, each level specialized in a different area.
Maddison was overwhelmed. There were luxury brands she had seen and never heard of before, all in one place. Amelia looked particularly excited to have someone with her.
"How would you describe your style, Maddison?" Amelia asked.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she spoke. Maddison didn't know how to reply. She pondered over it for a moment while she looked down at what she was wearing.
"I guess practical and affordable?" She replied with an awkward laugh.
She had never thought much about the way she dressed. Lucky for her, anything she wore looked great so she didn't pay much mind. So long as the clothes were comfortable, presentable, and affordable, Maddison would add them to her closet.
Amelia frowned as she shook her head, "That won't do. We need to get you something that screams you! Come, follow me!"
She pulled Maddison into the mall, past several stores, and up the escalator. They were clearly heading towards a specific shop but soon came to a screeching halt.
"Amelia? Amelia King?" The person whom they bumped into spoke first.
He was a handsome young man, dressed in an expensive suit. Maddison watched as the confident Amelia King was lost for words. She noticed the slight blush on her cheeks as the young man smiled back at her.
"Dace? Why are you here?" Amelia blurted out.
She bit her lip, nervously flipping her hair as she waited for the man to respond.
"I was just here to pick up something for my-" Dace got cut off when a woman in a revealing dress walked up and wrapped her hands around his arm.
Amelia's expression instantly changed to one of discussion. She wore her heart on her sleeve and she did not like the woman Dace was with.
"Dace, I want to get that one," She said in a poison-sweet voice.
Maddison felt shivers going down her spine. Dace looked uncomfortable by the woman's sudden actions. He looked flustered too when he glanced over at Amelia. He opened his mouth to speak, but Amelia didn't give him a chance.
"It was nice meeting you here, but we need to go now. Bye," She said coldly before grabbing Maddison by the arm and walking off.
Dace called out to Amelia from behind but she didn't turn back. Maddison played along in silence, realizing she was upset. But she could not stop herself from looking back. Dace's eyes never left Amelia.
He wanted to say something, but the woman he was with kept distracting him.
Maddison bit her lip as she turned back to see that Amelia had pulled her into one of the designer shops.
"This shop should be a good place to start. You look around while I uh.. Look around here!" Amelia said, seemingly ignoring everything that had happened earlier.
Maddison nodded and went to look at the pieces. Everything screamed luxury on the racks. There were so many options in so many different styles. Feeling a little overwhelmed, she wanted to get Amelia's help.
When she turned around to look for her, Amelia was nowhere to be found. With no other choice, Maddison approached a sales assistant instead.
"Hi, could you-"
Before she could even finish asking, the sales assistant walked away to serve another customer who had just walked in. Maddison bit her lip. She simply walked over to someone else for some help.
The same thing happened.
She didn't need anyone to tell her she wasn't welcome in the shop. Maddison let out a sigh. She had expected something like this to happen, especially with the way she was dressed. Still, she didn't let it sour her mood.
Since no one would help her, she was determined to find something on her own.
"Don't approach her, Stella! She's probably just browsing anyway!"
Maddison didn't look up. She knew from the conversation the two sales assistants were talking about her. She continued browsing the rack as she listened in.
"She was clearly looking for assistance! Jason and Penny walked away from her when she approached, didn't you see?"
A few moments later, a sales assistant entered her peripheral vision.
"Hi miss, is there anything I can help you with?" It was the sales assistant named Stella.
Maddison gave her a grateful smile.
"Yes, I'm looking for something that would suit me. Would you be able to recommend me something?" She asked.
Stella lit up, "Of course! Please follow me."
She brought Maddison further into the store.
"Miss, is there a price range you're working with?"
Maddison paused for a moment. She had not considered that before. Recalling what Amelia had asked Elias earlier, she figured there wasn't really a limit.
"Not really, no."
The sales assistant looked a little skeptical but she didn't back away. She continued to bring Maddison to review some of the latest pieces in the store. That was when a dress caught her eye.
She could not help herself, her body moved on its own. Maddison felt the fabric of the dress against her skin. It was cool to the touch and under the spotlight, it looked stunning! Something told her Elias would like it too.
"Can I try this one on?" Maddison asked.
"Of course!" Stelle replied, "Let me get it for you."
"Stella, what are you doing?!" a voice from behind shouted.
Both of them turned to see who it was. It was Penny, one of the sales assistants from earlier who walked away from Maddison. Stella looked shocked when she was yelled at. Maddison didn't appreciate it either.
She watched as Penny pulled Stella aside to speak to her.
"That dress is only for our special customers!" Penny reminded her sternly.
"Yes, I know that. But-"
"Does she look like she can afford the dress?" Penny asked again as she folded her arms.
Maddison knew exactly what was happening. Back when she was still with Hugo, the same thing happened. She could not help but let out a sigh. She didn't want to make a scene, especially when the paparazzi were hot on her tail but it didn't look like she had a choice.
"Penny is it?" Maddison asked as she walked up to the sales assistant.
"Assistant General Manager Penny, yes, that's me," She replied haughtily.
"I would like to pay for the dress before I purchase it. Would that suffice?" Maddison asked with a grin.
Penny could not believe her ears. She burst out laughing. Stella didn't know what to say. She was speechless by the assistant manager's behavior! No matter the financial background of a customer, no one should ever be treated like this.
"Pay for the dress? It's a $20,000 dress, miss. Are you sure you can afford it?"