Sylvie
My jaw dropped in awe, but I was fast enough to regain my composure before Antonio could notice. It had actually happened. Antonio Carlos had asked me out after six whole months. Although he did specify that it wasn't a date, being seen together with him was more than enough for him. I wanted the other girls to know that sometimes, poor people do get something good in life.
"Certainly." I replied in my formal voice before flashing him a bright smile, one that he returned indifferently.
""Aren't you going to check them out? It's nothing special, just something normal."" Antonio warned. He was definitely trying to play it safe, so he wouldn't be embarrassed in a situation where I didn't like the dress. But that was probably never going to happen.
There were two dresses inside, and they were my exact size. I wanted to ask him how he got my measurements, but that would look as though I was undermining his good intentions.
"Thank you." I replied with a smile. I felt the need to change into one of the dresses just to show how appreciative I was. But before I did that, I wanted to select the prettiest out of the two dresses first.
My jaw dropped slightly, but this time Antonio had actually caught the look of shock on my face before I could hide it. He had said something about these dresses being 'normal', but these were beyond just normal clothing. It made me wonder what normal was for him, and also the sort of things he perceived to be costly, because this luxury was too much for me.
I pulled the second dress from the shiny box and my cheeks flushed red as the fine silk slipped through my fingers. This gown alone must have cost a fortune, probably more than all the dresses I had back at home.
The fabric, a luxurious blend of rosy red silk and delicate lace, cascaded in gentle folds that whispered of elegance. I ran my fingers over the fabric once more and marveled at the meticulous craft skills, each stitch a testament to the artistry that went into creating such a masterpiece.
"You like that one?"" Antonio's voice interrupted my admiring session. "Maybe you should wear it for the party tonight. It should be good enough for the occasion,"" he suggested.
I had already made up my mind to wear them, whether it was up to the party's standards. Currently, it was the best dress that I had, and there was absolutely no way I could afford anything costlier than this without going bankrupt.
After checking out the dress with my eyes, I excused myself from his office and raced to mine to properly check them out. Amelie was still waiting for me when I arrived, and I was happy that she was around. She could give me her opinion on the dresses even though I knew they were already perfect.
"Did he get that for you?" She asked eagerly the moment her eyes caught sight of the gift bags in my arms.
Excitedly, I squealed, "Yes." before racing into the bathroom to change into the dress that Antonio had suggested I wear. The first thing I noticed the moment the silky dress perfectly laid on my body was that it was a bit too revealing. This was my first time wearing something that sexualized my body that much, and I wasn't exactly comfortable with the way I felt at the moment.
""It's beautiful! You definitely have to wear it!"" Amy squealed in excitement, but I wasn't exactly feeling it. I was the type of lady that dressed in the standard attire on every occasion, and this was definitely a first for me. I have seen a lot of models and celebrities wear similar dresses, and I definitely admired them all the time. However, I just wasn't comfortable with it on my own skin.
"What's with that look? If I didn't know better, I'd be saying you don't like it."" Amy commented as her eyes admired every curve on my body. The way her eyes moved on me made me uncomfortable, and that was exactly why I wasn't a fan of the dress. There would be a lot more than one person looking at me at the party if I appeared this way, and I was unsure if I could handle all that pressure.
"I'm not sure." I drawled out. "Don't you think it's a bit too revealing?"
"It's not! It's perfect!" Amy maintained firmly, and finally I was convinced. Antonio had said that it was good too, and he would know more about fashion than anybody. Aside from being the COO of Black Industries, he was also a top model known all over the world, even appearing on the cover of top magazines like Vogue twice now.
"Thank you, Amy. I wish you could be there with me all night," I said before wrapping my hands around her. She returned the gesture and smiled, she was like a little sister to me, and she always knew how to make me forget all my worries.
"We need to get you ready, it starts in less than two hours." Amy reminded me before pulling away from my embrace. I took all the advice I got from Amy, and even let her put one coat of mascara onto my eyelashes, as well as coat my lips with an extravagant-looking gloss that she had pulled from her purse. She was younger than I was, and people her age were more caught up with the trending fashion demands at the time. So I left myself at her mercy, hoping that she didn't go way too far with whatever she was doing.
Although I wanted to look my best, the trouble was that this high level of preparation took much longer than we'd expected. Instead of being ten minutes early like I'd always be, I had arrived at the party thirty minutes later. I was definitely among the last people to enter the room, and the first thing I noticed was the staring eyes.
For a millisecond, the room had fallen silent, but the buzz of conversation and music started almost immediately. Despite the noise, I could still hear my heartbeat pounding against my chest while I desperately searched for Antonio's figure. If I could at least stand by his side, I might be able to rid myself of this tension.
From the corner, a waiter appeared and offered me a drink, but I politely refused. It was weird for me, most of the time I was among the people serving and not those being served. It felt great to feel entitled, but that feeling disappeared the moment I caught sight of Antonio. He had another lady wrapped in his arms, their lips locked in a not-so-friendly kiss.
Different emotions welled up inside of me, but the most dominant one was rage. Without thinking, I stormed towards the table where he sat, while tears slowly began to gather at the corner of my eyes.
"A.. Antonio?"" I stammered just to get his attention. He turned to stare at his inquisitor, and I saw in his eyes no look of remorse.
Nonchalantly, he said, "Sylvie, you made it." Then he flashed me a brief smile before he returned to kissing the lady by his side. I had no idea why I did it, but I had yanked the unsuspecting lady by the hair and pulled her away from Antonio's arms. Enraged, the lady lashed out and slapped me across the face, but I didn't retaliate, I was too busy staring at Antonio and waiting for him to explain what was going on.
"What do you think you're doing, Sylvie?" He asked, and I stared at him in shock.
"What am I doing? I should be the one asking that question. You invited me, but here you are kissing another lady!" I yelled at Antonio without care. I knew that I could lose my job for doing this, but I was too angry at the moment to care.
"Didn't I tell you that this wasn't a date? Wasn't the dress enough? What do you still want from me?" He threw back at me. Every eye in the room was watching us now, and I genuinely had no answers to that question. He was right, he did warn me that this wasn't a date, but I had been too excited back then to heed those words.
Standing there, I was enveloped by shame and embarrassment, and I had no idea what to do.
""I think you've done too much. Just go home, Sylvie. You need to rest and get yourself together."" Antonio said, and I felt my world crumble before me. I wanted to blame him for everything, but I ended up blaming myself. Embarrassed and ashamed of myself, I raced out of the restaurant, my tears pouring and my heart shattered. I prayed for it all to be a nightmare, but reality struck hard, and I knew that life the way I used to know it had just ended.