After finishing their shopping, Lisa and Estabel prepared to leave the mall when something caught Lisa's attention. Across the street, in the window of a boutique, a stunning blue gown adorned with diamonds sparkled under the lights. The dress was irresistible, and they decided to cross the street to check it out. Lisa stood mesmerized by the gown, while Estabel waved the salesperson over to bring it down. Just as she was about to swipe her card, a voice interrupted.
"Babe, don't you think this gown would be perfect for our after-wedding party?" Linda's voice cut through the air as she walked in with Brian by her side.
Brian nodded, agreeing, "Yeah, it would look great on you."
Without hesitation, Linda stepped forward and said, "I want the gown. Can you package it for me?" She reached for the dress, but Estabel was quicker, snatching it first.
"Someone saw the dress before you," Estabel said firmly, her eyes narrowing. "We were about to pay before you showed up."
Linda smirked, unfazed. "About to pay, but you haven't yet. As far as we all know, it's still for sale. Whoever pays for it first gets the gown."
The tension between the two women grew as the salesperson hesitated, as the two ladies placed their cards on her palms, unsure of how to proceed.
Linda reached for the gown again, and Estabel held her ground.
"I've seen shameless people," Estabel said icily, "but never have I seen someone so shameless that she'd snatch her sister's fiancé and still try to snatch her dress for an after-wedding party with her ex-finacé."
Linda's eyes flashed with annoyance. "How did I snatch him? Lisa gave him up herself—everyone saw the letter she sent to the media calling off the engagement. Do you know the damage she did to our family's reputation? If I hadn't pleaded to Rowland's to have some sympathy for our family, we'd be bankrupt. She wouldn't be able to afford this dress, let alone go shopping."
Linda raised her voice, making sure everyone nearby could hear, drawing even more attention.
Estabel, having engaged in a public drama some hours ago tried to avoid another public drama, sighed. "Can you please swipe the card?" she said to the salesperson, trying to make sure the matter didn't escalate to another drama situation.
But before the card could be swiped, Linda handed over her card too, insisting she should be the one to buy the dress. In all their arguments Lisa didn't say a word. All her attention has been on Brian since they met him in the mall.
Seeing the two ladies bricking in word on whose card would be the first to be swept, Brian dragged Lisa some miles away from the ladies.
"Did you call off our engagement to go on dates with other guys?" Brian asked, in his voice was a mixture of hurt and accusation.
Lisa felt a pang of frustration but kept her calm. "I didn't call off the engagement. I found out about the letter at the same time as you. I didn't write it, nor did I approve of it."
Brian's brow furrowed. "Why did you have a press conference to deny the letter wasn't from you? Then explain why I saw you in a bar that night. You always said you hate bars, but you were there—with another guy. And then you disappeared into a hotel room with him."
Lisa took a breath, determined to be honest. "Brian, I was at the bar with Estabel and Elvis. We just needed to unwind after everything that had happened. I wasn't on a date, and I wasn't with another guy. I don't know what you think you saw, but I never released a letter online."
Brian's gaze softened for a moment, but he still seemed unsure. "I saw what I saw, Lisa. How can I believe you?"
Lisa's heart clenched at his words, but she met his eyes, steady and resolute. "You can believe whatever you want, Brian. But if you ever cared about me, you should've asked me before seeking other people's opinions or even assuming the worst. You didn't even give me the chance to explain myself on that day."
Before Brian could respond, Linda rejoined them with a smug grin. "So, what's going on over here? Lisa, are you explaining why you ditched Brian or why you went all night out with your bestie in a bar?"
Lisa glared at Linda, her patience wearing thin. "Linda, don't act like you know nothing about what has been happening. You've been manipulating things from the beginning. You and I Know it. Keep Brian, keep our parent's attention, keep the lies and scheme up—I don't care anymore. Just stay away from me."
Sensing the escalating tension, Estabel stepped in. "Linda, you've already gotten everything Lisa once cared about—Brian, the engagement, the attention. You've got your image to protect and honestly, I have nothing to lose here if we decide to keep arguing. So why don't you let us have the gown, and we can all go our separate ways acting like we didn't see each other here?"
Linda gave a snide laugh, glancing at Brian before turning back to Estabel. "Fine, have the gown. I can find something better anyway."
With that, Linda and Brian walked away, leaving Lisa standing with a mixture of relief and sadness. She had managed to clear some of the air, but Brian's doubts still lingered.
Estabel finished paying for the gown, and as they left the store, Lisa managed a small smile. "Let's go. I've had enough drama for one day."
Estabel looped her arm through Lisa's and smiled back. "Forget them. Tonight, we're going to have fun and focus on the people who care about us."
As they walked out of the mall together, Lisa couldn't shake the thought of Brian. She wondered if there would ever be a chance to fix things between them, or if the damage was too deep to repair.