He looked back at me, and I hated that his bright countenance had dulled. “Did he even wish you a happy birthday? I told him he has to treat you better.”
I blinked, processing his words.
So that was why Kieran sent that message. It hadn’t come from remorse or sentiment-it was to look good in Daniel’s eyes.
“He did text. He wished me a happy birthday,” I said gently, stamping the resentment that suddenly rose in me.
The confrontation was none of his business. He didn’t need to know about Kieran’s cruel words or how Celeste ripped into me yet again.
Daniel didn’t need that weight on his little shoulders.
The tension in his face eased. “Okay, good. I’m glad he did. Maybe I’ll talk to him again.”
I smiled softly. “That’s a good idea. I’m proud of you, baby.”
“So tell me more about your party!” he said, his excitement returning.
We spoke for a while longer before finally hanging up after he promised to call Kieran again.
I snuggled into my pillows, a contented smile on my face. It had been a good day. A really, really good day.
A part of me was skeptical. I knew I deserved happiness, but was I truly allowed?
The doorbell rang through the house, breaking me out of my reverie.
Something twisted in my belly as I went down to answer the door. I swear, if Kieran or
Celeste decided they wanted to pull any of their shit on my birthday-
Oh.
Maya stood on my porch in… a dress.
She always looked formidable in her training clothes, but in her halter dress, strappy sandals, and her curly hair in a wild afro around her head, she looked like a goddess.
She pushed her oversized sunglasses up on her head and grinned. “Hi, birthday girl.”
My mouth opened, and an incredulous sound fell out.
“You ready for our big shopping spree?” she asked, eyes gleaming.
I blinked. “Shopping?”
She nodded. “Yep!”
I shook my head in disbelief. “But… why?”
She laughed. “Do friends need a reason to hang out? Do I need a reason to spoil my friend on her birthday?”
That word-friends-resonated within me like a gong.
As far as I was concerned, I exaggerated earlier for Daniel’s benefit.
But hearing Maya call herself my friend had to be the best part of today.
When I was younger, back when she merely tolerated me as opposed to the scalding hatred she now bore for me, I was like… an accessory for Celeste.
I had no other friends, and after marriage, all I had was Daniel.
Maya gently flicked my forehead, snapping me back to the present. “We’re going to have to do something about all this noise in your head,” she tsked.
I couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry, I just-“
“Yeah, yeah.” She braced her hands on my shoulders and spun me around. “Go change!”
I rushed back inside the house, a giddy smile on my face.
***
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I paused, blinking in confusion at the row of department stores in front of me-Macy’s,
Nordstrom, and Clarks.
They all had the things I needed-clothes, shoes, home essentials.
“Shopping?” My answer came out as a question because Maya was looking at me like I’d grown two horns.
She sighed in mild exasperation. “Oh, you clueless sweetheart.”
She looped her arm through mine and tugged me in the opposite direction.
“Nope. Today isn’t about utility. It’s about indulgence. This way.”
“But… I don’t-“
The boutique she led me to was the kind of place I usually passed by without even looking in. Silks, sequins, and shoes that looked more like art than footwear. I hesitated in the doorway, but Maya tugged me forward.
“I don’t need all this, Maya,” I said, my eyes wide.
She rolled her eyes. “Actually, you do,” she said matter-of-factly.
“I do?”
“For the gala,” she said like it was obvious. “Lucian’s hosting one in a few weeks. Formal dress, full glam.” She gestured into the store with a flourish. “The works.”
I started to protest. “Maya, I-this sounds expensive. I can’t-“
She waved it off. “Lucian’s covering it. Said it’s your reward for surviving his sadistic training regimen.” She winked. “And mine.”
I wanted to keep protesting, but the smile she gave me was so disarming. I let her pull me into the explosion of sparkles and silk, my reservations dissolving with every glittering step.
At first, I felt ridiculous. The gowns clung too tightly, shimmered too brightly. But then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror-wearing something backless and emerald green- and something stirred.
I looked… beautiful.
No one had ever cared to dress me like this before. I was never invited to balls or galas when I was with Kieran.
His family made sure I was tucked out of sight-an embarrassment, their secret shame.
But now? Now, I was being seen.
And I liked it. It felt so fucking amazing.
We had just finished our purchases-Maya insisting I take two gowns and four ridiculous pairs of heels I could barely walk in-when the day took an inevitable turn.
We ran into her.
Celeste was flanked by two shadows-I recognized them as Emma and Abby. Growing up,
I’d mentally referred to them as Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith because when all three of them were together, they reminded me of the plastics from the movie Mean Girls.
And Celeste, reprising her role as Regina George, looked us up and down with a sneer.
“Well, well, well.” She glanced at the bags in our hands and scoffed. “Look who’s playing dress up.”
Emma smirked. “Doesn’t matter what she wears, Celeste. Trash in silk is still trash.”
I flinched, the comment hitting harder than it should have. Old reflexes kicked in, and I felt myself begin to shrink.
But Maya stepped forward, fire in her eyes, and suddenly, despite the dress and heels, she was my formidable trainer, the fiercest person I knew.
“Say that again,” she hissed, her voice low. Dangerous. “But this time, to my face and see what happens.”
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