Chapter 22: Does ‘Sorry’ solve anything?
She felt the warning in the man’s deep, powerful gaze that she might be fired if she did not choose her clothes carefully.
So the clerk quickly pulled out a special model from the store and then entered the dressing room with Serena.
“This dress is very expensive. I’ll take you to try it on.”
“No need. I can do it myself.” Serena was not used to someone seeing her undress.
Hearing this, the saleswoman complained, “What are you doing? This dress is too expensive. Do you think you will be able to pay for it if you ruin it?”
“I…”
“You what? Look at what you were wearing before. How dare you come here and try on clothes?” After she tried on for several times, the saleswoman knew Serena was a weak person and insulted her once she found the opportunity.
Serena did not speak out of embarrassment.
“Whatever, try it yourself, or else you can sue me.” The employee threw the dress at her and then walked out, slamming the door.
Serena was puzzled with the dress in her hand.
Soon, Serena was wearing that precious dress, and it was really quite different from all the others she had tried on before. She walked out with the dress on and went toward Cristian, but this time there was no one there and Serena felt worried. Why was there no one? Did they get upset because the clothes she had tried on were too ugly? Thinking about this, Serena quickly returned to the dressing room, passed through a mirror and heard a familiar voice.
“Honey, how does this dress look on me?”
“Are you kidding? You look like the most beautiful woman no matter what you wear.”
Serena’s footsteps stopped and she backed away unconsciously. A huge rack covered her body, but she could clearly see the two people through a slit.
It was Francesco and her lover.
The two sat together, and the woman’s belly was so big that the dress on her clearly did not fit.
“Unfortunately, I can’t wear it now.”
“Don’t worry. As long as you like it, we’ll take it and wear it after you give birth.”
“Thank you my love. How considerate you are!”
Serena clenched her fists in silence. Francesco never said such sweet words to her, and she did not expect to meet them here.
The lover looked toward her, and Serena immediately took steps back to hide.
As she turned around, she accidentally collided with the clerk who was coming after her. The clerk unconsciously pulled at the dress, bringing Serena down and tearing the clothes off.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
The noise attracted the stares of other customers in the store, including Francesco and his lover.
After falling down, the clerk saw that the dress was torn and quickly stood up accusing Serena.
“Do you know how much this dress costs? Do you ruin it on purpose?”
Serena was stunned. Unconsciously, she just wanted to get away from their gazes, because she did not want to be seen by his mistress and did not expect to hit someone. From the clerk’s accusation, she discovered that the decoration on her dress had fallen off and she even exposed her shoulders.
Serena tried to cover her shoulders. Seeing the people surrounded her, she said anxiously, “Sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose!”
The clerk huffed, “Sorry? This is the most expensive dress in the store. It just arrived yesterday from England and worth more than thirty thousand euros. Does ‘sorry’ solve anything? That you can restore this dress to its original state?”
Serena bit her lower lip and whispered, “Me, I will try to repair it. I promise!”
“Repair it? How?” The clerk’s complaint grew louder and louder, and the people in the store crowded.
Serena was embarrassed and ashamed at being criticized by so many people and felt like fainting.
“Come on, isn’t this Serena?” Francesco’s lover scoffed when she saw Serena in this condition, “How come a woman who always dresses in cheap clothes come to this fancy store? Are you coming here to make trouble?”
Hearing this, the clerk suddenly looked at her, “What are you saying? So you did it on purpose? This dress costs more than thirty thousand! Pay it!”
The mistress laughed out loud and her laughter was as clear as a silver bell, “How is she going to pay for it? Her salary will be more or less about five hundred euros a month, and now that she has lost her job. I’m afraid she can’t even afford the clothes from the stalls.”
Serena bit her lower lip harder upon hearing those words.
She knew her so well. Was it Francesco who told her?
“Serena, if you really can’t pay it, you can ask Francesco and maybe he will help you by your relationship with him.”
Hearing this, Serena trembled and unconsciously looked at Francesco.
Meeting Serena’s gaze, Francesco felt slightly uncomfortable. However, they had been married for two years. Although he did not love her, he treated her as a family member.
He was not happy when she was insulted by people.
“Francesco, will you help her?”
Francesco tilted his head looking at Ginevra’s beautiful face. He hugged her and coughed slightly, “Ginevra, how could I help other women? Especially a woman who comes ready to make trouble in the store. It’s not worth it.”
Hearing those words, Serena felt heartbroken and her lower lip bled from biting too hard.
“Oh honey, even if she had bad intentions, but now she is so pitiful and that dress is worth thirty thousand. Would she stay here today if she can’t pay it?”
Her words alerted the clerk, who immediately pulled out her cell phone, “I’m calling the police now!”
Serena suddenly raised her head. The police?
“Woman like her, she is too vain. She has no money but still comes to try on clothes. She can’t buy it so she ruins it! You have to call the police!” Someone added.
“Yes, yes, look at her hair. It is a mess. How did they get someone like that into the store?”
“Today’s women overestimate themselves. Does she think she’ll become a celerity by trying on dresses? She can’t even pay for the torn dress! How ridiculous! The police must educate this woman, otherwise it will happen again!”
Laughter and criticism came from all sides toward Serena who could not raise her head. She lived in poverty for a very long timw, and she still had no self-confidence after she suddenly entered the upper class.
Cristian and Luca disappeared, and she did not know what was happening. Because there was no one waiting for her, perhaps she looked too ugly and they abandoned her.
Thinking about this, Serena became extremely sad and her eyes reddened.
She slowly raised her head, and saw the criticism, insults and looks with contempt. She trembled in despair which almost made her faint.
Serena had a shortcoming. When she was very nervous or desperate, she would faint.
Her vision darkened and the scenes in front of her blurred….
Darkness enveloped her almost completely.
Just as Serena was about to faint, a pair of hands held her in time….