Chapter 8: Stupid Saleslady

[Lexxeignne]

What had happened yesterday became the talk of the entire campus. The b*tches was suspended for a month. That made them hate me more. I guess trouble always finds me wherever I go.

After lunch, we went to the garden to relax since we still had fifteen minutes until the bell rang.

"Are you still thinking about what happened, Lexxy baby? It deserves them, you know. They should have been expelled. If, by chance, you don't know how to fight, you're the one who got hurt. Those b*tches are really insecure and a pain in the ass!" said Sam with disdain.

"Yeah! Oh! My hands are aching to slap their faces! Hmph!" Mara said, pretty annoyed.

"I really have enough of those b*tches! Hmph! I want to pinch them into pieces like cockroaches!" Andrea said.

"I wanted to throw them in the canyon!" Camila also said with gritted teeth.

We all burst out laughing.

"Sweety babe!" Someone called.

Aki approached us breathlessly. "Are you okay? I heard what happened. Tsk. Are you hurt?" he said while scanning me if I’m injured or something.

"I'm fine," I said coldly and pushed him slightly enough to stop him.

He frowned. "Is there a problem?" he asked.

I looked at him with no emotion. “Can you stop approaching me? It's because of you they're bullying me. From now on, I don't want to see your face.” I said and stood up. I left him stunned there without waiting for his reply. The girls were calling behind my back. They followed me silently.

I felt a little guilty about what I said, but that's the only way to avoid trouble. I just sighed.

All afternoon I was just staring into nothing in particular. I had no desire to talk to anyone until the last bell rang.

I said goodbye to the girls. And I told Sam to go home without me because I still have to go somewhere.

I went directly to my boutique. At Vanessa's Boutique. I didn’t change the name because it’s one of Vanessa’s memories.

I entered the store and the sales ladies approached me and greeted me.

When I looked for the manager, they said she left and didn't let them know where she went. I was furious. Even if she’s the manager, it doesn’t mean she can leave any time she wants.

"What?! She should be here! Call her and tell her I'm here. ASAP!" I said angrily. They looked confused but quickly dialed their manager's number, seeing my sour mood. I'm still in a bad mood and she added fuel to the fire.

"S-she’s on her way, ma'am." The sales lady said. Another customer came in, so I sent them away to assist the customer. I just sat on the sofa while waiting for the sloppy manager.

A woman suddenly came in a hurry, and her eyes widened upon recognizing me. She bowed her head. "Greetings, Ma'am M-Morales..." I looked at her blankly.

"In the office! NOW!" She gulped, and it surprised the other staff at my sudden outburst. I walked into her small office and sat down on the small sofa. I look at her and notice her hands shaking.

"Where have you been?" I ask.

"I... I just have something important to do..." she said.

"Important?! Even more important than this business? And you didn't even say where you went? I don't want this to happen again, Ms. Aguilar. Do you understand?" It nodded. Tsk. I still have high blood pressure.

"I deeply apologize, ma'am. It won’t happen again. The thing is… I had to send money home because my mom got sick." she explained.

"It’s fine with me, Ms. Aguilar. What matters to me is you have to at least let someone know where you will go. What if something bad happened here and you're not here? Do you get my point?"

She nodded in shame.

"Good. I won't be here much longer. I want you to assist me because I need a gown for this coming Friday." I said and stood up. She followed as I walked out of her office.

Ms. Aguilar and other staff walked into the stockroom while I looked at the gowns on display. When they came out, they were carrying gowns.

"Ma'am Morales, these gowns are the ones I think will suit you." She showed them to me one by one. I just stared at the design without comment.

"Is there something else? I don't like what you showed me."

"Yes. Please wait for a moment, Ma’am Morales. I'll just take the new one I designed just in case you like it." she said and walked into the stockroom. I sat on the sofa while waiting for her.

When she came out, she was carrying a red gown. The design is elegant, and I like it.

"This is perfect! I'll measure it first." I said, and she guided me to the fitting room.

“Do you need help, Ma’am Morales?” Ms. Aguilar asked.

“No need,” I said, then I stripped off my clothes and fitted the gown. The gown fit my body perfectly and I could see my curve. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I smiled. I went out of the fitting room and their mouths hung in awe.

"What do you think, Ms. Aguilar?" I asked.

"It’s perfect, Ma'am Morales! You look even more beautiful. You're the first to wear that gown. We’re supposed to display it tomorrow."

"Well, I'll take this. You don't have to display it." I went back to the fitting room and changed into my clothes. When I came out, they were all smiling at me. I handed over the gown for them to wrap.

"Ms. Aguilar, from now on, make a gown for me. I will attend more events soon. Make sure it looks good on me."

"You can count on me, Ma'am Morales." She said with a smile.

"Also, from now on, call me Ms. Lex. All of you. And one more thing, Ms. Aguilar, every design you make should be checked by me first. Got it?"

“Affirmative, Ms. Lex,” she said.

They handed me the gown they wrapped.

"Charge this to my account. Thanks for your patience. I'm going now." They bowed their heads, and I walked out of the shop. I got in my car and drove to the mall.

As soon as I entered the mall, I sensed many people looking at me. Tsk. I'm not a celebrity for them to look at.

I just walk without a care in my surroundings until I stop at a shoe shop. One design caught my attention. I went inside and the staff greeted me, but I went directly to look at the stiletto. It is beautiful. It is a glass-made red stiletto with silver dust on the side. They place the shoes in a square glass and have a lock. I called the sales lady to assist me. She was hesitant to take it out, which made my eyebrows furrowed together.

"Wait a minute, ma'am. I'll let our manager know first." She said, and I sighed.

"What? Can't you take it out now? Why do you have to ask your manager? I want to fit those shoes now and please, I'm in a hurry." I said, a bit upset.

"But ma'am, those shoes are expensive. You can't afford it. We only take that out to prospect customers." I can't believe what she had just said.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SURE I CAN’T AFFORD THAT SHOES? Call your manager, NOW!" I snap at the little patience I have. The other staff and customers looked at me in curiosity. They were all silent while watching us.

"Ma'am, please don't cause a scene here or I'll call the security."

Oh, my god! I can't believe I'm dealing with this stupid sales lady.

"What happened here?" A man suddenly appeared in haste.

"Are you the manager here?" I asked, with brows knitted together in annoyance.

"Yes, ma'am. May I know what happened?" he asked.

"I want the girl out of this shop, NOW!" I pointed to the sales lady next to me. His eyes widened.

"But ma'am, we're not just easily firing an employee without knowing the reason. What really happened?" he says calmly.

"Do you know what that girl did to me? I am the customer here and I have the right to choose what I like. And I can't believe she told me I can't afford those shoes!" I said and pointed to the shoes inside the square glass.

"And she won't open it because it needs your permission. This is the first time I encountered something like this. But heck! I want to fit those shoes right away because I am in a hurry and now what? I wasted my time with that arrogant sales lady!" I burst out. The sales lady just bowed her head in shame.

The manager looked at the stupid girl sharply. "Sorry about that, ma'am. Don't worry, I'll punish her later."

"No. I want her fired! If she stays here, I’m pretty sure she'll do the same to other customers. Ghadd! So stupid! I can even buy this whole shop! For Pete's sake! I would never come back here. What poor service you have! " I said agitatedly and left in a bad mood.

They were calling me, but I didn't look back. My day is ruined because of that stupid sales lady. So stupid. Ughh. My blood boils. Is that how she thinks of all customers? Did she think everyone has no money? What a dum-dum.

I’m now not in the mood to look for shoes. I’m still trying to calm myself. To cool myself down, I entered a fast-food chain and ordered a cold dessert (Halo-halo).

While waiting for my order, I opened my cellular phone and opened my social media. The first thing I saw was the picture of me talking to the manager of the shop earlier. There are a lot of comments which are mostly about the saleslady. Many criticized the saleslady’s behavior. The commentators said that just because I wore simple clothes doesn't mean I have no money.

The video went viral immediately where the saleslady told me I couldn't afford the shoes. I just shook my head in disbelief. As I looked up, the other customers were looking at me and their cellphones. I ignore their stares and continue reading the comments.

My order came, and I quickly dug in. My head suddenly cools down.

Afterward, I looked around the shops. I found another shoe shop. I walked in and looked around. They have pretty nice shoes.

"Hi, ma'am, good evening! May I help you?" The sales lady greeted me with a warm smile, which made me smile too. She looks kind.

"Do you have new stock?" I asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Please wait in the lounge and I'll take it out for you." She left in a hurry. I sat down while looking at the magazines.

A few moments later, she came back with a box in hand.

"This is our new stock. It comes from Paris. It just arrived a while ago, so you're in luck because you're the first to try these on. The stock is only limited, ma'am." She showed me the shoe, and it sparkled against the light. It’s made of glass. It is silver and has diamond stones.

"Can I try these on?" She nodded and helped me.

"It looks good on your feet, ma'am," she said with a smile. It made me smile.

"I'll take this. How much?" I said, and her eyes widened.

"Really, ma'am?! Oh! Thank you! Those shoes cost P89,899.00, ma'am!" She said with a wide smile. Thank goodness she's not like the sales lady earlier.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"I'm Alliyah!" She answered while smiling and putting my shoes back in the box.

"Alliyah, do you have any new stocks? The other design?" I ask.

"Yes, ma'am! Do you want to see them? It'll just take a moment." she said and stood up. She called someone to help her. I sat down on the sofa and continued reading the magazine.

When they returned, they were carrying some boxes. They opened it and showed me the design. They brought five pairs of them. It was all beautiful, so I quickly tried them on. It fit perfectly on my foot.

"It looks good on your feet, ma'am!" they both said.

"All right, I'll take them all," I said and their eyes widened as I handed them my black card. They quickly processed my orders.

I called the sales lady who assisted me. I gave her some tips and a calling card. She refused to accept the tip, but I insisted. Her face flushed while thanking me.

"Call me when you have new stocks. Okay?" she said yes and nodded with a smile. She thanked me again as she handed me my orders.

I took it and walked out of the shop while they told me to come back again. I just gave them a small smile.

As I walked, some people looked at me and at the things I carry. I just ignore them. I passed by the shoe shop earlier. They also looked at me, especially at the things I hold. Not a single customer entered their shop. I shrugged my shoulders and continued walking. I saw the stupid sales lady, and I rolled my eyes. That girl has an unpleasant personality. I have the strong urge to throw her into the canyon together with those b*tches who tried to bully me.

My steps halted when I bumped into the person I didn't want to see right now.

"Lex? My daughter? It’s you!" I just looked at her coldly. She rushed at me and hugged me tightly. I refused to hug her back.

"My daughter, I miss you so much. How are you? Where do you live? We've been looking for you for a long time–" she blabbered, but I ignored her and walked away. She grabbed my arm to stop me.

I looked at her with no emotion.

"Lex, I know you hate us. We were just angry back then and said those things on the spur of the moment. Please forgive us..." I closed my eyes and faced her as I gritted my teeth.

"Forgive you? That easily? Hah! The moment I step out of the mansion, I am no longer part of your family. You disgrace me, right? Why do you have to keep looking for me? I already buried you in the past. I am no longer the Lex you knew almost 3 years ago. That Lex is already dead. You killed that Lex 3 years ago. Please excuse me." I said, and left her in tears. I closed my eyes and stopped myself from sobbing. Why does it still hurt despite all my effort of forgetting them?

I composed myself and walked as if nothing had happened. But my mood is ruined again. I sigh and I didn’t even notice I’m already in front of my car. I quickly got in and tossed the things I bought in the backseat. However, as soon as I settled in, tears swiftly streamed down my face that I was holding back earlier. I didn't expect to see her today.

‘What am I doing? They are not worth my tears.’

I quickly wiped off my tears and started the ignition, then drove away silently while gripping the steering wheel tightly.

The moment I arrived at the mansion, I immediately parked my car and walked straight to my room. I jumped onto the bed and buried my face in the pillows. Ugh, I hate this day!

~~~

[Third Person's POV]

The old lady just cried when her daughter, who had disappeared for a long time, ignored her entirely. She was crying incessantly until she went home.

"Honey! What happened? Why are you crying?!" her husband greeted her while frowning.

"I saw her... I saw Lex in the mall and she... huhuhu," she said and sobbed again.

"L-Lex? Did you really see her? Where is she now?" The husband asked in surprise.

"..."

He comforted his wife, who wouldn't stop crying. A few minutes later, his wife told him what Lex had said to her. It also saddened him and brought tears to his eyes. He thinks it's all his fault why their daughter left them.

"She will come back to us sometime soon. Let’s not lose hope. If we have to kneel before her, I will." He said to his wife.

'I hope you will forgive me, Lex. To all the bad things I did to you. Sorry if we blame you for everything. I know there is no forgiveness for what we did. Your mommy and I promise we will make it up to you... ' he thought and hugged his wife.

On the other side of the house, a young woman was listening to their conversation with a heavy heart. She looks sadly at her parents. She sighed and walked back to her bedroom. Then she opened her social media and looked at the new articles and comments of so many people’s posts about her sister.

Her sister has changed a lot. She did not disclose to her parents that she had already seen her sister at the school where she was attending college. She searched for other information about her sister but could find none. Lex's profile is private. She misses her sister so much. She regrets all the things she did against her sister. But there’s no room for regret. She was blind not to see the truth before.

However, she would do everything for her sister just to forgive her. Since her younger sister left, their house has become even more gloomy and has no life. She misses the time when everyone was happy. In an instant, everything changed.

‘I hope you can forgive us, Lex.’

That was the last thing she thought before going to sleep.