First friend

After entering the clothing shop, Elia took a moment to look around. Her elite life till now came with its own conditions. Every dress she wore, and the heels she fit in were custom-made and in accordance with the wishes of her stepmother. Till now, she had made sure to follow those strict rules because that was the only way she could have ever become Jake's wife. And whenever she did try to make her own choice, it got trampled by those around her. She couldn't eat, talk, or walk as she wished, every move from her was scrutinized and quickly corrected. Now, as she stood here in the shop, her past mocked her. She didn't know how to interact with people or choose a dress for herself. Would she have to put on her facade like in high society or ask someone for help?

"Do you need help, miss?'' her thought came to an end when she heard a voice. One of the clothing store's employees gave her a warm smile while asking, "Can I help you with your shopping?''

"Yes,'' Elia answered before she could think and was ushered inside. The woman was very helpful. She helped Elia pick outfits she liked and never pushed her opinion above hers.

"I want something more comfortable''

"Sure thing, try this red one. It is comfortable to move in and looks pretty on you''

Elia looked in front of the mirror and smiled. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back before stating, "I'll buy this''

"I will pack it up for you, miss''

''No need'' Elia stopped her, ''I will be wearing this tonight''

The employee nodded, "As you wish, miss'' then she looked hesitant before asking, "I don't mean to pry but are you going on a date? Sorry, if I'm rude''

Elia shook her head, "It's okay and yes, you can say that I'm going on a date more like with myself''

"That's great, having a night out by yourself can be fun'' The employee chuckled, and offered, "Do you want to get your makeup done too? We have that service on the next floor''

Elia was delighted, ''That would be wonderful'' then she added, ''Can I get makeup like yours? it's very pretty…..'' she saw the girl's tag before finishing, ''Miss Lena''

Lena laughed, ''Lena is enough, and yes, I can do your makeup if that is what you wish''

The duo quickly made their way to the second floor and Lena got started on Elia's makeup. After some time, Lena pulled the latter in front of a mirror, "All done. You look beautiful, miss''

Elia smiled and started to observe herself in the mirror. After a moment, she started to squint her eyes to get a good look. Without her glasses, it was difficult, but she tried.

"Wait, miss'' Before she could lean forward, Lena stopped her and put her glasses back on her face, "I tried a bold eye makeup that looks good with glasses, tell me how you like it''

Elia was caught off guard by Lena's thought-filled act, "I…..'' She was at a loss for words. No one had ever thought about her comfort before. Whenever she attended social activities, she was forced to wear contact lenses even though she didn't like them. 'Nothing looks good on you with those' were the words her stepmother uttered over and over again. But now, she sat here wearing her so-called ugly glasses but Elia had to admit that she looked beautiful.

She looked up at Lena before saying her heartfelt words, "Thank you so much, Lena. I like it very much. And you can call me by name too, I'm Elia Miller''

''Alright, Elia. I'm glad that you liked it'' Lena smiled, "Now, you are all ready for your night out. I hope I made you happy?''

"Thank you. I was having a bad day today, thank you for making it a little more bearable'' Lena listened while Elia talked, "I caught my boyfriend cheating on me with my stepsister in my own house'' a self-deprecating smile graced her face as she continued, "And I learned that my house is not my house anymore, I lost everything in a mere minutes'' She felt light letting it all out. She knew it was bad of her to trauma dump everything on a stranger, but Elia wanted to be selfish for at least today. Something about Lena made her calm and relaxed.

Hearing Elia's words made Lena frown deeply, "I don't know what to say, I could tell that Life happens and call it a day but that is too easy for me to say because you were the one that experienced all these godawful things and not me. But I can tell you one thing, You seem like a great person, Elia and you deserve more than that cheating scum. Sorry if my words seem harsh''

"No no'' Elia laughed, "I said worse to him before coming here so you are safe, don't worry. And thank you once again for listening, even though you are not obligated to. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable''

"Not at all'' Lena shook her head, her blond hair falling on her shoulders, ''I'm glad that you talked, sometimes it can be a great help'' then she suddenly asked, "Can I get your cell phone number?''

"Sure!'' Elia fished out her mobile before they added each other's numbers.

"I hope you have a great evening, Elia''

''You too, Lena''

After telling her goodbyes Elia made her way to the nearby club. She gingerly entered the club wearing her newly bought dress. Before walking further, she glanced at her phone nervously. There were twenty missed calls from her father and almost fifty from her stepmother. Nothing from Jake though, it stung but Elia stopped herself from thinking more about him and strode in. Musing about the past would only bring her heartache and that was the last thing she wanted now that she was trying to move on. Today she wanted to dance and forget about everything burdensome in her life. This was her first time visiting a club and that thought alone made her somewhat skittish as well as afraid.

That initial fear increased as soon as she walked in and reached what seemed like a party area. People were dancing while loud music blasted in the background. Doubts started to creep in when she realized how easy it was for her to walk inside this place. Was this normal? She briefly remembered Jake complaining about how he was stopped from entering this same club. He was very angry that day telling her how he would sue this place. That didn't end well though. No matter how much he tried, no lawyer was ready to file a lawsuit against this place. Quickly realizing that there was someone influential behind it, Jake stopped pursuing the matter further. That was why she came here, it made her happy that he was turned away from this place.

But no bouncers stopped her which made her unnerved. And she felt someone's gaze on her.