Through the pretty display window, you could always see a happy family scene of people gathered around the Christmas tree, dancing and singing.
Isabel Smith stood in a daze for quite a while before returning home with her bags. Perhaps due to her mood, the house felt empty. She wandered around, trying to find all sorts of things to do to keep busy, but by twelve o'clock, she still felt suffocated at heart and decided to step out once again.
She walked around the nearby shopping mall, still seeing those harmonious family scenes everywhere she looked.
Everyone had company during the holidays, but what about her?
Isabel stood in the mall's great hall, watching the hustle and bustle of people all around, and suddenly felt an indescribable sadness.