Sadness in the boutique

At 10 a.m., Bill and Steffi were already at the mall. They were walking together on the second floor, which was not too crowded and dominated by adult clothing boutiques. Occasionally, the man in the gray suit glanced at the graceful girl in a white dress and a gray shoulder bag and tied part of her hair back.

"Let's go there. They sell special women's clothing," said Bill, pointing to a boutique with a transparent glass wall.

"Okay."

Bill and Steffi entered the elitist white-themed boutique, where several clothing racks were decorated with bright and attractive colors. There were formal and casual clothes, complete with accessories such as bags, shoes, and jewelry. They were immediately greeted by several shopkeepers, who were beautiful girls, and the boutique owner.

"Hi, Martha," greeted Bill with a smile.

"Bill... It's been a long time since you came here," said the boutique owner named Martha, who looked around 30 years old and had blonde hair. She shifted her gaze to Steffi. "Oh... Is she your cousin or friend, or..."

"She's my girlfriend," said Bill, immediately putting his arm around Steffi's waist.

Steffi smiled shyly but couldn't avoid Bill because it could make him embarrassed.

"Oh, so this is your new girlfriend?"

"Yeah, isn't she beautiful?" Bill asked, glancing at Steffi, who immediately lowered her face.

Martha smiled, looking at the young Steffi. "She's beautiful and young...very different from Abbie."

Steffi immediately frowned inwardly. 'Abbie,' she thought.

Bill just smiled thinly. "Uh...yeah. Now, show us your best collection. I want her to wear the best dress for my friend's wedding," he said, diverting the conversation.

"Okay, wait a minute," Martha said, immediately walking towards a row of statues wearing luxurious dresses.

Bill sighed and then glanced at Steffi, who was moving away from him.

"Who's Abbie?" Steffi asked, walking towards the yellowish-white sofa.

"My ex," said Bill briefly, following Steffi and then sitting beside her. "We broke up a few months ago, so you don't have to worry about her because I have forgotten her. Besides, she's already married," he continued.

Steffi was silent, thinking that Bill almost had the same fate as her. Break up, then the ex immediately married someone else. She glanced at him, suspecting that he also needed a new partner, maybe to heal his old wounds.

"Why?" Bill asked, nervous because of Steffi's gaze.

"Do you still love her and think about her as much as I still think about Liam?" Steffi asked.

Bill smiled thinly and shook his head. "Not at all. We broke up on good terms, so there's no pain or by betrayed ...it's like...we realized that we couldn't be together," he said.

"That's weird."

"What's weird?"

"You were dating but you agreed to break up. It's impossible if there's no reason," Steffi said, turning her face away. "You have to tell me...I don't like a relationship with secrets...the past is the past, but I also want to know," she continued.

Bill was silent, feeling uncomfortable in this situation. He glanced at Steffi and suddenly felt afraid that she would end their relationship just because he didn't want to tell her about his past.

"We broke up because we felt there was no more compatibility...we often argued," he said.

"Is that true?" Steffi turned to Bill.

Bill nodded. "It's like a toxic relationship. We have different principles, and her parents are also involved in our relationship, which makes me sick. That feeling makes me lazy to continue our relationship and becomes tasteless... Like... If it's going to continue, we'll just keep facing problems."

"Oh, I see."

Bill nodded, then his attention turned to Martha, who had just come in carrying two dresses that were still on hangers. He immediately stood up, as did Steffi.

Martha asked Steffi to try on one of the dresses, then took her to the changing room. Bill waited on the couch while playing with his cell phone.

"Bill, isn't that nice?" Martha asked who was just out of the changing room with Steffi.

Bill immediately looked up, staring at Steffi, who was wearing a dark blue dress with open shoulders. She looked elegant and beautiful with bead details on some parts of the dress, and there was also a slit on her thigh that showed her white and smooth left thigh.

"Wow..." Bill spontaneously uttered the word. He immediately stood up and stared at Steffi without blinking.

Martha smiled, while Steffi remained silent with a nervous feeling.

"Perfect... I think this dress is already perfect for her," Bill said.

"Well..." Martha sighed. "But this dress is the best, so the price is quite expensive."

"You don't have to worry... I'll pay whatever the price is," Bill said.

"Of course, I also need to choose heels that match the dress. Do you agree?" Martha asked.

"Uh, no," Steffi replied, looking at Bill. "You don't have to buy me heels because I already have a lot of heels at home... Of course, they match this dress perfectly."

"But I want to buy them for you," Bill said.

Steffi shook her head. "No, that's not necessary. This dress is enough, and I want to leave now," she said.

"Okay then." Bill nodded.

Steffi immediately went to the changing room to change back into her clothes, then handed the dress to Martha to be packed and paid for by Bill.

After buying the dress, Bill invited Steffi to leave the boutique.

"Don't you want to buy a tuxedo or new clothes?" Steffi asked.

"No, maybe I'll just wear black pants and a white shirt, while the tuxedo is provided by the WO," Bill answered casually, walking while carrying a red paper bag containing Steffi's dress. "We'd better find some food now," he continued, looking around.

Steffi looked around, her gaze fixed on the boutique with transparent glass walls, showing someone trying on a wedding dress there.

"Gea," she whispered, instantly her heart beating fast, remembering that her friend was going to marry her ex-boyfriend. She felt uncomfortable, trembling, and even weak because it was still difficult for her to accept this reality.

Bill turned to Steffi, who looked not okay. He immediately hugged her waist, looking at her anxiously.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Uh... yes."

Steffi nodded, but her gaze continued to be fixed on the boutique. Now she even saw Liam wearing a white tuxedo, perfectly matching Gea's wedding dress. The sight was heart-breaking for her as if she couldn't accept this reality, it hurt her so much.

Bill looked into Steffi's eyes and noticed Liam and a girl wearing a wedding suit. He sighed, realizing that was the cause of Steffi's tension now.

"Let's go," he said, immediately pulling Steffi in another direction.

Steffi kept walking, but tears kept rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't forget how they had betrayed her, shattered her trust, and now she had to let them go.

Bill stopped and immediately hugged Steffi.

"It hurts. I can't forget them!" Steffi cried out in frustration and tears.

"I know. I know it's not easy for you, baby," Bill said as he stroked Steffi's head. "You can get through this. I'll always be by your side," he continued.

Steffi remained silent, still crying.

Bill released his embrace, then cupped Steffi's cheeks while his thumbs gently wiped away her tears. "Please, don't cry. I can't bear to see you cry," he said sorrowfully.

Steffi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself.

"Let's get out of this mall. Let's not see them again," Bill said.

Steffi just nodded and quickly followed Bill toward the escalator. Occasionally, she looked at Bill who was also looking at her with a smile, even holding her hand.

"Do you want some ice cream?" Bill asked.

"No," Steffi whispered. "I just want to go home... I need time to calm down," she continued, turning her face away.

"You'll be alone in your room, feeling gloomy... That will only make you sadder," Bill said.

"But I can't enjoy myself in public either. I feel sad... I don't want people to see me cry," Steffi said, wiping away the tears that were still rolling down her cheeks.

"Okay... We'll go home, but I'll accompany you," Bill replied.

"Whatever you want," Steffi said.

Bill fell silent, trying to understand Steffi's feelings. He hugged her from the side, stroking her arm to calm her down.