Stained Ego II

 Grey's POV 

I headed to the fashion store, desperately needing something—anything—that wasn't stained with coffee and shame. My suit was ruined, my pride shattered, and I wasn't going to walk around looking like a hot mess. It was bad enough that my life had flipped upside down; I didn't need to look the part too.

As I walked into the store, the sleek glass doors slid open with a soft hiss, and I immediately felt eyes on me. A saleswoman, tall with sharp features and an overly bright smile plastered on her face, was watching me. She started following me the moment I entered, her gaze never leaving my form. It felt like she was waiting for me to do something wrong.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, trying to keep my composure. "I need some privacy here."

She didn't back off. Instead, she crossed her arms and gave me a look that was all attitude. "We don't sell your kind of clothes here."

I blinked, confused. "What do you mean by my kind?." What was she implying? I scanned myself quickly

"These are too expensive for a courier like you," she said with a smug grin, as she glanced at my work badge and smirked. 

Too expensive?My blood boiled. Did she really just look down on me like that? I was Grey Wang, for crying out loud.This is my store. No one had ever spoken to me like this before. Now, this woman had the audacity to look down on me, thinking I couldn't afford anything in my own store. I wasn't about to let her get away with it. "Pack up all the latest dresses for me," I said, glaring at her. "I'm buying them all."

She blinked in surprise, her confidence faltering for a moment, but then her expression shifted into professional mode. "Of course," she replied, as she went to gather the dresses. Clearly, she thought I was bluffing.

When she returned, her arms full of luxury dresses, I pulled out my wallet and handed her my golden-plated debit card without a second thought. The card had my name—Grey Wang—embossed on it in shining letters, a symbol of my old power.

As the saleswoman held the golden debit card in her hands, a strange look flashed across her face. She glanced at the name on the card—Grey Wang—and then up at me. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, and her lips curled into a smug grin as if she had just uncovered some dark secret. My stomach sank as I realized what was about to happen.

Without warning, she slammed the card down on the counter and raised her voice for everyone to hear. 

"This is a stolen card!" she declared, her voice cutting through the air like a sharp blade. Heads turned. People started whispering and staring at me as if I was some criminal caught in the act. 

I stood there, frozen, my heart hammering in my chest. What was she talking about? Stolen? I tried to open my mouth, but nothing came out.

"The courier is a thief!" she continued, her tone dripping with satisfaction. "She stole the boss's card!" 

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.Stole? Thief? My mind raced as I tried to process what was happening. I was Grey Wang—the rightful owner of that card—but in this cursed new body, I looked like nothing more than a lowly courier. 

The security guards, who had been casually standing at the entrance, suddenly sprang into action. They marched over with heavy, intimidating steps, their eyes fixed on me as if they were about to arrest a dangerous criminal.

I could hear the whispers around me growing louder. "Did you hear that? She stole from Mr. Wang!" "She's going to jail for sure!" 

Panic started to bubble up inside me. My palms were sweaty, my mind racing, but no one would believe me. No one would believe I was actually Grey Wang. 

"Wait!" I tried to protest, my voice shaky, but before I could get another word out, one of the guards grabbed me by the arm. His grip was firm and cold, and I could feel the eyes of everyone in the store burning into me. 

"You're coming with us," the guard said, his voice stern. 

I felt my blood turn to ice. This couldn't be happening.I can't go to jail again.