This trip to Dubai… it could be a one-way ticket. I might never return. Maybe I should use this as a chance to say goodbye to some of my former colleagues.
I nodded slightly.
Brian’s mood immediately lifted. He called for a makeup artist and stylist to come upstairs.
An hour later, I emerged in a floor-length, couture gown with an elegant train, the ruby necklace resting against my collarbone.
When Brian saw me, his eyes lit up as he opened the car door. “You look beautiful!”
Just as I stepped toward Brian’s car, Laurel pushed past me, lifting the hem of her dress dramatically.
“This gown is too big to fit in that small car. Can we switch, Angie?” Laurel asked, her voice dripping with sweetness. The ruby necklace she wore—far larger and more radiant than mine—caught the sunlight, sending dazzling reflections that felt almost mocking.
I glanced at my own necklace, its delicate chain and modest pendant suddenly looking like a trinket from a clearance sale.
“My dress is big too,” I replied in a cold tone, refusing to give in to her petty games.