Chapter 5: Shopping Gone Wrong

As I waited near the entrance of the mall, a familiar figure approached with an energy that could rival the sun. Sheila practically bounded towards me.

Her curly hair, a riot of chestnut curls, framed her face in a wild halo, bouncing with every step she took. Her eyes, a warm shade of hazel, reflected the joy she found in even the simplest of moments. Sheila was like a ray of sunshine.

"Hey, birthday girl!" she exclaimed, as she linked her arm through mine. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here on your actual birthday. I had that seminar; you know how it is."

"I understand. Doctors are always busy"

She grinned. "Today, I'm buying you a new dress to make up for missing your birthday!"

"Really? Anything I want?" I teased, knowing full well she wouldn't back down from the challenge.

"Anything!"

"Alright then, I'm choosing something ridiculously expensive.”

To my surprise, she merely pouted. "Fine, be that way," she huffed, before breaking into a giggle. “But not ridiculously expensive, okay?”

We wandered into the nearest clothing store, laughter still ringing in the air as we browsed through racks of dresses. We tried on various dresses, each more extravagant than the last. She dragged me from shop to shop.

Just as I was about to take another dress, my phone buzzed insistently in my purse.  Pulling it out, I glanced at the screen and saw an unknown number flashing.  With a frown, I answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Miss Anastasia Del Valle?” A voice exclaimed through the receiver.

“Ah, yes. Who’s this?”

A gasp, followed by a muffled exchange of hushed whispers and what sounded suspiciously like a delighted shriek, reached my ears before the voice returned, slightly breathless.  “Hi, Ma’am. I’m Miguel Sanchez from Champagne and Roses Company. I am the CEO. We heard you want us to do a project!”

Surprise crosses my features.  “Oh, hi. Yeah, yeah,”

My gaze drifted back to the row of designer clothes lining the wall behind Sheila.

“It is an honor to work with you, Miss Del Valle! We never really expected that you would choose us!” 

A slow smile spread across my face.  “Oh, I’m excited to work with you too. I really like your designs. I saw some pictures on social media of an event you did – it was incredible!”

“Thank you so much, Ma’am!  You have no idea what this means to us!” 

“I’ll have someone from my team contact you later to discuss the details of the event I have in mind,”

“Sure, sure, Ma’am, no problem!”

“Okay, thank you,” I finished, ending the call with a smile.

Sheila, who had been watching me with a raised eyebrow. “Who was that?” she asked, holding up a pair of shimmering gold sandals. 

“Oh, that was the CEO of Champagne and Roses Events,” I explained casually.

“Never heard of them,”

“They’re a local event planning company,” I added with a shrug.

“For what? Are you throwing a party? Gosh, I missed your party! You actually have the best parties.”

I couldn’t help but grin at her.  “For Regan’s birthday party, of course, I uh want to throw him a party.”

Sheila’s eyes widened dramatically.  “Uh, wow, what a good wife. Bravo for Mrs. Anastasia Montreal Del Valle” she drawled sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

I let out a chuckle.  Reaching for the white dress, I give it to the saleslady.  “The whole set, please, aside from this one”

“Certainly, Ma’am,” she chirped, whisking the dress away.  I glanced back at Sheila.  “Tired already?”

“Nah uh. Aside from being a doctor, I am a shopping expert” Sheila grinned at me.

……..

As we delved into the men's section of the mall, my gaze went to the section of ties. Maybe I should buy Regan some new ties. As I looked at the choices in front of me, I focused on the patterns and textures. But suddenly, Sheila's voice reached my ears, her question catching me off guard.

"So, any progress on the relationship front?"

I hesitated, my fingers pausing on a particularly elegant tie. "Not really. Things have been... complicated."

Sheila let out a weary sigh, "You know what you need to do, Tasia. You should file for a divorce."

But the mere thought of severing ties with Regan sent a pang of pain through my heart.

"I can't"

“But Anastasia....."

"I love him, Sheila. I know he can love me back if only given the chance."

"You're only hurting yourself by staying in that marriage.”

I nodded and let out a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world. "I know. But I can't give up on him. Not yet”

Sheila shook her head, her fiery curls bouncing in protest. "You're a fool for him, Tasia,"

As we left the boutique, the usual mall buzz seemed to fade into the background. Suddenly, a group of teenagers caught our attention with their excited chatter.  They were clustered near a popcorn stand, their words punctuated by bursts of laughter.

"Did you hear? I heard a man rented the whole cinema for his girlfriend!" one exclaimed.

"Really?" another gasped, leaning in closer.

"Yeah!" the young girl gestured towards the escalator.  "I think those are the couple right there!"

"That woman is so lucky!"

Curious, Sheila and I followed their gaze, our eyes scanning the moving crowd until they landed on a familiar figure.

But it wasn't just Regan who drew our attention.  Walking beside him was a woman so breathtakingly beautiful, she seemed to take my breath away. Her porcelain skin glowed under the harsh mall lighting, flawless and smooth.  Her features were soft and delicate, with large, doe-like eyes that sparkled with a vibrancy I hadn't seen in Regan's gaze in years.  Framing her heart-shaped face was a cascade of honey-blonde curls that tumbled down her back in loose waves, adding to the angelic aura that surrounded her.  She wore a flowing maxi dress in a soft pink that perfectly complemented her smile, a smile that seemed genuine and full of life.

And with a sickening jolt of recognition, I knew exactly who she was.  Zarina Andrade.  The name echoed in my mind, a ghost from Regan's past.  His first love.  I had heard rumors of her return from England two years ago, but they had seemed so distant, so irrelevant.  In my naivety, I had never considered her a threat.

My gaze darted back and forth between Zarina and Regan.  They were huddled close together, their bodies radiating an unmistakable intimacy. Their hands were intertwined.

Sheila gasped beside me, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.  "F-fuck! Is…is that Regan?!"

My vision blurred as a mixture of emotions flooded through me – anger, hurt, betrayal, and a cold, icy fear.  The happy banter of the teenagers seemed to mock me, a cruel reminder of the love story unfolding before my eyes, a love story that wasn't mine. A love story of my husband.