A few days later, Sidney was once again lying on the bed, reading a novel when she received a call. It was Jayson himself. "Someone will pick you up for the party at 6 PM. Get ready and don't be late," he said coldly, and before Sidney could respond, the line went dead. She stared at her phone, unsure of what to think. In the past, it had always been her father who arranged for her stylist appointments, and now, she didn't even know how to go about it herself.
She searched online but couldn't find anything useful. After a few moments of hesitation, she grabbed her bag, put on a neutral look, and had the housekeeper call the bodyguard to drive her to a studio she had visited before, giving them just the general address.When she arrived, the studio was locked. It was typically a by-appointment-only place. Sidney rang the bell a few times before someone came to the door.
"Can I help you?" an assistant asked.
"I've been here before, but I didn't make an appointment today. Can I still come in?" Sidney asked politely.
The assistant looked her over. "What time was your appointment?"
"Six PM," Sidney answered.
"Sorry, we're fully booked until the evening," the assistant replied with a forced smile.
"Oh... do you know any other studios nearby?" Sidney asked, trying to hide her disappointment.
"Sorry, I'm not sure. But please remember to make an appointment next time!" The assistant continued to smile professionally.
"How much does a typical session here cost?" Sidney asked, thinking it was a strange question.
The assistant looked at her curiously but replied, "It depends on what the client needs and what services they use."
"Oh, okay... thanks."
Feeling defeated, Sidney walked out of the building and called Alondra.
"It's me, Alondra. Help me out," Sidney pleaded.
"Huh?" Alondra answered, still groggy from her sleep. "What's up?"
"Jayson wants me to go to a party tonight."
"Then just go… why are you telling me this?"
"I couldn't book the stylist, and I have nothing to wear... and I don't know how to do my makeup!" Sidney's frustration was evident.
"Clothes... Didn't your dad buy you a few outfits? Just wear one of those..." Alondra suggested casually.
"Those are too revealing! I'm a married woman now!" Sidney protested.
"...Well, just throw on a shawl or buy a little jacket to cover up," Alondra said, still half asleep.
"You're so smart! What about the makeup?" Sidney asked, suddenly feeling hopeful.
"Makeup? You can come over, and I'll do it for you," Alondra offered with a yawn.
Before Alondra could finish her sentence, Sidney immediately hung up the phone, got into the car, and headed straight for Alondra's small apartment.
When they arrived at Alondra's place, Sidney told her bodyguard to wait downstairs and that she would go upstairs alone. However, the bodyguard insisted on escorting her all the way to the door, only waiting at the door once he confirmed that Alondra had come out to answer it.
Sidney sat by the small vanity, while Alondra, still half-asleep, was doing her makeup.
"Should I do it like I usually do?" Alondra asked.
"Is it too heavy?"
Alondra glanced at her for two seconds before disdainfully saying, "Then don't put on two layers of false lashes, just use mascara."
"Alright."
Alondra spent an hour applying a delicate makeup look on Sidney. Afterward, Sidney checked herself and asked, "Is the lipstick too red?"
"What color are you planning to wear?"
"Probably black..."
"Then bright red works fine! No problem! You just need a matching clutch in the same color and... black heels... That should be fine."
"I don't have a red bag."
"Do you have a black diamond one? Or one with black sequins?"
"No."
"Then what do you have?" Alondra couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Like that pink dress you saw last time, the one with the lace details."
"Then go buy one right now."
"... It's expensive!"
Alondra rummaged through her drawer and pulled out an old business card. "Go here to buy one, ask for the person on the card."
"Okay..."
"Go quickly! I have a red shawl I'll lend you." Sidney gratefully accepted the shawl from Alondra and quickly left.
She had her bodyguard drive to the address on the business card. Wearing her makeup, she entered the store, where the store owner immediately saw her and warmly walked out from behind the counter to greet her.
"Miss, what would you like to see?"
"I'm looking for a red or black bag with diamonds on it. Do you have any?"
The store owner, upon hearing this, eagerly pulled out all the bags that matched her request and laid them on the table. Sidney looked at them and realized they were all second-hand bags. No wonder Alondra had asked her to come. After a moment of relief, Sidney began to sift through the bags and settled on a red leather hard-shell bag. She didn't know much about brands, so she simply asked the owner, "How much is this?"
"26,000."
"..." What! A nearly new second-hand small clutch costs 26,000? Sidney put it back and picked up another black, more modest bag, asking the price. "..." What! A nearly new second-hand small clutch costs 26,000? Sidney put it back and picked up another black, more modest bag, asking the price.
"18,000." Still expensive, but Sidney steeled herself and pulled out her debit card. She asked the owner to wait while she went to a nearby ATM to withdraw the money. Seeing her pitiful balance, Sidney felt a pang in her heart. She had been arranged to marry right after graduation, with no income of her own. On top of that, she had lent almost all the money she had received from her father to Alondra, leaving her with very little.
