Chapter 7 The dress of your dreams

• Sonia begged for the wedding day to come so she could finally get rid of Mía once and for all. The day was approaching, and Mía still didn't have her dress. Sonia was handling all the details of the banquet and was in communication with Carlo's mother. Mía wanted no part in any of it, but that day, Sonia would force her to go and get the dress once and for all. She would do whatever it took to be rid of that spoiled brat.
• "Mía, I'll be waiting for you in the car in thirty minutes. We're going to buy the dress. It'll have to be one of the ready-made ones since you didn't want to get measured in advance for a custom dress," Sonia said firmly, putting Mía in her place.
• "Buy whatever dress you like, Sonia, I really don't care. I won't be able to accompany you," she said nonchalantly.
• "I'm not asking you, you'll go whether you like it or not. If you refuse, I'll drag you there," Sonia ordered one of her trusted men to take Mía to the car. If she resisted, he had to carry her.
• Reluctantly, Mía got into the car. Sonia didn't allow Caroline to accompany them; she held back once again, dying to claw that witch's eyes out. That woman was terribly intolerant and insisted on keeping her away from her sister.
• They arrived at an exclusive fashion house. Sonia started choosing dresses for Mía to try on. They were all beautiful, as she didn't want to upset Carlo's family, who were very powerful, and it was better not to cross them. She was tired of pretending interest in all of it, but she had no choice.
• The first dress was nice, but the puffed sleeves made it look too airy. Sonia insisted that she should take that one, as if she couldn't notice the mocking expression Mía tried to hide when she saw it on.
• The second dress had a circular skirt, short in the front. She definitely didn't want to stand at the altar showing off most of her legs.
• The third dress had a light cream color, brocades, and lace of the same color. Mía thought that one could be the right choice.
• Sonia categorically refused; the groom's mother had specified that the dress had to be completely white, representing the purity of the bride. Hearing this, Mía smiled inwardly.
• After a while, Sonia began to get in a bad mood. Mía deliberately took more time, wanting to see how much the woman could endure to get rid of her.
• She tried on several more dresses, but none of them satisfied her. In the end, she measured a beautiful dress with embroidered gemstones, accentuating her tiny waist perfectly. It was strapless, with a semi-circular skirt and a long train spreading widely. It was a dream dress, she thought, and asked to be left alone for a moment. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but cry inconsolably. She had always dreamed of a dress like that for the day she would marry the love of her life, and obviously, Carlo wasn't that person.
• Sonia thought it was too much dress for such an insignificant girl like her, but she had to pretend that she liked how it looked. After choosing the dress, she asked for a long veil, as Carlo's mother wanted her to enter the church with her face covered. Then she picked out lace lingerie in white, choosing the most daring designs. She knew Carlo would like it, and Mía felt the urge to throw it in her face. She clenched her fists tightly to stop herself, figuring that if she liked them so much, she should wear them herself.
• When they returned home, Mía locked herself in her room and called Thara; she needed to talk to someone, to vent. She felt like the pressure in her chest would explode at any moment. The Cuban girl immediately came to her call, but Sonia looked at her from head to toe; she didn't like that girl at all and then just passed her, ignoring her completely.
• "Hey, friend, I came as quickly as I could. What's going on? Why are you like this?"
• "Sonia forced me to try on the wedding dress. It's a dream, it's as if it was made for me. It fits perfectly."
• "If you liked it, then I don't understand why you're feeling this way."
• "You know I don't love Carlo. I wish I could wear it for a real wedding."
• “The marriage will be real, my friend, and you know that.”
• “I mean, I would have liked to wear it to marry someone I was in love with.”
• “Oh, my friend! I'm really sorry” Thara exclaimed with deep sadness.
• “You know, I'm looking forward to the wedding night. If Carlo forces me to be with him, he'll realize I'm not a virgin. I don't regret that night at all, being with that man. I'm still intrigued by not knowing who he really is, not having seen his face.”
• “Aren't you regretful about what happened that night?”
• ” at all.”
• “I confess I'm afraid of what Carlo might do when he finds out. You don't know him well; who knows what he's capable of.”
• “It's not like I really care. He can do whatever he wants, it won't fix anything.”
• Mía had no idea who Carlo really was or how aggressive he could be. He had always had trouble controlling his anger, and his reaction to finding out that he wasn't her first could put Mía in danger.
• At night, Thara asked Mía to accompany her to the opening of a new restaurant. After much insistence, she finally accepted. They left without Sonia noticing, as lately she wanted to restrict their outings, claiming it was to avoid annoying Carlo. When they arrived, they had some trouble getting in.
• The place was full, and they couldn't find the reservation made by Thara. They had to wait for a table to be arranged for them. Mía noticed something caught the attention of some girls there. When she looked in the direction they were staring, she saw the cause of their distraction—a man who was leaving, accompanied by others, but he stood out from the rest. He was very tall and muscular, and his dark hair contrasted with his tanned skin. Although she only saw him in profile, she could tell he had a beard. He was a very handsome man and seemed oblivious to the lustful glances he was getting as he passed by. She got lost in the moment while observing him.
• "Friend, hey, listen, Mía, I'm talking to you, girl."
• "Uh, what? Sorry, I was distracted."
• "Haha, I saw the reason for your distraction. He's almost two meters tall and has a fantastic butt. What a tremendous hottie he is."
• "Thara, you can't say that out loud; someone might hear you."
• "Yes, I can say it, and I did. Sorry, friend, hahaha."
• Mía smiled. That was something that would never change in Thara, and, to be honest, that spontaneity was what she loved about her. Thara brightened her days with her jokes and wit, while Mía was more serious.
• Ahmed had gone to have dinner at the new restaurant, owned by one of Campbell's friends. He was there with Campbell and Zafir. As he headed for the exit, he overheard some girls making comments about him, but, as usual, he ignored them and kept walking without looking back. If he had turned around, his search would have ended right then. He felt exhausted and just wanted to go back to New York to rest.
• His driver was waiting for him at the exit. He got into the car and headed to the airport. The back-and-forth between New York and Los Angeles was wearing him out. When he arrived at his mansion, it greeted him as coldly as ever. He lived enclosed in his memories. His wife's and children's belongings were still in place, untouched since they left. The nanny who had taken care of his children had become the housekeeper and made sure nothing was moved from its place. It was always the first instruction given to new staff.
• Ahmed took a bath and then went to his children's bedroom. He lay down on the bed and hugged his son's favorite stuffed toy, a huge brown dinosaur.
• That's how he fell asleep. In that world, he could see them, always in the distance. How he wished he could hug his family, even if only in dreams, but it wasn't allowed. He believed that was his punishment for everything he had done.
• If only he had decided to change in time, his family would still be with him. He felt lonely. Just thinking about having to return to his home country upset him. His father continually requested him to return, but he refused in a thousand different way.