ONE NIGHT TOO LATE

RETAIL THERAPY

Anne's POV

If someone had told me a month ago that I’d be spending my Saturday morning planning a shopping trip with Lizzy, I would have laughed in their face. The old me, the Anne who revolved her life around Dave’s moods, who avoided spending money unless it was “practical” and “mutually beneficial” for our “future” would have never agreed. But this was not the old me. This was the version of Anne who was done crying over men who didn’t deserve her, who was learning to breathe again, who had just landed her dream job.

And I needed a few new outfits for my new life.

Lizzy was the first to bounce into my room, hair in a messy bun, phone in one hand, iced coffee in the other.

“Get up, girl! We’re going to make the mall regret letting us in today,” she sang, pulling my blanket off.

I groaned but swung my legs over the bed. “Do we really have to go this early?”

“Yes. The earlier we go, the more time we have to try on everything. You said you wanted a wardrobe upgrade, right? We’re doing it properly.”. I knew it was worthless arguing with Lizzy, so I said my morning prayers and proceeded to dress up.

It took me an hour to get ready, and I refused to apologize for it. I curled my hair into soft waves, swiped on light makeup, and slipped into a casual yet flattering outfit high-waisted jeans, a tucked-in white blouse, and my new nude heels. If I was going to spend money today, I might as well look like I already had it.

********

The mall was alive with weekend energy families with kids running around, couples holding hands, groups of girls taking selfies in front of store displays. Lizzy’s arm linked with mine as we headed toward the high-end wing of the shopping complex.

First stop: Zara. I had barely stepped inside before Lizzy was already pulling things off racks. “This blazer is screaming CEO energy,” she said, holding up a tailored black jacket. “And this one...oh my God,this dress is so you.”

I trailed after her, laughing, letting her pile my arms with clothes. But deep down, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time.....excitement. Not the kind that came from someone else’s approval, but from my own anticipation. I was doing this for me.

We spent almost an hour in the fitting room, me trying on outfit after outfit. Lizzy squealed every time I stepped out in something new.

“You look like you own a penthouse and a yacht,” she said when I tried on a silky emerald dress.

“Perfect. Now all I need is the yacht,” I replied.

By the time we walked out, I had two shopping bags in hand. But that was just the warm-up.

*****

We were halfway to the next store when I saw him.

Dave.

He was walking toward us, his arm around a tall, slim brunette in a figure-hugging red dress. She was laughing at something he said, her perfectly manicured hand resting on his chest.

My heart squeezed so suddenly it felt like someone had reached into my chest and twisted it. I hadn’t seen him in person since the day I told him to get out of my apartment. My first instinct was to look away, to pretend I hadn’t noticed. But my body betrayed me, my eyes locked on him, drinking in the reality of the man I had loved for ten years, the man who had begged me for patience, only to take what he wanted from someone else.

He saw me. Of course, he saw me. His steps faltered for the briefest second, and his mouth twitched, almost like he wanted to say something, but then he tightened his arm around the brunette and kept walking.

I forced myself to smile. Not for him, but for me. A tight, almost defiant smile, as if to say, You don’t get to see me break.. A part of me was so happy that I took my time this morning to look good .

Lizzy caught on instantly. “Oh, hell no. That was him, wasn’t it?” she asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

“Yep.” My voice was steady, but my chest felt like it was caving in.

“And that was… her?”

“Yep.”

She was about to go after him but I held her.

"Lizzy there is no need, he's in the past"

Lizzy’s eyes narrowed. “We are not letting him ruin this day. We’re about to spend enough money to make the economy notice.”

-- - - - - -

And that’s exactly what we did.

I don’t know if it was petty revenge or self-preservation, but I threw myself into shopping like it was an Olympic sport. I tried on anything and everything, silk blouses, leather skirts, sharp pencil dresses, casual knits that looked too good to be called casual.

Lizzy gassed me up the whole time. “Anne, you’re glowing. Like, you have main-character energy right now.”

At Michael Kors, I splurged on a handbag I’d been eyeing online for months. At Sephora, I replaced my entire makeup collection with high-end products. We stopped for lattes, then kept going. By the time we were done, my arms ached from the weight of the bags, and my credit card probably hated me, but I felt lighter.

Not because of the things I bought though they were fabulous—but because I realized something. Seeing Dave with her hurt, yes. But it didn’t break me. The old Anne would have gone home and cried for days. The new Anne was going home with bags full of things she chose for herself, a job starting Monday, and a future that no longer depended on a man’s love. It's been a long time I pampered my self but I was so happy I did.

* * * * *

When we finally got home, Lizzy collapsed on the couch. “Okay, tell me that wasn’t the most therapeutic day ever.”

“It was,” I admitted, kicking off my heels and grinning. “And I didn’t even cry once.”

“That’s because you’re finally seeing what I’ve been telling you—Dave was dead weight. And now you’re free.”

Free. The word sat warm and heavy in my chest. I didn’t know if I was fully there yet, but I was getting closer. I was healing from the past, healing from all the shenanigans I went through.

And as I looked at my shopping bags scattered across the living room floor, I decided I was going to wear my new emerald dress on my first day at The Clark’s Conglomerate. Not for Dave, not for anyone else,but for me.