The things we never had

Chapter 6

We walked into the shopping center, and honestly, I had no idea what to do. Back in the UK, I always ordered clothes online—it was cheaper and more efficient. Even when friends invited me to go shopping, I never went. We couldn't afford to spend money like that. Plus, with school uniforms, things were easier. If you were on benefits, you could get your uniform discreetly online, so no one knew. The schools provided good-quality clothes, and unless I told someone, they wouldn't know I was poor. Not that I think anyone would care nowadays, but it still felt embarrassing. So I just followed the group, feeling a bit out of place.

Will seemed more confident—he had experience buying clothes for sixth form when we got some government assistance for that. He knew what to do, and I was happy to let him lead. We'd barely made it through the entrance when I realized this place was pretty much empty. Aren't shopping centers supposed to be busy?

Our first stop was Ralph Lauren, and I couldn't help but get excited. I'd always loved their clothes, especially the fleeces—they always looked so good. But when I saw the price tag on something I liked—a hundred dollars—I bit my lip and put it back. It was way too expensive. Old habits die hard, I guess.

Then, a voice behind me spoke. It was Grey.

"Don't worry about that," he said casually. "Dad's a billionaire set to become a trillionaire next year, and Mum's already a billionaire. Trust me, we can afford this stuff. Plus, Mum always gets annoyed because we never buy new clothes. She probably loves this more than you do."

I laughed nervously and picked the jumper back up, asking him, "You think this looks good?"

Grey smirked. "I love it. In fact, I think we should get it in every color." He flagged down a sales associate, and I tried to warn him, but he ignored me.

"Hi," Grey said to the associate, "Can we get this in every color? And could you also grab a hoodie in every color too, please?"

I groaned. "Grey, why did you do that? It's going to cost so much!"

He grinned at me. "When we go shopping, we play a game called 'Who Can Spend the Most on Stuff We Actually Need.' We do this twice a year, so we can really rack up the bill. This is the official second time, and you, my sister, have to be in it to win it."

I laughed and said, "Okay, should we team up?"

Grey smiled wider. "I thought you'd never ask."

By the time we were done, I had so many bags I could barely keep track. I ended up with normal t-shirts in every color, thanks to Grey's insistence that we match. He got the same ones in men's sizes, claiming we'd end up joint first in our little shopping competition. From Ralph Lauren, we moved to Tom's Trunks, where I picked out shorts, trousers, and tracksuits. Next up was Burberry, where I added more trousers, some sunglasses, shoes, and scarves to the haul.

Chanel was a bit of a whirlwind. I stocked up on makeup, grabbed Chanel No. 1 and No. 5 perfumes, skirts, shorts, sets, coats, jackets, and of course, the iconic sunglasses. After that, we hit Tiffany & Co., where I picked out necklaces, earrings, anklets, and bracelets that sparkled under the store's lights. Then, we went on a spree at places like Doc Martens, Dior, Longchamp, and Valentino, where I basically bought everything that caught my eye.

By this point, I was pretty sure we'd spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions, between us. Grey had bought everything I did but in men's sizes, minus the makeup, and the rest of the group was trying to outdo each other in spending as much money as possible. Internally, I was crying over how much was being spent. It was absurd. But I forced myself to push those thoughts down and just enjoy the experience for once. After all, it wasn't every day you got to shop without worrying about the price tag.