Golden Melody (Editing)

Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Like a Normal Girl (Almost)

Miexha's Point of View

Today might be the best day of my life.

No exaggeration.

I still can't quite believe it happened—I walked around the mall. Like, actually walked. Around. A real mall.

Not in a private showroom. Not a curated delivery where everything already arrived labeled "For Miss Miexha Verra."

I touched dresses hanging on racks. I flipped through them myself. I tried on shoes that weren't custom-molded to my feet.

I even wandered into the toy section alone and chose dolls with my own two hands.

It felt strangely thrilling. Like I had escaped a museum display.

And then there was Zatariel.

Riel.

He somehow became my stylist, fashion advisor, and personal bag carrier all at once. I nearly burst into giggles every time he crouched down to hold a shoe to my foot like I was some fragile Cinderella in a storybook.

For a fleeting second, a very dangerous thought crossed my mind.

What if he were my boyfriend instead?

He's handsome in that annoyingly effortless way. All polished and luminous, like he walked straight out of a glossy magazine. And he smells exactly like the cologne aisle in the perfume shop we passed by.

My heart did a strange little thump-thump-flop in my chest.

It isn't fair.

Why can't he be my fiancé?

Instead, I have Jayson.

...Sigh.

Jayson was... fine, I suppose.

Awkward, yes. Painfully so sometimes. But he really tried. All those evening "practice sessions" must have helped, because today he almost looked natural.

No one suspected we weren't truly in love.

We held hands. He kissed my forehead twice.

He even hugged me without freezing up like a malfunctioning machine.

Honestly? Kind of impressive.

Even when someone accidentally shoved him into the fitting room with me.

Oh my goodness.

I still want to evaporate from the memory.

He tripped. And fell. Directly onto my chest.

Well... "chest" might be generous.

More like a ribcage wearing a training bra.

We both froze. My heart completely stopped.

Jayson looked like a man who had just committed a capital crime.

Then I silently screamed inside my head while he scrambled backward as the floor had turned into lava.

"Turn around!" I squeaked.

He did immediately—hands in the air like he was surrendering to the authorities.

Which would have been the end of the humiliation...

Except I couldn't reach the zipper of the dress.

So there I stood.

In my baby bra.

Very stuck.

Finally, I whispered, barely audible,