"Take me to the best boutique. I need some new clothes," Anabel said as she entered the car. The driver followed her instructions without a word. After all, knowing the best boutique in the city was part of his job.

In less than twenty minutes, there they were. They parked in the parking lot, and she came down.

"I will go inside by myself. If I need any help, I’ll call you." Anabel said before walking inside. The boutique is meant for the rich. A common person cannot afford the least expensive collections in a boutique of this caliber.

Anabel's eyes were drawn to one of the gowns displayed on a pedestal, and she signaled for the sales lady.

"The gown is over there," the sales lady said, pointing towards it.

"I need it. Get it for me," Anabel ordered, her tone calm but firm.

The sales lady glanced at the gown and then back at Anabel, her eyebrows raising in surprise. It was one of the boutique's most expensive collections.

"Are you sure you're pointing at the right one?" she asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

"I'm not blind," Anabel replied coolly, sensing the sales lady's scrutinizing gaze. "Get the dress for me."

"I'm sorry, I don't want to waste my energy. I cannot get it for you. You can choose from others. The cloth you are pointing at is not for someone like you."

"What did you say? Let me say it again—get those clothes for me."

"Why do you want to stress me? Those clothes is not for people like you. Don't be too stubborn." The sales lady insisted.

"Are you in my pocket? Do you even know me? How dare you assume anything about me?" Anabel asked.

"I don't need to know you before making my conclusion. Just by looking at you, it’s clear you wouldn’t even be able to afford the cheapest item here. I can tell by the trash you're wearing right now." The sales lady said, and Anabel glanced down, her eyes briefly scanning her outfit—it was one of the clothes Desmond had bought for her.

How ironic.

"I have the money to pay. That's what matters. I will need five of different designs." Anabel took out her card, and the saleswoman couldn't help but laugh.

"The five will be four hundred thousand dollars. You can't do that kind of transaction with a card."

"Why don't you check the card I'm holding before spitting rubbish!" Anabel said, and the sales lady stared at the card. She was surprised and looked up at Anabel.

"You are holding the black card? That's the Centurion card. Only billionaires get access to the card. Are you a billionaire? Oh! My god! I'm sorry for underrating you. Please forgive me." As she spoke, her head almost dropped to the floor in embarrassment.

"Are you getting the clothes now?"

"At your service, Ma'am," the sales lady said, quickly gathering everything Anabel had chosen. She escorted Anabel to the checkout counter.

After paying, Anabel walked away with a sense of reckless abandon, as if shedding the weight of the world with each step.

"Take me to the biggest hotel; I will spend the night there and get back home tomorrow." Anabel told her driver when she entered the car.

The driver took her to one of the city’s finest hotels. Once inside, Anabel checked in, then headed straight for a hot bath to wash away the day’s tension.

Stepping into the bathroom, her body was craving for relief. The marble floors gleamed under the soft light, and the scent of lavender from the bath salts filled the room, calming her.

Afterward, she ordered her favorite meal, savoring each bite before drifting into a deep sleep. She couldn't wait to return home the next day.

The next day, Anabel found herself standing at the main entrance. She smiled and rushed to embrace her father when she spotted him coming.

"Welcome back, my daughter." They hugged each other. "I've missed you so much. I'm so happy you are home."

"Thank you, Dad." Anabel replied. "I'm happy to see you as well."

"Look at you, how they have messed your face up. You insisted on marrying Desmond after he saved you. Now see what they have done to you."

"I thought he loved me. I never knew it would turn out this way. I was wrong." A bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah, it's good that you admit that you are wrong," her father said softly, his voice low but filled with an undeniable tenderness. “You made a mistake. We all make mistakes, and that is how we learn. You were driven by love, and I won't blame you for that. Love can make us blind, make us do things we regret. I'm just...hurt that you learned the hard way."

Anabel felt the tears threaten to spill over, but she swallowed them down. Her father’s words were the balm her wounded heart needed. "It's okay, Dad. Now I'm back, and I'm never going back. We signed the divorce paper, so we will never come back together again. Never..."

"That's fine. Anyway, I arranged a small feast for your return. It's just a family feast to celebrate your arrival. I didn't invite any outsiders."

"But you shouldn't have bothered yourself."

"No, don't say that. Two years is not two days. Follow me." The dad said, and she followed him.

Anabel stepped into the warm glow of her family's spacious living room. The soft light felt like balm to her weary soul. Her elder brother approached her with a wide smile. "Hey, sis! Welcome back!" He exclaimed, opening his arms for a hug. Anabel felt so loved and excited as she embraced him tightly. Jethro was her only brother.

"I've missed you so much." Jethro said.

"I missed you too." She said before releasing him. She scanned the room and saw how it had been transformed into a celebration raven. Vibrant balloons danced in the breeze as their colorful ribbons tangled together. A lush bouquet of sunflowers dominated the center of the table. Anabel smiled as she watched. Her family's love and care wrapped around her like a warm blanket. The room was aglow with candles. The air was filled with the sweet, savory aroma of roasted chicken and steaming vegetables.

"Surprise!" Her mother exclaimed from nowhere. Anabel looked and saw her mom walking towards her with smiles all over her face. "This is our special way of welcoming you back." She hugged her.

"Thank you very much, Mom. This is marvelous!"

Alex led her to the table. Different kinds of food were served with her favorite childhood dinnerware.

"Sit down, kiddo. Let's start already." Her father said gently, his tone soft but filled with quiet reassurance. "You have a lot to enjoy yourself with."

As they sat down to eat, Anabel felt a wave of peace and joy settling over her. For this moment, at least, she was home, surrounded by true love.

"Dad, how is the company moving?" Anabel suddenly asked in the middle of the dinner.

"It's fine. But I will like you to go and inspect the company. Make out time." He replied, his words overflowing with trust.

"Is there any problem? What’s going on?" Anabel asked, as if some switch inside her had been flipped back to life at the mention of the topic.

"I've received a notice that some high-level employees are oppressing the low-level staff." He replied.

"That's terrible!"

"Yeah. If we keep quiet, it will spoil our reputation. I want you to go and fish them out, then fire them. I don't know if you will have the strength for it."

"I'm still strong. I will do it. I already have an idea of what to do." Anabel said.

"I trust you. I can always count on you."

"And... about Desmond's contract. I know you are considering canceling it." She said.

"I don't even need to do anything to deny him the contract. Remember that you always sign before we give him any contract. I've not changed the policy and process."

"I almost forgot."

"He will regret divorcing you," her father said, his eyes filled with a mix of tenderness and determination as he looked at her.

She smiled back, her expression confident and assured.

"He definitely will."