She looked at Alessia, noticing how clear and gentle her gaze was–full of quiet confidence. It was nothing like her own, always darting around, avoiding eye contact, too timid to even look someone in the eye.

“The convenience store’s just by the conference iroom/i. Want to walk together?” Alessia asked, her tone casual and light, as if it were just an afterthought.

Joyce nodded and followed Alessia out of the restroom. People passed them in the hallway, talking andughing in small groups, their cheerful chatter making the silence between Joyce and Alessia feel all the more awkward.

Joyce kept her head down, unconsciously twisting the hem of her sleeve, lost in her own thoughts.

“How much did your outfit cost, Lessie?” Joyce finally managed,

summoning her courage.

Alessia nced at her before looking away, but Joyce didn’t notice–her gaze was fixed on the floor.

“About thirty thousand,” Alessia replied without hesitation.

“My family could work a lifetime and never earn that much,” Joyce said, forcing augh.

“Plenty of people will never make that kind of money. Why measure everything by price?” Alessia’s tone was matter–of–fact.

“People have different ideas about money. What counts as a luxury depends on who you ask. If you don’t care about brands, a dress could be twenty bucks, two hundred, or two thousand–it doesn’t really matter. But once you care, you start to calcte: how many dinners is this worth, how many basic dresses could I buy for the same price?”

Joyce flinched, struck by how urately Alessia had voiced her private thoughts. She hunched her shoulders, staring at the ground, barely

b1/3 /b

09:06

noticing where she was going–until Alessia suddenly grabbed her arm.

Startled, Joyce looked up just in time to see she’d nearly walked straight into a trash can. Alessia let go, but her words kepting.

“You keep doing the math, round and round, but you never really get an answer. All it does is drain you from the inside out.”

“Honestly, sometimes I envy you,” Joyce admitted, her ivoice /ibarely above a whisper. “You have a loving family, a gorgeous boyfriend, you’re beautiful and smart–the world seems to revolve around you. Me, I’m just here as background noise, the sidekick to set off the main characters like you and Mia and Esme. Some days, I don’t even feel like I’m important enough to be in the picture at all.”

“If that’s how you see yourself, then that’s where your story ends,” Alessia said, not unkindly.

Joyce stopped in her tracks, surprised by the bluntness. She stared at Alessia’s back.

“But people are like that, aren’t they? Wepare, we get jealous–I don’t want to feel this way,” Joyce burst out, louder than she intended.

Alessia paused and turned to face her. Her eyes were calm and unwavering.

“So what? Everyone has those feelings. The real question is: what are you going to ido /iabout it?”

Joyce stared at her own hands, fidgeting, unable to meet Alessia’s gaze. That fierce, honest look was itoo /imuch.

i“/iWe’re here,” Alessia announced as they reached the conference room. “Go in and do your best. Clothes are just decoration. It’s your confidence and your own abilities that make you shine.”

At some point, Alessia had fallen back to walk behind Joyce. She gave her a quick pat on the shoulder, then nudged her gently toward the door.

Joyce stumbled, barely catching her bnce before Alessia disappeared‘ down the hall, heading for the convenience store.

09:07

Left standing there, Joyce could only watch Alessia’s retreating figure.

“Joyce, what are you doing out here? Get in, quick! The president’s already losing his mind looking for you.”

“Sorry, something came up on the way,” Joyce replied, snapping out of

her daze.

“No worries, just hurry up. There’s a lot left to prep.”