CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

"Madam, dinner is ready." Laura Lawson whispered to me after Henry Preston left.

I nodded, got up, and walked to the dining room.

After dinner, I took a shower and went straight to bed. I didn’t feel like doing anything else. Tomorrow I have to accompany Leah Lane to pick out a dress, so I need to be well-rested.

Just then, I received a message from my mother-in-law, listing two or three dozen traditional Chinese medicines.

She wrote: Zoe, have someone get these medicines according to the prescription, and let Henry drink them for half a month, twice a day.

I was suddenly wide awake: Mom, what is this prescription?

My mother-in-law replied: It’s for boosting energy and kidney function. I think Henry must have some health issues. If this continues, when will your father-in-law and I ever get to hold a grandchild?

I immediately wanted to refuse because there’s nothing wrong with Henry, and he wouldn’t follow my arrangements anyway.

But after hesitating for a while, I agreed: Okay, but I’m not sure if he will drink it.

My mother-in-law sent me a big OK emoji and then said: Don’t worry, you just get the medicine, and leave the rest to me.

The next day I sent Laura to get the medicine. She looked at the long list of herbs and asked in surprise, "Madam, are you not feeling well?"

I laughed and shook my head, "No, it’s my mother-in-law who wants me to get this for Henry in hopes of having a grandchild soon."

I made no secret of it to Laura, so next time when she sees Henry and Azure Vaughn being all lovey-dovey, she’ll remember how unfortunate I am as the original wife.

"Madam, I have a relative who is an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and he has a remedy that works wonders. Should I ask him for you?" Laura said kindly.

"Really? Sounds great, then please help me get a few doses to try in the next few days." I feigned surprise, "If it really works, I will give you a raise!"

"No need to be so polite, Madam. I’ll go check it out today," Laura said, a bit embarrassed.

I replied, "Okay, I have things to do today. I’m heading out now, and I probably won’t be back for lunch."

I then headed out and arrived at "Aethel" bridal shop right at eight o’clock.

Leah Lane was already waiting for me there. When she saw me, she waved her hand, "Zoe, come over quickly!"

Once inside the bridal shop, the sales assistant served us both a cup of warm water and prepared some snacks. The shop wasn’t big, and the wedding dresses were moderately priced. Given Leah’s status, she should have chosen a high-end bridal shop to have a dress custom-made.

She told me that Connor Hawthorne couldn’t afford such expensive dresses and wedding attire, and he didn’t want to be dependent on her, so they decided on a more affordable bridal shop.

"Ms. Lane, please come and try on the dress," the sales assistant said to Leah.

Leah got up and went to the fitting room, while I wandered around the bridal shop. Looking at the beautiful wedding dresses, I felt a bit uneasy.

A wedding dress holds extraordinary meaning for a woman, and on the day I picked my dress, Henry rejected me completely.

As I recalled those unpleasant memories, the door to the bridal shop opened again, and Azure entered with two other girls. They were chatting excitedly, their voices bright and cheerful.

"Miss Hathaway?" Seeing me, Azure’s eyes grew wide with surprise and joy, "What a coincidence! What are you doing here?"

Just then Leah came out wearing the dress and asked me, "Zoe, how does it look?"

The dark red embroidered cheongsam looked elegant and refined, but the color was a bit muted. I thought for a moment, "Is there anything in a brighter color? This one looks a bit old-fashioned."

The sales assistant quickly replied, "Yes, Ms. Lane can come with me to see other styles and try them on."

Leah nodded and went with the sales assistant to continue picking out dresses.

I then replied to Azure, "I’m here with a friend to choose a dress. You guys are..."

The other two girls with Azure were about the same age, and they all linked arms, looking very close.

"Our theater club is rehearsing a play, and my role requires a wedding dress, so I brought my roommates to help me pick one and rent it," Azure answered with a bright smile.

"Alright, go ahead and choose." I said softly.

"Okay!" Azure and her two friends went to pick out a wedding dress while I sat on the sofa, flipping through a bridal magazine and keeping an eye on Azure with my peripheral vision.

After a while, Azure and her friends started asking the sales assistant about the rental price of the wedding dress.

Upon learning that it cost a thousand for one day, the three of them glanced at each other, seemingly finding it hard to accept.

Azure asked shyly, "Is it possible to have a discount? We need it for about two days, and we guarantee not to stain or damage it!"

"Please help us out, Miss. We are all students, and it’s for a play, but our drama club’s budget is tight," another girl pleaded.

This put the sales assistant in a difficult position since she wasn’t the owner. She could only politely suggest that Azure and her friends choose a more affordable dress.

However, Azure was fixated on this dress and reluctant to switch.

Watching them reluctantly return the wedding dress, I got up and walked over, "Azure, just take it. I’ll handle the bill in a moment."

"No, no, no, Miss Hathaway!" Azure quickly shook her head when she heard, "We’ll just choose a cheaper one!"

"If you like this one, then choose it. Once you switch to another, there’ll always be regret. Some things, once you’ve decided, shouldn’t change." I said, conveying a deep philosophy.

It’s not just wedding dresses; choosing people is the same. Once you meet true love, everyone else is just a compromise.

Ignoring Azure’s protests, I swiped my card and asked the sales assistant to pack the dress for her, saying, "You can return it to me after your club has enough funds."

Azure’s two roommates were also stunned by my generosity, thanking me repeatedly.

Azure, blushing with big watery eyes, whispered, "Thank you, Miss Hathaway, I’ll pay you back."

"It’s a small amount, don’t worry about it." I smiled warmly.

After Azure and her friends left, Leah finally chose a dress she was satisfied with. A sleeveless long dress in vibrant red, the hem reaching mid-calf, exposing her slender ankles. The waistline was elegantly cinched, and there was a layer of sheer embroidery, though it didn’t seem of high quality.

Leah spun in front of the mirror, "How’s this? I think it’s quite nice!"

"It’s good, the color really suits you!" I praised.

"Alright, let’s go with this one!" Leah decided immediately, then asked me to take a photo, which she sent to Connor Hawthorne.

Two minutes later, Leah’s face lit up with happiness, and she joyfully asked the sales assistant, "Please wrap it up, thank you."

And with that, the dress selection journey concluded. Leah wanted to take me out for lunch, so I chose a Japanese restaurant, the same one where Azure had a dispute last time.

Once inside, Leah looked at the sushi, sukiyaki pot, and a plate of sashimi being served, and her face fell, "Zoe, why did you want to eat here? I feel like the ingredients aren’t very fresh..."

With an average spending of less than a hundred per person, you can’t expect a place to offer the quality of a thousand per person.

I was just curious if Henry would accompany Azure to eat these things. Surely Azure can’t transform overnight from an ordinary civilian to a graceful aristocrat?

"I saw it was busy here, so I thought we’d give it a try." I took a piece of sushi and popped it into my mouth; it was actually quite tasty.