With my coffee in hand, | decide to do a bit of shopping. | step into a nearby clothing boutique that | haven’t seen before and


    begin flipping through the racks, pulling out various items and holding them up to myself in the mirror.


    “That’s a nice color,” a familiar voice says as I’m holding up an emerald green sweater in the mirror..


    | turn around, surprised to see Elsie, the maid who used to be my friend, standing there. She doesn’t seem to recognize me


    through the mask. | tug it down just enough so she can see me, and her eyes widen.


    “Ab”


    “Shh,” | hiss, drawing closer. “I’mying low.”Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Elsie nods slowly, then grins. “I didn’t know you were going to be in town today,” she says. “How are you doing? | heard about...”


    Her voice trails off, but we both know what she’s thinking: the disaster of an Alpha party.


    “It''s a long story,” | exin quietly. “But it''s under control. | needed to get out of the city, though.”


    Elsie shoots me a knowing look, then loops her arm around my shoulder. She’s in her in clothes; it must be her day off, hence


    the reason why she didn’t know | was going to be here. It was all sost minute, after all.


    After a moment, Elsie nces at the items I’ve got in my hand: a mini dress, a sweater, and a scarf.


    “Are you shopping for something special?” she asks.


    | hesitate for a moment, then decide to extend an invitation on a whim. “Actually, Elsie, | was wondering if you’d like to join me for


    coffee and shopping,” | say. “It’s been so long since we hung out like we used to.”


    Elsie’s eyes brighten with excitement. “That sounds perfect. There’s a new shop down the street that I’ve been dying to check


    out...”


    We continue our shopping adventure together, just like old times. It feels as though we just picked up where we left off, and the


    familiarity of our friendship makes me feel more at home here.


    After | pay for my things, we head to the new shop down the street, a boutique with all kinds of candles and lotions. | decide to


    pick up some face lotion and a new scented candle, and a pair of earrings on a whim.


    As we walk down the street, bags in hand, Elsie suddenly looks at me with a curious expression on her face. “So... does all of


    this mean that you and Karl are back together?”


    | freeze for a moment, my smile faltering. “It’splicated, Elsie,” | reply. “We’re keeping things casual.”


    Elsie’s brow furrows, and she studies me intently. “Well, it certainly doesn’t seem casual,” she says softly. “Everyone has been


    talking since the Alpha party. We all thought you were getting back together.”


    I''m taken aback by her observation, and | can’t deny that there is a hint of truth in her words. The past week has been filled with


    moments that felt far from casual, and | can’t help but wonder if I’ve inadvertently fallen back into old habits.


    As we continue our walk, a sense of unease settles within me. Maybe Elsie is right. Maybe all of this is too much, and I’m here


    for the wrong reasons. | should be using this time to escape the chaos of the city, not ying house with my ex-husband.


    The weight of Elsie’s words lingers in my mind, and it makes me question my own motives for being here. Am | really only here


    to escape the city?


    Or am | here because there’s something else drawing me back to the ce | used to call home?