Chapter 5 1 288 Vouchers LILITH Evening , 5 : 30 PM . Up at the presidential suite on the top floor of Aurora Palace - the most luxurious hotel in the country and a family - owned business - I had just finished enduring two full hours of grooming and makeup . And now , it was time to pick an evening gown . However , the moment my eyes landed on the rows of pink dresses lined neatly before me , my expression darkened . I had almost forgotten that the period I returned to was a chapter of my life I'd disliked deeply -a time when everything I wore , ate , and did was tightly controlled and dictated by my parents . The reason for this should be traced to my older siblings . When my fraternal twin siblings - Julian and Marissa - were born , our parents had been too preoccupied with their respective careers to raise them personally , so the twins were sent to live with our grandparents . By the time our parents ' careers finally stabilized and they had the time to care , the twins had sadly grown up and moved past the age of craving parental affection . They remained respectful and polite , every bit the image of perfect children , but the emotional closeness to our parents was never quite there . As a result , this matter became a regret that weighed heavily on their hearts . So , when they had me , they were determined to do things differently . 08:47 Chapter 5 And they did . I was raised at their side , surrounded by love , luxury , and the best of everything from birth . I lacked nothing , except the one thing that mattered most : freedom . I had grown up like a doll in a glass case . Precious . Pampered . Sheltered . I was never allowed to make even the smallest decisions on my own . My whole life was perfectly arranged - the color of my room , the clothes I wore , the school I attended , the major I studied , and even the man I ended up marrying . My irreconcilable dislike for the color pink stemmed from the fact that it had been the dominant theme of my entire life . The color of my bedroom decor , my clothes , my accessories , and even the first car they ever gifted me . A car I never got to drive myself , of course , because they were too concerned for my ' safety . ' In my past life , I had lived more than a decade away from them after getting married , but even then , I never asked or understood what the color meant to them , or why they insisted on using it so obsessively in every aspect of my life . But to me , it represented suffocation . It made me feel like a living doll , because pink was the only color that seemed to exist in my universe . I woke up to pink every morning and fell asleep to it every night . And now , staring at those dresses again - each one a reminder of the unhappy memories I'd kept locked away - I felt a familiar , silent scream crawling up my throat I turned away sharply , my brows furrowed tightly . " Take these away . I won't wear any of it . " 08:47 Chapter 5 288 ( Vouchers The sudden command made the stylist team exchange glances . The lead stylist , Rosa , stepped forward with a faintly worried expression . " But your mother specifically instructed- " side - eyed her with a frosty look and cut her off . " She might be the one paying the bills , but in this room , I'm your employer . You listen to me , understood ? " A brief silence followed , each team member looked visibly surprised . And I knew exactly why . years , they'd probably To be fair , this wasn't the first time they'd worked on me . But over the grown accustomed to my quiet and well - behaved demeanor . Like a pliant doll , I wore and did what I was told , never expressing an opinion of my own . In both lives , this was my first time speaking out , and also going against my mom's instructions . Rosa recovered first . She blinked , quickly masking her surprise , then lowered her head . " My apologies , Miss Caldwell . " I didn't respond . I didn't have the strength to . As I turned to go back to my seat , my eyes suddenly caught sight of something . Swiveling , 1 walked past Rosa and stopped at the far end of the rack . There , nestled between two pastel pink gowns , was what had drawn my attention - a midnight black evening dress . " I'll wear this one , " I said firmly , my fingers running over the smooth fabric . 08:47 Chapter 5 :. 288 Vouchers From the corner of my eyes , I saw Rosa shot a look at the wardrobe assistant , realizing this was likely her mistake - accidentally slipping in a different color . But she soon recovered , likely realizing that this little mix - up had saved them a great deal of trouble . As for the aftermath I might face from wearing black instead of pink ? That was between us mother and daughter . Not something she should be concerned with . So , she nodded and smiled , appropriately . " It'll look perfect on you . " The rest of the team followed suit , showering me with compliments . How elegant it was , how well it matched my skin tone , how sophisticated it made me look ... Of course , how sincere any of them were was up for debate . But I didn't care . As long as I liked the dress , that was all that mattered . Without another word , I took the gown and disappeared into the changing room . When I walked out moments later , the eyes of everyone in the room visibly lit up and I read the same word from their faces . Wow . I was pleased with the reaction , but I didn't show it . Instead , I walked up to the full - length mirror and studied my reflection closely . The black dress fit me like a glove , hugging my slender frame in all the right places . I looked elegant , poised , and untouchable . Like a queen in the making . The woman staring back at me made the first real smile since I arrived at the hotel slowly 08:47 Chapter 5 appear on my lips . Much better . 288 Wouchers Just then , the familiar ding of a notification sounded from my phone . I had a feeling I knew who it was from . Picking it up , my intuition proved correct . It was indeed a message from the private investigator I'd hired . Clicking on the first image , the smile at the corner of my lips deepened . With another swipe , I browsed through the remaining pictures and a file , then quickly sent the final payment . { It's a pleasure working with you . } The reply came just as quickly . { I'm glad you're satisfied with our services . Let's work together again sometime . } { Sure . } With that , I went offline . My eyes twinkled with excitement as I began thinking about how best to put my plans into motion . I would make sure tonight was etched into everyone's memory for a long time to come . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!