Chapter 129

Agnes

I stood frozen in the doorway, suddenly feeling like Thea and I were on display.

The silence in the room was deafening, and I immediately glanced down at our matching princess outfits. What had seemed cute and fun at home now felt painfully out of place once I saw the other low-key outfits that everyone else was wearing. Even Thea froze, her cheeks turning pink as she looked up at me.

“Don’t they like our outfits?” she whispered, tugging on my hand.

My heart raced as I scanned the room. The other mother-daughter pairs were dressed in coordinated outfits, sure, but nothing as elaborate or over the top as our full-on princess ensembles complete with tiaras and wands. Most wore simple sundresses or casual pants with matching tops—tasteful, appropriate, and definitely not covered in tulle and satin.

But then, something unexpected happened.

A little girl about Thea’s age broke away from her mother and ran toward us. “You’re princesses!” she exclaimed, reaching out to touch the tulle on Thea’s skirt.

Her mother approached, smiling warmly. “Did you make these yourselves? They’re absolutely adorable,” she said.

Before I could fully process what was happening, we were suddenly surrounded by a small crowd of mothers and daughters, all exclaiming over our dresses. The awkward silence had transformed into excitement.

“The detail work is incredible,” one woman said, circling me to examine the stitching on my bodice.

“How long did it take you to make these?” another asked.

Relief washed over me. “Just a couple of days,” I admitted, feeling a little sheepish at the attention. “It was Thea’s design, actually. I just helped her polish it.”

Thea beamed proudly beside me, showing off her wand to the growing circle of admirers. “I’m going to be a designer just like my mom someday,” she said, eliciting a wave of sweet sighs from the onlookers.

“You should consider making these commercially,” one of the women suddenly suggested. “I’d wear it.”

Another mother nodded enthusiastically. “Seriously, there’s a market for this. Adult women who want to relive a bit of their childhood but in a more sophisticated way. I know I would buy one.”

I blinked in surprise. “You would?”

The women nodded, all glancing at each other and murmuring their agreement. Even Elijah smirked beside me, folding his arms and giving me a look as if to say, “See?”

I turned the idea over in my mind. I’d been so focused on everything else that I hadn’t come up with an innovative new line in a while, but this could be interesting. A line dedicated to girlhood, complete with bows and ruffles and matching sets for mothers and daughters.

As we moved further into the venue, my mind still running with ideas, I noticed Evelyn waving at us from near the runway. She looked stunning in a floral maxi dress.

“There’s my fashion star,” she said, giving me a quick hug. “I knew you’d come up with something amazing, but this exceeds all expectations.” She turned to one of the organizers. “Could you take Thea to get ready backstage with the other kids? We’ll be there in a minute.”

After Thea had been led away, Evelyn linked her arm through mine and guided me to a quiet corner. “I wanted to talk to you before everything gets too hectic.”

“Is everything okay?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m leaving him.”

For a moment, I wasn’t sure I’d heard her correctly. “Your husband?” I asked.

She nodded. “I’ve been building up to this for months, ever since you and I had that talk. You were right, Agnes. I deserve better than to be disrespected in my own home.”

“That’s… wow,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m happy for you, Evelyn. But are you ready?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be ‘ready’ enough,” she sighed. “But I’ve been working hard, building up my reputation in the pack without him. I even took a position at the pack headquarters running the charity department. If this event is a success, I should even be able to keep the position after the divorce. I won’t be at his mercy anymore.”

I felt tears fill my eyes, and I quickly blinked them away. “You have no idea how happy that makes me, Evelyn.”

“It’s because of you,” she said with a shrug. “You showed me what a strong Luna looks like, how to command respect. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“You did all the hard work,” I said, suddenly feeling bashful. ‘Strong’ and ‘respect’ felt like words that had nothing to do with me.

“Still, I want you to know how much your friendship has meant to me.” Her eyes grew serious. “I mean it.”

One of the organizers approached us then, signaling that it was almost time to begin. Evelyn and I made our way backstage, where the mothers and daughters were being lined up in their walking order. Thea was practicing waving her wand for the big turn at the end of the runway when I found her.

“I’m thinking like this,” she said, tapping her wand against mine and then pulling it out in a wide arc. “If you do it too, it’ll be like the shape of a heart.”

I grinned, matching her movement. Pleased, Thea grabbed my hand and bounced on her toes.

The fashion show itself was a blur. When it was our turn, Thea and I walked hand in hand down the runway, pausing at the end to wave our wands and give a twirl. Thea went all out, even blowing kisses to the audience, who responded with enthusiastic applause.

My initial embarrassment had faded entirely, replaced by the simple joy of doing something fun with this little girl who had somehow become such an important part of my life. I met Elijah’s eyes in the crowd, and he gave me two thumbs up, making my chest swell.

After the show, there was a reception with refreshments. I was chatting with a group of mothers when one of the organizers approached me with a broad smile.

“I wanted to let you know,” she said, “that we saw a huge spike in donations during your walk. People were literally pulling out their phones to donate on the spot.”

A warm feeling spread through my chest. “Really?”

“Your outfits were a hit. Sometimes people just need something that brings a little magic and joy, you know?”

Yes, I did know. I knew very well, actually. I needed a little magic and joy in my life as well, after everything I’d been through.

Elijah found me shortly after, handing me a glass of punch. “To the star of the show,” he said, clinking his cup against mine.

“Hardly. That would be Thea.”

“You’re both stars,” he insisted. “And I’m not the only one who thinks so. I’ve overheard at least a dozen people asking if you take commissions.”

Before I could respond, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. My skin tingled where his lips had touched me, and I felt a flutter in my stomach.

“I’m proud of you,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. He then stooped to scoop Thea up, carrying her over to the dessert table as she chattered nonstop about the show, and I watched them go with a strange, happy feeling in my chest.

For the rest of the afternoon, I felt like I was walking on clouds. The event had been a success in every way—we’d raised money for a good cause, I’d potentially found a new collection to work on, and I’d experienced the simple joy of pretending to be a princess with Thea. What more could a mother ask for?

It wasn’t until later that evening, after we’d returned home and Thea had gone to bed, that I felt that bubble of contentment finally pop. I was scrolling through social media, looking at the photos people had posted from the event, when I saw it.

A comment from one of Olivia’s supporters.

“Interesting to see who was included in today’s MOTHER-daughter fashion show,” they’d written. “Last time I checked, playing dress-up doesn’t make you a mother. Where was Olivia, her REAL mother?”

The comments replying to that one were even worse.

“Anyone else think she looked ridiculous? Talk about trying too hard.”

“Classic pick-me behavior. All that pink and those ruffles… we see you trying to appeal to the male gaze, Luna Agnes.”

“Poor Thea being paraded around by her father’s flavor of the month.”

“I wonder if he likes ruffles and bows in the bedroom, too? That’s probably why she chose to look like that.”

Each comment felt like a tiny knife pricking my skin. My hands trembled slightly as I continued to scroll, seeing more posts from Olivia’s supporters echoing her sentiments. The warm glow I’d carried all day began to fade, replaced by the all-too-familiar feeling of doubt.

But I set my phone down abruptly, shaking my head. I sat up in bed, gritting my teeth.

No. I wouldn’t let Olivia take this from me.

Not when she had taken so much already.

In that moment, I made a decision. Without hesitating, I picked up my laptop and moved to my desk, where I spent the entire night working on a presentation for my next fashion line.