Chapter 2 — The Dress
Regina actually laughed.
"You?"
Maya nodded once.
"I can repair it."
Vivian looked between them.
"You know couture?"
"I studied fashion design."
"What happened?"
"My mother got cancer."
"I left school to work."
Silence.
Vivian stepped closer.
"Can you really save this dress?"
Maya looked carefully at the damage.
Then smiled.
"I can't make it look the same."
Vivian frowned.
"But..."
"I can make it better."
The actress hesitated.
Then slowly nodded.
"Do it."
Regina exploded.
"Absolutely not!"
"She's a janitor!"
Vivian looked directly at Regina.
"And right now..."
"...she's the only person with a solution."
That ended the argument.
Maya opened a hidden compartment inside her cleaning cart.
Regina blinked.
Inside weren't cleaning supplies.
There were sewing scissors.
Fine needles.
Silk thread.
Pins.
Fabric tape.
Tiny tailoring tools.
The room watched in complete silence.
Maya knelt.
Folded the torn fabric.
Pinned delicate pleats.
Reshaped the damaged side into an elegant flowing design.
Every movement was calm.
Precise.
Confident.
Seven minutes later...
She stepped back.
Vivian turned toward the mirror.
Her mouth slowly opened.
The ruined dress was gone.
In its place stood something entirely new.
An elegant sculpted silhouette that looked richer than the original design.
Photographers forgot the disaster.
Now they couldn't stop taking pictures.
Vivian laughed.
"Oh my God..."
She turned toward Maya.
"This is beautiful."
The ballroom erupted into applause.
Regina didn't clap.
She couldn't.
May you like
Because for the first time all night...
Nobody was looking at her.
