When Waldo spotted me, his face froze for a fraction of a second before he recovered. “Be a good girl,” he told Alanna, lowering his voice. “Take it off and let Valerie try it on.”
“But it’s so pretty!” she whined, clutching the fabric， clearly reluctant to part with the gown.
“Don’t be silly. You’ll have your own dress one day,” Waldo said, pinching her cheek playfully.
“But who could ever compare to you, Alpha Waldo?” she purred.
I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “Don’t mind me. I’m just here for the show. Ten points for the kiss pose earlier—very convincing.”
Waldo flinched, and Alanna froze like a deer caught under headlights.
“Val, this isn’t what it looks like,” he started.
“Oh, really? Because it looks like you’re shopping for wedding dresses with your childhood friend. Did you forget to tell her I was standing right here?”
Worried I might confront Alanna, Alpha Waldo turned to me, offering a flimsy excuse.
“She’s just playing a wedding game, okay?” he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t get upset, alright?”
If this had been the old me, I would have exploded—arguing, shouting, maybe even ripping that dress apart just to make sure no one else could wear it. But with my departure only a week away, what was the point? Sometimes, silence was the loudest protest.
For the first time, I wasn’t angry. I was free.