Chapter 5 - The Gala
The night of the gala was the climax of the campaign. Lily was draped in an emerald gown that made her auburn hair look like fire. She walked the red carpet, and the flashes were blinding.
The woman from the boutique was there—the one who had insulted her on Michigan Avenue. She stared at Lily, her mouth agape, recognizing the girl she had once dismissed as an "eyesore."
Lily didn't look at her with anger. She looked at her with pity.
Inside the ballroom, Victor stood by the podium. He watched Lily move through the crowd—poised, gracious, and undeniably magnetic. She was the center of the room. She was the one chosen.
As the program began, Victor stood up. "They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder," he announced to the room. "But tonight, I want to talk about the beholder. For too long, our industry has looked for perfection. But perfection is boring. I found my muse on a rainy sidewalk, selling caramels because she was too strong to quit."
He gestured to Lily. The room turned.
"She is the future of this brand," Victor said, his voice brimming with pride.
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Lily walked to the stage. She didn't stumble. She took the microphone, and for the first time in her life, the girl who asked for permission to exist didn't need to ask anyone for anything.
"I used to think my life was defined by the people who told me 'no'," Lily said, her voice carrying to every corner of the room. "I was wrong. My life is defined by the moment I decided my own worth."
