27 This is me?

"Nice dress," Fil heard Kim's voice, snapping her back to the present moment. Kim was already standing in front of her, but instead of being mesmerized, Fil felt even more pressure.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, her eyes fixed on Kim.

Kim furrowed her brows and cocked her head to the side. "Sorry, for what?"

"I mean, I'm sorry, Mr. McGuire," Fil cleared her throat, swallowing down the shame bubbling in her heart. "But I don't think I can afford everything I tried on. I'll just get this one piece and then pay your fee for your time. I'm really sorry!"

Dustin, Kim, and Jackson just stared at the distressed Fil in confusion.

"That's the reason you didn't change?" asked Dustin after several seconds of silence. "You were worried about the price?"

Fil slowly cast her eyes down, only to look up when Kim chuckled.

"Didn't that good-for-nothing Jackson tell you that everything is free?" Kim smiled in amusement. "Friends help friends. Dustin and I are friends. And Dustin is friends with that piece of abomination. We don't charge friends. We already have more than enough."

"Huh?"

"It's rare for Jackson to ask for my help," explained Dustin. "So when he told me he needed my help, I agreed. Even if you want to pay me, I won't accept it."

"But —" Fil almost choked as she darted her eyes between these two prominent figures standing before her. "How can I just accept that? Each piece here costs a fortune. And I can't just haggle someone's talent, skills, and time to put all this together."

Kim and Dustin furrowed their brows before they cast a look at Jackson. Why wasn't he saying anything?

"She wants to pay. Why not let her pay?" Jackson shrugged. "Repayments don't necessarily mean money. If she wants to pay, then I'll ask her to let me take off all those clothes as repayment."

"What a pervert." Kim moved closer to Fil and covered her ears. She gazed at Fil apologetically. "Poor little lady. Don't listen to him. He's been absurd since the day he started breathing."

"If you don't want it for free, then model for me," Dustin clapped, grinning. "After dressing you up for hours, my brain kept sparking with creativity."

"You want me to become a model?"

"Not on the runway, but be my muse," Dustin chuckled softly. "That's alright with you, right, Kim?"

"I'm sick and tired of being your muse." Kim nodded at Fil, smiling until her eyes were squinting. "I called for my glam team. A makeover wouldn't be complete with just a set of new clothes, right?"

"Perfect!" Dustin clapped in excitement. "We're almost done completing her season's wardrobe, anyway."

Fil blinked blankly, darting her eyes between the two. By the looks of it, the two had already decided and resolved the matter. Were they even listening to her? Her lips parted, now realizing why Jackson was friends with these people.

'They don't listen, do they?' she thought.

Fil let out a sigh, torn if she should continue her argument when it was obvious Dustin and even Kim had made up their minds. She slowly cast Jackson another look. Her brows rose when Jackson encouragingly nodded at her as if telling her not to worry.

'It seems... I would thank him once the day ends,' she thought, smiling subtly. 'But did he mean it when he said he wants repayment?'

"Hey, Dussie. Where's her food? My little Fil hasn't had breakfast and now she's going to skip lunch?" Jackson broke his silence, earning Kim's and Dustin's attention.

"Get it on your own, will you?" Kim clicked her tongue.

"It's on its way here for sure." Dustin just smiled, making Kim roll her eyes.

"This is why he's acting all cocky. You're spoiling him too much." Kim sighed and then faced Fil once again. "Let's eat first, okay? Food is on the way. We can't have you fainting once we resume."

"Uh..."

"Let's eat at the dining table. It would be a shame if the food stained the clothes."

"Let's go, dearest." Kim held Fil's hand, dragging her to the dining area.

Dustin, on the other hand, followed. "Now, I'm hungry too."

"This is why I didn't want that witch here." Jackson clicked his tongue, pushing himself from the couch to follow his little Fil's abductors. But before he left, he cast a look at the rest of the clothes that weren't burnt to ashes.

He grabbed a handful, marched to the fireplace, and tossed them in there. Without a care in the world, he followed the three to the dining area as if he hadn't just burned hundreds of thousands worth of clothes that people would die to get their hands on.

*****

Never in Fil's imagination would she ever have thought she would be able to have a simple lunch with the nation's goddess, Kim Rock. Let alone the man with the golden touch, Dustin McGuire. Surely, life was full of twists and turns.

The lunch went just as casually, just like any other lunch. Kim and Dustin were both kind and considerate, keeping Fil busy and making sure she was comfortable. Although Kim was purposely leaving Jackson out of all the conversations, at least they didn't fight.

After the hearty lunch, they all resumed 'work.' At the same time, Kim's glam team also arrived. Dustin's group of stylists and Kim's glam team worked hand in hand, working on Fil to bring out the best version of her outer self.

Although Kim and Dustin didn't do it on their own, their suggestions and guidance greatly helped their team. Meanwhile, Jackson stayed on the sidelines, taking pictures once in a while.

"Final touches — let me," Kim stepped in, taking the brush from her artist to stroke Fil's face. Her lips stretched in satisfaction. "Perfect!"

Kim glanced at the mirror behind Fil, seeing Dustin, who was standing behind Kim and beside Jackson, nod.

"I now feel sorry that you're going to use that pretty face on someone like Jackson," Kim remarked, not forgetting to drag Jackson's name through the mud. "Here's the finished product, dearest."

Kim spun the chair Fil was sitting on, almost giggling in excitement to see Fil's reaction. Fil squinted her eyes a little for some reason. Slowly, Fil peeked at the vanity mirror the glam team had brought with them. When her eyes were fully open, her brows slightly creased, a little surprised at the beautiful woman looking back at her.

"This…" Fil touched her cheek, speechless and overwhelmed. "... this is… me?"

Dustin and Kim smiled in satisfaction until their eyes were squinting. It wasn't that Fil wasn't beautiful; she was already beautiful. However, her hair, posture, and how she dressed herself made her look dull.

"Yes, dear." Kim squeezed Fil's shoulder. "That's how beautiful you are."

A thin layer of tears shifted to the faces reflecting in the mirror. "Thank you."

"You're always welcome, honey." Kim returned amicably. "What are friends for? We're friends now, right?"

"We didn't do much because you're already pretty," Dustin also nodded, smiling warmly. "Still, it's my pleasure."

When Fil moved her gaze to where Jackson stood, he offered her a gentle yet proud smile. Her heart warmed and her eyes softened, shifting her gaze to Dustin and Kim once more, and then to the people who worked their hearts out to help Fil. All of them were smiling with satisfaction and pride as if all their efforts had paid off.

'These people were all strangers to me,' she thought, setting her attention back to herself. 'Yet, their sincerity was something I never got from the people I called friends.'