Beauty turned slowly and looked at him, her eyes wet with a mixture of shock and hurt.
"I should've known," she whispered, her voice trembling, then opened the door and left the room.
Before Bruno could say a word.
She stormed down the hallway. Her vision blurred as she fought back tears, her chest tightening with each step.
She could still hear Bruno's voice echoing in her mind, cutting even deeper than she cared to admit.
"No one wants to see all that fat anyway..."
Just as she rounded the corner, Jessie's voice called out.
"Beauty!"
She paused, clenching her fists beside her, trying as much as possible not to cry and make Jessie ask questions. She couldn't keep being a burden to Jessie because of her issues with Bruno.
Jessie walked up to her, wearing a smirk.
"Well, look who's all dressed up!" Jessie said, clearly impressed as she looked Beauty up and down. "Girl, you are stunning! What's the occasion? Never seen you dress so... you know..."
She paused as she saw Beauty's face, and her smile was replaced with worry and curiosity.
Something was definitely off. The outfit was nice, but still... did Bruno make her wear something she wasn't comfortable with?
"Beauty," Jessie's tone was softer now as she stepped closer. "What's going on? You... you don't look okay."
Beauty turned and forced a smile.
"It's nothing, Jess. Just... had a bad day, that's all," she replied, taking a shaky breath. But Jessie wasn't buying it.
"Nope, don't say that... I know that look on your face," Jessie said. "You're not getting away that easily. Come on, spill. What's the matter? I'm your friend; I can help."
Beauty looked up finally, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
She bit her lip, hesitating, but one look at Jessie's concerned expression broke through her defenses.
"It's Bruno," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper. "We... we had a fight again. A bad one."
Jessie's eyebrows lifted, her expression now a mix of curiosity and concern.
"About what? I mean, he seemed pretty chill when he left the gym. What happened? Did he hit you?"
Beauty shook her head, glancing down at her dress.
"Tell me, Jessie, what's wrong with this dress?"
Jessie stopped, taking in the outfit.
"It's... nice... lovely."
Beauty continued.
"I bought this dress... I thought maybe if I wore something different, something a little bolder, he'd see that side of me, you know? That I can also rock this look." Her voice was barely above a murmur.
Jessie's eyes widened in shock, and a frown started to form.
"Wait. So he didn't like it? I mean, you look incredible."
"He... he liked it. But he said he didn't want me going out dressed like this. Said it's 'too much' and that I'd just attract the wrong kind of attention from other guys."
Jessie exhaled in relief.
"Who knew Bruno was that type? Being possessive because he doesn't want other guys looking at you. That can be annoying, sure, but it might just mean he cares, don't you think?"
She giggled.
Beauty shook her head.
"I told him he was controlling me like his property. I mean, he's surrounded by models who dress like this all the time. Maybe he's saying that because I don't have that body."
"You said that to him? Beauty, why? Maybe he's just being overly protective, you know? I know you've only been in toxic relationships, but good guys feel that way too sometimes."
Beauty's face twisted more, and her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Jessie... it wasn't just that."
Jessie paused, noticing the shift in her friend's expression.
"What do you mean?"
"He... he actually said that... that..." She paused abruptly, glancing around to see if anyone was approaching.
Jessie took her by the hand.
"Come on, let's go to my room."
"But Kathy-"
"She's out for a tropical photoshoot."
Beauty followed her to their room, and Jessie shut the door afterward.
"So tell me, what did he say?"
"No one wants to see all that fat."
She broke down instantly.
Jessie's face tightened, her earlier defenses of Bruno evaporating in an instant.
"That's... that's bad... How could he say that? It's careless. He knows your struggle with this issue."
Beauty bit her lip, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I told you, my dream... it's a warning, Jessie. I should end this now...I am tired."
---
Mrs. Lola Cruz stood outside Beauty and Bruno's room and knocked on the door. The other designers were waiting. She expected Beauty to answer, but to her surprise, Bruno opened the door instead.
He looked like he was having a bad day, his smile faint and strained, his eyes searching behind her as if he'd been hoping to see someone.
"Mrs. Cruz," he said, clearing his throat.
"Hello."
"Hello, Bruno," she replied, studying his face with curiosity.
"Is Beauty here?"
He shook his head.
"No... she isn't."
Lola noticed the heaviness and sadness in his tone and also the dull look in his eyes. Her instincts told her there was more to this.
"Did something happen, Bruno?"
Bruno hesitated, his gaze dropping as if ashamed.
"It's nothing, Mrs. Cruz. Just... some misunderstanding."
"With Beauty?" she asked softly.
Bruno nodded without looking up in regret.
"I said some mean things to her, and I wouldn't be surprised if she hates me for it."
He laughed sadly.
"Is it that serious?"
Mrs Cruz asked feeling sorry for him.
Bruno didn't say a word; she could tell he was regretting it heavily.
She sighed.
"We fight with people we love too, and it can make our relationship stronger. Fighting isn't always a bad thing, you know. The bad thing is not talking things out, not accepting your flaws, and not forgiving each other."
"What I said was ........unforgivable. I let my emotions out, and I hurt her... I'm just like the rest of them."
Mrs. Cruz had no idea who "the rest of them" were, but that wasn't her concern.
"Do you mind having a talk with me inside?"
Bruno apologized for keeping her at the door and invited her in.