Mistaken Identity

VANESSA

The boutique smelled faintly of lavender and expensive perfume, the kind that lingered in the air long after someone passed by. The racks of silk, lace, and satin shimmered under the soft lighting, but none of it soothed the irritation bubbling up inside me.

I stood in front of yet another row of dresses, flipping through them with an edge of impatience. Every time I thought I’d found the