Poor Girl Can't Afford Dream Dress — Story of the Day

Athena's quest for a luxurious dress to elevate her status leads to a harsh lesson in values when her mother's health crisis and an encounter with a mysterious and handsome stranger force her to choose between vanity and family.

Athena stood outside a boutique, her eyes fixed on the expensive clothes on display. She was dressed simply but wanted to feel special. She saw a pretty dress in the window and decided to go in.

The shop was lovely inside, but Athena felt a bit out of place. Paula, the saleswoman, gave her a cold look. "Can I help you?" she asked, not sounding very friendly.

"I'd like to try that dress," Athena pointed to a golden dress, trying to sound confident.

Paula looked surprised. "Do you know it's worth $5,000?"

Athena's heart dropped, but she pretended to be okay. "I've been saving up," she said, even though it wasn't true.

Paula let out a sigh but handed her the dress. It looked amazing on Athena, and she felt great. But Paula said, "That dress isn't for you," making Athena feel small.

Naturally, Athena didn't appreciate Paula's comment and demanded to see the manager, stunned by the treatment. "Now!" she said.

Paula's eyes widened, realizing she might have gone too far, but she went to get the manager. People in the shop started whispering, watching the drama. A man in the corner was watching, too, but he didn't say anything.

Soon, Paula came back with Frank, the manager. He seemed nicer than Paula.

"How can I help with the dress issue, miss?" he asked Athena.

"I came here to buy a dress. I was dismissed and judged unfairly by your staff," Athena said, nodding slightly towards Paula. "I will return tomorrow with the payment."

"Frank, if she actually returns with enough to afford that dress, I will quit," Paula said firmly. "I made a judgment based on years of experience. This is absurd."

Frank made up his mind. "If Athena has the money, we admit we were wrong."

Athena felt bad about compelling Paula to put her job on the line, but she was also determined to prove the woman wrong. She said she'd be back with the money and left the store while Frank told Paula not to quit but to see this as a learning moment.

Back home, Athena told her mom, Maria, about the store. "They looked down on me," she said. "I'll show them by buying that dress."

"Why bother with them?" Maria asked.

"I just want to show I can," Athena said.

Suddenly, her mother started coughing really badly.

"Mom, are you okay?" Athena rushed to help.

"My medicine is in my purse," her mom managed to say, pointing to her bag.

While getting the medicine, Athena saw a lot of money in the purse. Without thinking much, she pocketed the money and continued to look for the medicine.

As her hands landed on the pills, Athena rushed back to Maria, and it helped the older woman stop coughing. "Thank you, my dear," Maria said, relieved.

"Anything for you, Mom," Athena replied but felt bad about the money.

"Sorry, honey, what were you saying?" Maria then asked, looking at her daughter with concern and curiosity.

"The dress, Mom," Athena replied. "I think this dress can change our lives. It's a chance to be noticed."

"Are you talking about marrying well?" Maria asked.

"Yes! This dress could help us meet someone who can improve our life."

Maria was worried. "But do you really think a dress can shape our future?"

Athena was hopeful. "It's a chance for me to show who I really am."

Maria didn't want to crush her daughter's hopes. "If you believe in this, I'll support you. Just don't forget that being loving and kind is what truly matters."

"Thank you, Mom. I'll remember that."

The next day, Athena went back to the boutique to buy the dress, thinking it would lead to a better life and give her a better position in society. But when she got there, her phone rang. It was her mom. Athena was worried, "Mom? What's wrong?" she asked, answering.

"Athena, my dear, I'm in the hospital," Maria replied weakly. "I had another coughing fit, and it was so bad this time. I had to call an ambulance. It might be cancer," she said, sounding scared.

"I had some savings, Athena. For emergencies. I withdrew it in cash a few days ago, anticipating this very thing. I thought it would be enough, but this is going to be more expensive than I thought. I need you to go home and fetch my handbag, please, and then come to the hospital."

Athena felt bad. She had taken money meant for something else to buy a dress she really liked. "Don't worry, Mom, I'll sort it out," she said before ending the call.

At the dress shop, Athena told the workers, Paula and Frank, "I'm going to buy this dress." She kept telling herself she had to go through with it.

Wearing the dress, she thought about her mother in the hospital and felt worse. But she still bought it. She wouldn't back out at this point.

"So, I brought the money," Athena told Paula, making the woman apologize to her for being mean earlier.

But leaving the shop, Athena didn't feel good about getting the dress anymore. Her mom had sent a message saying, "I'm scared," and Athena knew she had done the wrong thing. She wished she hadn't picked the dress over helping her mom.

That's when Athena started to understand that being liked by others or having money isn't what makes you successful. It's about being true to what's important to you and the people you care about.

When Athena turned around, she saw a handsome man — the mysterious man who'd been watching her in the store. He looked serious but spoke kindly. "Miss, you were very brave earlier," he said. "I saw you fought for yourself at the store."

Seeing him made Athena forget her worries for a moment. She smiled and tried to sound cool, "I'm good at standing up for myself."

The man introduced himself, revealing his name was Klaud DuPont, and Athena was really interested when she heard his name.

"Klaud DuPont, like the famous one?" she asked, surprised and trying to charm him. "I'm happy you noticed me."

Klaud smiled. "Yes, that's me," he said. "I liked how brave you were in the shop. It's rare to meet someone as honest and brave as you."

Athena smiled back. "It was just a small thing about a dress. Sometimes, you have to make a bit of a scene to get what you want."

Klaud mentioned he heard her talking on the phone earlier. "Is everything okay with your mom?"

"It's not a big deal," Athena said lightly. "Just a regular check-up."

"But you looked really worried on the phone," Klaud pointed out.

Athena shrugged it off and suggested they have lunch together at a famous restaurant down the street. That really disappointed Klaud. He now understood Athena seemed to care more about appearances and getting her way than her mom's health.

"I have to admit, it didn't look like nothing—you seemed very concerned on the phone?" he said.

"Trust me, it was no big deal," she said, trying to keep the mood light.

Klaud sighed. "I thought you were different, not just after fancy things," he said, feeling let down.

"Oh, come on, Mr. DuPont. We all know that in our world, appearances matter. Surely someone of your stature understands that better than anyone!"

"Appearances do matter, to some extent," he conceded. "But, Miss, I believe true character is revealed not by how one deals with trivialities but by how one handles real adversity, like the health of a loved one."

The rebuke, couched in Klaud's polite but firm tone, struck Athena. "I thought you'd get it, seizing chances when they come," she said, trying to defend herself.

Klaud sadly disagreed. "Seizing opportunities, yes, but not at the expense of one's integrity or the well-being of those we care about. I'm afraid we have very different values, Miss. I wish you well in your pursuits."

Then, Klaud walked away, leaving Athena alone to think about what had just happened.

At that moment, Athena realized the true cost of her ambitions. The allure of wealth and status had blinded her to the importance of integrity, compassion, and genuine connections.

Feeling awful about her decision, she went back to the store to return the dress she bought.

Paula and Frank were surprised when they saw her. "Why are you returning it when you wanted it so badly?" Frank asked.

Athena met his gaze with clarity. "I've realized that the value I placed on this dress, on what I thought it represented, was misguided. My worth, my mother's well-being...these aren't things that can be enhanced or secured with clothing. I lost sight of what truly matters."

Frank nodded, a small smile on his lips. "That's brave of you," he said, taking back the dress.

Athena felt lighter as she left the store. She had wanted to fit in, to be part of a fancy world. But she realized what really mattered was being true to herself and the love she shared with her mom. The dress taught her more about herself than she expected.

As she headed to the hospital to be with her mom, Athena felt strong. She wasn't looking for approval from others anymore. She was focused on doing what was right. This was her first step in discovering her true self and what made her truly happy.

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