MTLNOVEL Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Dress
"It's for Mom," she told herself as she swiped her debit card. "The system will refund me anyway. Right? Right?"
Aurora's heart sank when she saw her balance hit zero.
She felt like crying again but quickly reminded herself why she was doing this.
Once she got home, Aurora crept into her mom's room and slipped the card under her pillow. She grinned to herself.
"Fairy godmother strikes again," she whispered.
That night, after dinner, Mary went back to her room. She hummed softly as she tidied up, smoothing out the bedspread.
When she fluffed her pillow, something slipped out and fell onto the bed.
Mary frowned and picked it up.
"A gift card?" she murmured, reading the amount.
Her eyes widened when she saw $150 printed on it.
"What on earth…?"
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the card in disbelief. Who could've left this for her?
A sudden realization struck her, and she immediately called out, "Aurora! Come here!"
Aurora froze mid-step in the hallway. Her mom's tone sounded serious—like the kind of serious that meant big trouble.
She entered the room hesitantly, hands behind her back. "Yes, Mom?"
Mary held up the gift card with a stern expression.
"Aurora, did you… steal this?"
Aurora's jaw dropped.
"Steal? No way, Mom! I'd never do that! And what is that?"
She tried her best to look utterly baffled.
Mary narrowed her eyes.
"It's a $150 worth of clothes gift card. Now tell me where did you get this?"
"Mother, I truly don't know how this gift card ended up in your room." Aurora blinked her eyes innocently.
Mary didn't fall for her words,
"Then how did this end up under my pillow? Other than you no one knew about my wish. A $150 gift card isn't something you just find lying around. Even if you saved up all your allowance, you wouldn't have this much money."
Aurora felt her heart race.
She couldn't exactly tell her mom she'd emptied her bank account. Thinking quickly, she puffed up her chest and answered,
"It wasn't me, Mom. It was my godmother!"
Mary blinked. "Your godmother?"
"Yes!" Aurora nodded earnestly.
"You know, my fairy godmother? She must've known you needed new clothes and poofed this into existence!"
Mary frowned her logical mind at war with what she was hearing.
"Aurora, fairy godmothers aren't real."
Aurora crossed her arms and gave her mom a determined look.
"You don't know that. And besides, if it wasn't me and it wasn't Dad, then who else could've given it to you? It has to be magic!"
Mary sighed and rubbed her temples.
She knew Aurora didn't have the money for something like this, but the idea of a fairy godmother seemed too far-fetched.
Still, the card was here, and it didn't make sense.
Aurora watched her mom's expression shift as she thought deeply.
Taking a chance, Aurora smiled and said,
"Anyway, it doesn't matter who gave it to you. What matters is why they did it. They wanted you to use it, Mom. So please, just take it."
Aurora raced to the desk, heart pounding.
She quickly turned on her computer and logged into the rebate system.
She typed in the details carefully:
What did you buy? And for whom? A clothes gift card, my mom.
How much was spent? $150.
Aurora hit the submit button and leaned back in her chair, her eyes glued to the screen.
Her heart thudded in her chest as the system loaded. "Come on," she whispered. "This has to work. I deserve a rebate for this one!"
She tapped her fingers on the desk, waiting. And waiting.
The spinning wheel on the screen felt like it was mocking her. "Hurry up!" she hissed.
When the notification finally popped up, Aurora gasped and clicked it immediately.
Her eyes scanned the message, and then—
Her jaw dropped.
"Transaction verified. 200% rebate credited: $300. Your new balance is $300."
Aurora stared at the screen, her eyes as wide as saucers.
"Wait… WHAT?!" she shouted, almost falling out of her chair.
She quickly reread the message, her hands trembling.
"200% rebate… $300?! I'm rich! Yes! Yes!"
She rushed to her bed, grabbing her pillow and squealing into it to stop herself from waking the entire house.
"This is the best day ever!" she whispered loudly.
Aurora ran back to her computer and double-checked her bank balance. The $300 was real—it wasn't a glitch or a dream.
Her eyes sparkled as she leaned back in her chair.
"Maybe the rebate system isn't so bad after all!"
The thought of her mom using the gift card made Aurora's heart swell with pride.
"She's gonna look amazing at the party," she said to herself, grinning.
The next day, Mary decided it was time to use the gift card.
After finishing her morning chores, Mary grabbed her purse and decided to head to the nicest shopping mall in town.
As she tied her hair into a loose ponytail, her reflection caught her eye in the mirror.
"Maybe it's time for a little change," she murmured to herself with a small smile.
When she arrived at the mall, the bright lights and colorful displays greeted her.
She strolled through the polished floors, her heels clicking softly as she passed rows of mannequins wearing the latest styles.
The store she entered was full of beautiful clothes.
Rows of dresses sparkled under the soft lights, and racks of shoes and handbags lined the walls.
Mary wandered over to a section full of dresses and ran her fingers over the smooth fabrics.
A particular dress caught her eye—a gorgeous red one that shimmered slightly under the lights.
It was knee-length with delicate lace on the sleeves and a soft satin bow at the waist.
"This one," Mary whispered, picking it up.
She made her way to the fitting room, clutching the dress close. Once inside, she carefully slipped it on.
As she adjusted the bow in front of the mirror, Mary smiled. The dress fit perfectly, and the rich red color brought out the natural warmth of her hair.
She gave a little twirl, laughing softly as the skirt spun around her legs.
"Okay, this is definitely the one," she said to herself.
After trying on a few pairs of heels, she found a pair that matched perfectly—a sleek, simple pair of red heels that made her feel taller and more confident.