The Ex-Wife He Can’t Have novel Chapter 115

Jillian shot Mallory a worried glance.

Mallory acted as if nothing had happened. "It's fine," she said dismissively.

She tore her gaze away, pulled Jillian to the other side of the boutique, and continued helping her pick out a dress. "Go with this one. The purple is elegant."

"The black one is very classy too, though it might make you look a bit older."

"The red one is great as well. You have a radiant complexion, so it would suit you perfectly."

"The white one is gorgeous, but it looks a bit too much like a wedding dress."

Mallory held dress after dress against Jillian, scrutinizing them with intense focus. She looked so absorbed, it was as if nothing in the world could break her concentration.

But Jillian knew better. The harder Mallory tried to look unbothered, the more she was trying to hide.

Things were definitely not that simple between her and Preston.

"What about you?"

Jillian picked out a dress that caught her eye. In this luxury boutique, it was considered rather modest—a light purple, spaghetti-strap design with a matching ribbon around the neck. It was versatile enough to serve as an evening gown but wouldn't look entirely out of place for a dressy daytime event.

"Me? I can't pick anything too expensive," Mallory said. "I still have plenty of my old clothes. I'll just wear something from my closet."

Jillian knew Mallory was focused on charity work now; showing up in overly expensive clothes could spark unnecessary criticism, even though she came from a wealthy background.

"Since we're here, you might as well buy one," Jillian insisted, pulling Mallory along to keep trying on clothes.

She helped pick out a long green gown.

Mallory had luminous skin and a tall, slender figure, much like a runway model.

Usually, she wore pants for convenience, but this green dress, featuring a layer of delicate tulle at the hem, was incredibly feminine.

Mallory didn't say a word, but her eyes gave away her interest.

Seeing that Mallory truly liked the dress, Jillian asked the store clerk to take it down for her to try on.

Jillian didn't want to make things difficult for the clerk, so she spoke up. "Mr. Pierce, isn't there a rule of first-come, first-served? We saw this dress first."

Preston acted as if they didn't even exist. He reached out, grabbed the dress himself, and held it against the girl. "It's beautiful. It suits you. Go try it on."

"Thank you, Preston!" The girl clung to his arm, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek. Then, beaming with joy, she took the dress to the fitting room.

Several clerks immediately scrambled after her to assist with the fitting.

Throughout the entire exchange, Mallory kept her hands clenched into tight fists, her jaw rigid. She didn't say a single word.

Jillian didn't know how to comfort her. All she could do was hold her hand tightly, hoping to lend her some strength.

"It's fine," Mallory finally said. "It's not a big deal."

She actively pulled Jillian toward a different rack and asked, "How about this one?"

It was a pale blue gown. The hem was lined with delicate, light blue hand-embroidery. It looked elegant and pristine, much like moonlight.