The next day, carefully dressed, Marie took the bus to the large shopping mall. She entered a boutique glittering with dozens of evening gowns. No sooner had she stepped through the door than a haughty saleswoman approached:

— “Hello… I’m Claire. Can I help you?” she asked coldly.

— “I’m looking for an evening gown for my granddaughter. I want her to feel like a princess.”

— “Our dresses start at several hundred euros. And we don’t do rentals,” the saleswoman snapped.