Wofai was good at making people look nice. She helped them pick out clothes and fix their hair so they could smile big. But sometimes Wofai didn’t have enough money. She wanted to help more people, but it was hard.

One sunny day, the doorbell went “Ding-dong!” Wofai opened the door, and there stood a lady. This lady was very fancy. She had shiny shoes and a pretty dress, and her hair looked like it took a long time to fix.

“Hello,” said the fancy lady. “My name is Isabelle, and I need your help.”

Wofai blinked. “Help with what?”

Isabelle smiled. Her teeth were very white. “I need to go to a party,” she said. “A very big party with lots of important people. I want to look like I belong there.”

Wofai looked at Isabelle’s shiny shoes again. She already looked like she belonged at a fancy party. But Wofai knew that sometimes people want to look extra fancy.

“I can help with that,” Wofai said. She tried not to sound too excited. This could be a very good job.

Isabelle stepped inside Wofai’s small house. It wasn’t as fancy as Isabelle’s clothes. Wofai felt a little shy.

“This party,” Isabelle said, looking around, “is very, very important. It’s with people who have lots of money and live in big houses.”

Wofai nodded. She had seen those houses before, far away on a hill. They looked like castles.

“I want to look like I live in one of those houses,” Isabelle said quietly. “Can you help me do that?”

Wofai thought for a minute. She helped people look nice, but she had never helped someone look like they were a different person. This was a big challenge.

“I can try,” Wofai said. “But it will take a lot of work”34.

Isabelle smiled again, a very big smile. “I will pay you very well,” she said. “More than you have ever been paid before.”

Wofai’s eyes got wide. That much money could help her family. It could help her buy new clothes to help other people. It could even help her fix the leaky roof of her house.

“Okay,” Wofai said, “I’ll do it.”

Isabelle clapped her hands. “Wonderful!” she said. “We will start tomorrow.”

Wofai felt a little tickle in her tummy. It was excitement, but it was also something else. A little worry. Isabelle was very fancy, but something about her didn’t feel quite right.

Maybe it was the way she looked around Wofai’s house. Maybe it was the way she kept touching her shiny necklace. Or maybe it was just that Wofai had never met anyone quite like Isabelle before.

“Tell me about this party,” Wofai said. She wanted to know more.

Isabelle sat down on Wofai’s small sofa. “It’s a party for a very important family,” she said. “The family is called… the Goldens.”

Wofai had heard of the Goldens. They were very, very rich. They owned almost everything in the town.

“I want to… impress them,” Isabelle said. She looked away for a second. “I want them to think I am one of them.”

Wofai frowned a little. “Why?” she asked.

Isabelle looked back at Wofai, and her eyes were very serious. “That is… complicated,” she said. “I will tell you later. For now, just know that it is very important”.

Wofai didn’t like that answer. She liked people, to be honest. But she also really needed the money.

“Okay,” Wofai said slowly. “What kind of clothes do you want to wear?”3.

Isabelle smiled again, and the tickle in Wofai’s tummy got a little bigger. “I want to wear the most beautiful clothes in the world,” she said. “Clothes that will make everyone look at me.”

Wofai knew just the place to find those clothes. There was a fancy shop in town that had dresses that cost more than Wofai’s whole house. She had always wanted to go inside.

“I know just the place,” Wofai said. “But it will cost a lot of money.”

Isabelle waved her hand. “Don’t worry about the money,” she said. “Just make me look perfect.”

Wofai swallowed. This was going to be a very big job.

As Isabelle got up to leave, she turned back to Wofai. “One more thing,” she said. “Don’t tell anyone about this, okay? This is just between you and me.”

Wofai nodded. She didn’t usually tell people about her jobs anyway.

“Good,” Isabelle said. “I will see you tomorrow at ten o’clock.”

Then she walked out the door, her shiny shoes clicking on the sidewalk.

Wofai closed the door and leaned against it. She felt excited but also… strange. Isabelle was going to pay her a lot of money to make her look like someone she wasn’t.

Was that okay?

Wofai didn’t know. But she needed the money, and she was good at her job. She could make Isabelle look like a princess if she wanted to.

But something about Isabelle still made Wofai feel a little bit worried. It was like a tiny little cloud in her happy sunshine.

She looked around her small house. It wasn’t fancy, but it was home. She loved helping people, and maybe this was a way to help Isabelle too. Even if Isabelle wasn’t being completely honest.

Wofai sighed. She would think about it more tomorrow. For now, she needed to get ready for the biggest job of her life.

She walked to her window and looked out at the sky. The sun was starting to go down, and the clouds were turning pink and orange. It was a beautiful sight, but Wofai couldn’t shake the feeling that something was not quite right.

She shivered a little, even though it wasn’t cold.

Tomorrow would be a very interesting day. And Wofai had a feeling it would also be a little bit… scary.

To be continued… Part 2!