Hey girlies!” the shop assistant exclaims, handing out glasses of prosecco. She wheels over a rack of wedding dresses and introduces them one by one. “This is Zoe, everyone meet Zoeee!” she squeals.

When she goes to the grocery store, Lilianna Wilde will sometimes go for the shopping cart from which everyone else steers clear, the sad-looking one with the squeaky wheel. When she puts the dishes ...