Everyone in the office turned to look.
Renee gritted her teeth and said, “You misheard. She couldn’t be bothered to argue with someone so stupid.
Felicia replied, “Oh, okay then. Ms. Pascar, you should speak a little louder next time. Otherwise, people might get the wrong idea.”
“If your cars don’t work, go get them checked!”
“I don’t have the money to do that.“.
Renee nearly choked with rage. She turned around and slammed a thick stack of design prints onto Felicia’s desk. She instructed, “Sort these by year and category into a complete document, noting the key features. I want it on my desk by the end of the day.”
Veronica frowned when she heard that. If she remembered correctly, all design drafts were digitally sorted before printing. Thus, this request was clearly just an act of bullying the intern.
However, Felicia didn’t argue this time. She took the stack calmly.
Veronica had heard that the job market was rough lately. She figured that Felicia just had the kind of personality that preferred to avoid conflict.
So, she asked, “Do you need help?”
Felicia puffed out her cheeks, waved her hand, and said, “Nope! Veronica, she’s doing this on purpose! Only a fool would do it! I’m telling on her.”
Veronica raised her brows, surprised.
Felicia stormed off, her phone in hand. “Ms. Sinclair! That old witch is bullying your precious intern again while you’re gone!”
Veronica couldn’t help but laugh.
Some things hadn’t changed. The company might’ve grown, but the people here were still as endearing as ever.
At lunch, as Veronica was picking up her food, she heard Renee yelling on the phone in the hallway.
“Miranda, what the hell is wrong with you? Now, even an intern has something to say about my work? I’m stupid? You’re calling me stupid? Just wait. When you get back, you’re dead!”
Still shouting into the phone, she turned the corner and met Veronica’s gaze. Rage surged within her again. She snapped, “What are you staring at?”
“Your strap’s fallen,” Veronica plainly replied.
Without giving Renee a second glance, Veronica calmly turned and walked away.
That afternoon, Courtney pulled Veronica into an impromptu meeting.
They had decided to launch a separate brand line under the neo–Cinderone–style clothing category, with rollouts in both online and retail stores.
Veronica’s workload would increase significantly over the next few weeks, as they needed to complete the first quarter’s designs before the summer fashion shows.
Felicia and a senior employee were assigned to assist her.
Veronica buried herself in her sketches. She hardly slept or ate. But for the first time in a long while, she felt truly fulfilled.
Three days later, she completed the first draft of her neo–Cinderone–style flowing gown collection.
That night, Heath called her, and she immediately declined the call.
The day after the new etiquette tutor, Laura Terrell, arrived at the Tate residence, Miriam was forcibly woken up at 6:00 am for recitation practice.
She threw a massive tantrum, screaming and crying, refusing to get up.
Laura simply stood by, stern and unbothered, waiting for her to finish. She didn’t comfort her
at all.
By the time Miriam exhausted herself from crying, she was starving and demanded breakfast.
At the dining table, all the usual fancy breakfast items were gone. There were only plain grits, ham, and eggs, along with a bowl of herbal tonic
Miriam scrunched her face in disgust and yelled, I’m not eating this rubbish! I want pancakes!
II
“This is today’s breakfast,” Laura said, pushing her glasses up her nose bridge indifferently.” If you won’t eat it, you may go hungry.”
“Then, I won’t eat! I don’t care!”
Miriam huffed and stomped off to the playroom on her short legs. When she opened the door, she found it empty. She questioned, “Where are my dolls? Where are my toys? Gina! Someone stole everything!”
“It wasn’t stolen, Ms. Tate,” Gina Keeper, her nanny, said. “Ms. Terrell took away your toys. If
yuy don’t Étách pretting today’s connets, you’ll lose all toy privileges for the day”
Marks on it and the bell to the ground, ling. “This is child abuse! I want to see Dad! You’re all abusing the
Lantra focord done at the crying child, her expresion completely unmoved. She also made sure that the others didn’t comfort her
*Your father has returned to Shalton. He doesn’t have time for your little dramas.”
