I offered him a forced smile, but it didn't seem to impress him. He requested my presence in his office and retrieved his coffee, which I had completely forgotten about amidst the turmoil. He departed, leaving me with Lara. I questioned her, "Why didn't you inform me he was right behind me?""Don't hold me responsible," she retorted, "You were the one who made those remarks. You should leave before causing any more trouble for me." I brewed a cup of coffee in the coffee machine, my hands trembling slightly. As the scent of the coffee filled the room, I sent a silent prayer upwards. I was desperately hoping that Eden hadn't heard my earlier disparaging remarks about him.Cradling the warm coffee cup in my hands, I made my way towards Eden's office. The hallway seemed longer than usual, each step echoing my mounting anxiety. I paused for a moment outside his door, took a deep breath, and knocked softly.Upon entering, I found Eden completely absorbed in his work. He was hunched over his
Breaking the intense eye contact, I turned my face away, only to find Declan and Victoria standing in the doorway, their eyes wide with surprise. I quickly pulled my wrist out of Eden's grip and said, "I'll have the report ready for you by tomorrow morning, Mr. Eden."Without wasting another moment, I made a beeline for the exit, relief washing over me as I stepped out of his office. I decided then and there not to give him any more reasons to fire me. I would finish the work he assigned me without any further distractions.Fortunately, Eden and I didn't cross paths for the rest of the day. I spent most of the afternoon in my small office, organizing fabric samples with the help of Mr. Thompson. By evening, I had finished half of my work. I decided to complete the rest at home.On my way home, I decided to stop by Heather's house. Coincidentally, I ran into Robin who was also heading there. We went together and had dinner at Heather's place. I told them everything that had happened at
Stassie PerspectiveThe cab ride was a blur, the cityscape of New York flashing by in a whirl of colors and lights. The driver, a grizzled man with a thick accent, navigated the congested streets."Keep the change," I told him as we pulled up in front of the towering office building. I handed him a bill, not bothering to wait for my change as I gathered my files and prepared to make a mad dash for the entrance."Good luck, miss," he called after me, a hint of amusement in his voice. I offered him a quick smile, appreciating the sentiment despite the circumstances.Then I was off, my slipper sliding against the pavement as I sprinted towards the entrance. The stack of files in my arms felt like a ticking time bomb, each second bringing me closer to my impending deadline.As I burst through the doors, I could feel dozens of eyes on me. It was as if I had suddenly become an exhibit in a zoo, a spectacle for everyone to gawk at. I ignored the stares, focusing on the task at hand."Miss Ma
Caught off guard by Declan's sudden appearance, I hastily tucked the rose back into the file. In a flustered attempt to appear nonchalant, I leaped into my seat, grabbing my phone and pretending to be engrossed in a call.Declan looked at me, a surprised expression on his face. He studied me for a moment before a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "You're holding your phone in the wrong direction," he pointed out, his tone teasing. "At least work on your acting skills."His words left me feeling a bit embarrassed, but I couldn't help but chuckle at my own clumsiness. Declan's gaze was sharp, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied me. "What are you hiding?" he asked, his voice steady. I could tell he was trying to read me, to decipher the thoughts behind my flustered demeanor."Nothing," I replied quickly, a bit too quickly perhaps. "I've just been really busy with work these days." I tried to sound convincing, hoping he would buy my excuse.But Declan was not easily fooled. He
Heather's sudden appearance was like a bolt from the blue. I had no idea what she was doing here, and she hadn't informed me about her visit. She was blissfully unaware of the events of the previous night. As she held a cake in her hands, I found myself silently praying for things not to spiral out of control.Eden, ever the charmer, greeted Heather with a surprised, "Heather! You? What a surprise!" He stepped forward, his attention completely focused on Heather, leaving me feeling like an outsider. It seemed like my fate was to be perpetually ignored by Eden.Heather moved forward and planted a smooch on Eden's cheek, catching everyone off guard. "Hey! Eden, I was just passing by when I thought I should give you something as a thank you for your gift!" she said, her words flying over my head. What gift was she talking about? She handed him the cake, adding, "This is a fruit cake for you. I baked it myself. It's my great grandma's recipe. I hope you like it."Without thinking, I blurt
Greta Del Torres, moved towards us. Her steps were light, almost as if she was walking on the moon, her every move radiating an aura of sophistication. Trailing behind her was a woman who seemed to be her assistant, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, her posture rigid.As Greta approached us, Amy seemed to shrink under her gaze. Sweat trickled down her forehead, her hands trembling slightly. "Welcome, Madam Greta. We all are happy to see you here," Amy managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.Greta didn't respond immediately. Instead, her gaze fell on the cake in Amy's hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a curious glint in them. "Is this for me?" she asked, her voice smooth yet commanding, leaving no room for doubt about who was in charge. Amy, quick on her feet, responded with a swift, "Oh, no, Madam Greta. This cake isn't for you. I'm aware of your aversion to sugar. It's actually for Stassie, it's her birthday today." Her words left me stunned. It wasn't my birt
After battling the notorious New York traffic, I finally reached my office in the evening. The city's hustle and bustle seemed to fade as I stepped out of the cab and into the imposing office building. The moment I entered, I was struck by an unusual silence. The office was always abuzz with activity, but today, everyone was engrossed in their work, their faces reflecting a seriousness that was rare.This was alarming. Greta's visits to the office were usually followed by a storm of chaos, with someone inevitably leaving their job in her wake. The current calm was unsettling, and it made me think of Stassie. I wondered how she was coping with her job loss. I felt a pang of worry for her, and I felt like shit that I was the reason of this.I made my way to the elevator, pressing the button for the 14th floor. The ride was quick, the soft hum of the elevator the only sound breaking the silence. As the doors slid open, I was greeted by an unusual sight.Half of the employees had abandone
I guess one thing I finally figured out that not every crisis can be managed. As much as we want to keep ourselves safe, we can't protect ourselves from everything. If we want to embrace life, we also have to embrace chaos." Why didn't you asked Heather? Why she came to your office?" Robin asked me. And seriously, I felt like not explaining anything would be so great for my mental health and for my body. I am somewhat exhausted; I wonder how a battery feels when it pours electricity into a non-conductor?" Tell me, why are you so quite? usually you talk a lot but what happened now?"" Why you are stuck on Heather? We have a bigger problems than that. Eden is trying to threat to me legal action.I don't know what to do? don't know what's wrong with me, really. It's nothing, but it's also all-encompassing. I feel strangely empty, devoid of though and energy. I am not sure where my days go, but they go. Every single thing I must do--any hint of a demand--grinds against me. I don't know w
I spun around, presenting the USB drive to Heather. Her eyes sparkled with relief and excitement. "Thank heavens, we've located it just in time. The runway show has already started," she exclaimed. "What? The show has begun? We need to get this USB drive to Alan Soros before the show ends," I responded, a sense of urgency creeping into my voice. "You're absolutely right. Hand me the USB drive. I'll rush it over to Alan. Meanwhile, you should go and locate Declan and Robin," Heather instructed, extending her hand towards me. Without a second thought, I placed the USB drive in her outstretched hand. Heather curled her fingers around the USB drive, a smirk playing on her lips. It was an expression I hadn't seen on her face before, "Heather, what's going on?" I asked her. In a split second, Heather's demeanor changed. The friendly, supportive Heather I knew seemed to vanish, replaced by a stranger. She looked at me, her eyes cold and distant. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice devoid
The Next DayWe all three got ready at robin house and took her Robin puff: The magic wagon. We left earlier because we don't want to be stuck in the traffic jam forever.Currently, we are waiting for Declan, outside of a hotel where the collection launch will happen. " Should we call him, Stassie?” Heather’s voice cut through the silence, her silhouette outlined against the dashboard lights of the wagon.“No, he’ll be here any moment now. He told us to wait,” I replied, my gaze fixed on the hotel entrance. As if on cue, Declan emerged from the hotel, his eyes scanning the area. Robin, quick to react, slid the back door open and waved to catch his attention. Her efforts were rewarded as Declan spotted us, crossed the road, and hopped into the back of the wagon.In his hand, he held our golden tickets to the event - the invitation letters for the fashion runway show. “Everyone got their invites?” he asked, his eyes meeting each of ours in turn.“Yeah, I guess so…” I responded, my fing
I looked up and found a dark silhouette in n the window of the of the second floor which was obvious to my eyes was heather's. She didn't do anything to help me. She just stands there and looking at my mesirable life.I turned around and walked back to my former home and took my suitcase from the porch and stopped a cab. "Take me to a budget hotel," I told the cab driver, my voice barely above a whisper. The city lights blurred past as he nodded and steered the cab towards the less glamorous part of town.Before long, we pulled up in front of a rundown building, its neon sign flickering intermittently. "Here we are, miss," the driver announced, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror.I paid the fare and stepped out, my suitcase in tow. The hotel lobby was dimly lit, and a sense of unease washed over me. I approached the front desk, where a disinterested receptionist handed me a key."Room 204, second floor," he mumbled, not bothering to look up from his newspaper.As I unlocked
"He's heartbroken, Stassie, You have broken up his trust and he will never forgive you for it" he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why did you do this to him?"I do not think I responded immediately, for it took me a moment or two to fully digest these words I felt a lump in my throat, my heart aching at his words. "I... I never wanted to," I managed to say, my voice trembling. "Believe me, Declan, hurting Eden was the last thing I wanted." "I didn't even know I was talking to Eden Wylon," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "He never told me who he was. The first time I met him in person, I wanted to tell him the truth, but he didn't even look at me."I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "He was smitten by Heather's beauty. That's why he proposed to her."Declan looked at me, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Eden didn't propose to Heather," he said, his voice firm. "Who told you that?"Robin and I exchanged a glance, a realization dawning
Three days later...It's been three days since I last saw Eden. And since then I have cried so much that no tears left in me to shed.My head aches, my eyes burn, my arms and legs have given up, and my face in the mirror has a grayish cast. The bed, across the room, calls in its unmistakable lover's croon, Come to me, come, only I can make you truly happy, oh, how happy I'll make you, don't resist to cry.I blame myself for everything that occurred in my life and I wanted to fix it but Eden didn't give me chance to speak. I've been calling him continuously form past three days but didn't attend single call and I guess he didn't want to do anything with me. And I totally got it why? but my heart doesn't want to understand. All of a sudden, I heard a knock on the door and Robin emerged from the door and I have been staying with Robin for the past three days because she insisted me."Get ready, we're going out," Robin announced, her voice breaking through my thoughts.I looked at her, p
" Do you want me to be honest with you?” he finally spoke up and asked me. I nodded because of course, I wanted him to be honest with me so I could be honest with him too. My heart was racing so fast that it felt like it was about to burst out of my chest.He looked at me, his gaze intense and unwavering. "I've been grappling with these feelings for a while now," he confessed, "It's like I've been caught in a storm, and you're the only shelter I seek."He paused, his hand gently squeezing mine. "When you're not around, it feels like the colors are less vibrant, the world less interesting. It's like I'm seeing everything in grayscale. But when you're here, it's like the world comes alive. You bring color to my world, you make everything seem brighter, more beautiful."He moved closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "Your passion, your creativity, your spirit... they've enchanted me. You've become more than just a friend or a colleague. You've become my muse, my inspiration. And somewhere
A Week laterIt's been a week since I have last talked to Eden. Robin was so mad at me for not telling Eden the truth when I had the opportunity to come clean but how can I tell him when he telling me that he don't want me to leave his life. I can't act so cruel and break his heart. Robin don't understand me and nobody understands me. Everything thinks I am so selfish and just thinking about myself but it was nowhere near truth... I sigh heavily and the doorbell rings of our house and billy was busy in his room, working on his music and I was designing the wedding dress for Greta since I promised her that I will make her wedding ceremony dress.As I opened the door, I found Amy standing there, her arms filled with fabrics and beads for the wedding dress. I remembered asking her to bring them over. "Amy, come in," I said, stepping aside to let her into the house.I led her into the living room, which was in a state of creative chaos. Pieces of fabric were strewn across the floor, a tes
Robin’s face hardened as I mentioned Paul’s name, her usually calm demeanor replaced by a storm of anger. “That… that traitor!” she spat out, her hands clenching into fists. “I can’t believe he would do something like this!” She got up from her chair and started pacing the balcony, her steps quick and agitated. “He had no right to give Victoria that recording,” she fumed, her voice rising with each word. “That was our private conversation!” She stopped pacing and turned to face me, her eyes blazing with fury. “And to think we trusted him!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. “He’s nothing but a backstabbing, manipulative liar!” Robin vent her frustration, but I wasn't worried about Paul. I was more about, what should I do? Should I tell Eden Victoria being the traitor or should I just keep my mouth shut. "I... I'm a bad person, Robin," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "I lied to Eden, I made so many mistakes... I don't even know if it's fixable an
The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Paul, the one I had trusted, had betrayed me. The shadow I saw at the bakery last night was indeed him. He had overheard our conversation and relayed it to Victoria. Robin was right about him all along. He was a manipulator, exploiting my vulnerabilities for his own gain.Victoria broke into my thoughts, her voice laced with triumph. "What are you thinking, Stassie? Still thinking about telling Eden the truth? If yes, then you should listen to this first," she said, a smug smile playing on her lips. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and hit play. The familiar voices filled the room - our voices from last night's conversation. I felt my heart drop into my stomach. I was in utter shock.The room spun around me as the reality of the situation sunk in. I had been played, and the consequences were unimaginable. The feeling of betrayal was overwhelming, and the shock was paralyzing. Victoria's threat hung in the air, a chilling ultimatum.