141 Fireball

Jaqueline holds up a staying hand before he can protest. “And no, the most recent auction funds will not be used for anything other than the orphanage. I gave my public word on that.” He notes that his aunt doesn’t shut Venerable down because his switcheroo idea is fucking evil. She only shut him down because it would cause her public image to take a hit if it was found out. It makes him realize something. There is something inherently wrong with the fashion industry in general, and House Corbin isn’t exempt. It takes advantage of the poor, paying as little as possible and sending work to sweatshops if it can, while turning around and selling those items for maximum amounts.

He wonders, would the workers who assembled those gowns his aunt donated for auction have been able to buy one of them with a year’s worth of pay? Five years? Ten years? Ever? Never mind what they auctioned for. It makes him think about Monica’s words, about how fashion needs to change. For her, fashion hurts wom