Chapter 4

Gabrielle

It has been just one week since I became vice president, and already, I find myself weary of the role. However, expressing this to my mom is out of the question; she'd be worried sick. Honestly, I never had a passion for fashion design, and my lack of formal education in the field makes me feel ill-equipped for the job.

Since starting, my days have been filled with paperwork and endless outings, leaving me utterly exhausted and frustrated. "Layla, please cancel all my appointments for today. I'm not feeling well," I tell my newly hired secretary, knowing she understands that I'm merely seeking a break from the monotony.

After pondering for a while, I decided to go sightseeing, hoping that a change of scenery might spark some inspiration for my designs.

****

Leaving the office behind, I head straight to Ahoy, one of the city's renowned cafes. The name might be peculiar, but their coffee is undeniably excellent. "One black coffee, no sugar, please," I hurriedly order, eager to escape the place. I recall that the owner's daughter dislikes me, probably due to an incident where I unintentionally got involved with her boyfriend, who was rather attractive. But, well, what can you do when sparks fly?

A plump-looking guy hands me my coffee, and I can't help but be put off by his appearance. Did he actually make my coffee? The thought repulses me, so I promptly pay and leave. In my rush, I accidentally collide with someone, and the impact causes hot coffee to spill all over him.

"Watch where you're going, Missy!" The man growls in anger, and I can't help but feel two emotions collide within me. Firstly, he's undeniably handsome, and secondly, he's shockingly rude. How dare he address me as "Missy"?

"Who do you think you are to call me 'Missy'?" I retorted, raising my voice. Instead of appearing upset, he looks somewhat bewildered.

"You again? Are you always this clumsy?" he asks, and my anger flares up. How dare he call me clumsy? This guy has no idea who he's dealing with!

"Clumsy? You run into me like a blind fool, and now you call me clumsy? What part of being a gentleman weren't you taught?" I hiss at him, and he stares back, still looking confused.

"Hold on a second, I don't think I know you, so why do you keep looking at me like that?" I snap loudly, causing a few people to stop and stare at us.

"Aren't you Gabriella?" he asks, and the sound of that name almost makes me gag.

"Oh, I see you've met my sister," I exclaim, not bothering to understand how he knows her. It's not a topic I care to delve into.

"I'm sorry, you're a twin?" he asks, and I can't help but hiss in irritation. Is he deaf or just plain dense?

"Unfortunately, I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have way better things to do than keep talking to another one of my sister's trashy friends, and don't expect me to apologize for the hot coffee because you deserve it," I retort sharply before pushing him out of my way and heading to my car.

****

"Hey, Mom!" I squeal with excitement at the sight of my mother, pecking her on the cheek. It's a reminder that she was, unknowingly, my first kiss.

I know it sounds weird and disgusting, and it still creeps me out that it happened, but it was an honest mistake from long ago.

"How was work today, honey?" she asks.

"It was quite stressful, Mom, and I didn't feel too well, so I had to leave early," I reply.

"Did Ella finally show up?" My mom asks, and I roll my eyes.

No offense to her, but I couldn't care less where she is now. In fact, I hope they find her in some slum or, better still, in pieces. Yes, that's how much I hate that girl.

"No, Mom, she didn't. I heard she turned in her resignation. Everyone at the office was spouting trash about me stealing her job," I answer, frowning slightly at the thought.

"You shouldn't listen to them, dear. All you have to do is prove to them that you're much better than your sister, and that will help you clear that title. You also have to be nice to people. It scores you more points in this industry, okay?" She rants on, but I find myself getting bored.

Sometimes my mom can be such a bore, and it's always annoying. But, as usual, I pretend to listen to her to avoid more long speeches and eventually find my way out before she goes into full preacher mode.

Gabriella

"I can do this, I can definitely do this. I'm a fighter, and I won't let them get to me. Not now, not ever, Ella. We can do it!" I mutter to myself, trying to boost my confidence before another day at the office.

If you're wondering why I'm mentally preparing, well, let's just say you can't blame me after my previous nasty experiences. Falling off the chair was just the beginning.

I, Gabriella Johansson, had the displeasure of tasting coffee made with actual toilet water for the first time in my life, and it didn't end there. Later, I got locked in the office from the outside after everyone had left. Thankfully, the security guard heard my screams, or I'd have become the laughingstock of the entire company.

"Good morning, Jack," I greet politely, avoiding the menacing gazes of my evil team members, who were out to get me.

"Oh, you came back!" Jack exclaims, sounding surprisingly surprised.

"So you didn't want me back?" I ask playfully, wondering if he was in on their pranks.

"Oh no, don't get me wrong, Gaby. I have no issues with you, but as you can see, it's not easy to work here. Many people come to work but don't make it through an hour. Although you stayed the day, I honestly never thought I'd see you again," he replies honestly.

I start to wonder why he allows them to bully the new designers, but then I realize he might not be able to stop them since it's their way of pushing off newbies who might threaten their little squad. But they'll need more than pranks to get rid of me.

"Don't worry, Jack. It's all just measly pranks. I'll get over it soon, and I assure you they're not gonna get the best of me," I declare with determination.

"I wish you the best of luck, Gabriella," he replies.

"Also, I need you to create a dress you believe can be used as the grand finale at our next fashion show. I'm giving you this chance based on your recommendation, but if you can't get it done, you'll find it much harder to survive here. As a challenge, you have to submit a sketch of your idea either today or tomorrow. Best of luck to you," he instructs before focusing back on his work.

Something tells me I'll face a similar situation as yesterday, but this time, I need to be prepared for the worst. And as for Jake's assignment, that should be a piece of cake for me.

Later that evening... 6 pm

Finally, it was time to go home, or so I thought. Since I was given this task, I had to pay more attention to my work than to those maniacs, and this time, I refused to fall for any welcome on-board coffee. Fool me once, shame on you.

Though the dress wasn't quite finished, it only needed some finishing touches, and I decided to complete the design tomorrow since I was too tired.

This time, I was prepared for any kind of prank they might pull. I came equipped with things I might need in case of an emergency, and I even brought fresh clothes just in case they tried to lock me in again.

Turns out, my intuition was right because they had indeed locked me in once more. But this time, I was ready and had come prepared.

With clothes for the next day, a toothbrush, toothpaste, chocolates, and a bottle of water, I was completely unbothered. I felt proud of my foresight and looked forward to rubbing their failure in their faces tomorrow. Nothing was going to break my determination.