Aella, dressed in a visibly wrinkled short-sleeved beige shirt and slightly faded sage green pants, stared at herself in front of the half-broken mirror.
Her hands were clasped in front of her as her gaze anxiously shifted from her face to her heels and back again.
She tugged at her blouse, trying to smooth out a very visible wrinkle, and gave her hair another check—probably for the millionth time.
A thousand worries raced through her mind as she thought about the impending interview. Her stomach churned with nerves, and her heart raced in her chest.
"Aella… calm down… It's just an interview; no one is going to bite you," she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath in an attempt to soothe her frayed nerves.
Time was running out; she needed to find some way to get the money for her grandmother's transplant surgery, but after several unsuccessful attempts to get a job as a waitress or even a cleaner at a prestigious restaurant, she decided to put up her skills as a dressmaker.
Over the past few years, she had learned the craft from her grandmother, who was a highly skilled dressmaker herself but had to give it up due to chronic backaches.
Having accidentally stumbled on the vacancy at a very big and prominent fashion house, Aella decided to try her luck.
She had almost given up hope about the job. It had been two weeks since she submitted her application along with the dress she made from scraps of fabrics from her grandmother's old clothing, as requested, and she hadn't received any response from the company.
She remembered how she refreshed her email almost every five minutes to check for an invite or even a rejection from the company, but her inbox remained disappointingly empty.
Tired and desperate, she had been scrolling through job listings on the internet yesterday evening when an email notification suddenly popped on her screen.
To her delight, it was an invitation for the final interview, scheduled for the following morning.
Her joy knew no bounds as she immediately abandoned her online job search and started searching through her wardrobe for the perfect outfit for the upcoming interview.
Staring at herself one more time, she checked the time, and it was 7:01 a.m. already. She took a deep breath to steady herself, quickly picked up her black handbag, and headed out.
Forty-nine minutes later, she was standing in awe as she approached the building, her eyes drawn upward to the grand façade.
Massive glass windows glitter in the sun, reflecting the bustling cityscape. The sleek lines of modern architecture are softened by delicate vines creeping up the walls, and beautiful flower boxes decorate the balconies.
The entrance is an elegant archway, flanked by stately pillars. The whole building exudes luxury and sophistication, inviting her to step inside and explore.
Aella was almost drooling as she gaped at the building. She quickly got a hold of herself, realizing it was almost 8 a.m., and she had to be inside by then.
Walking into the reception, she was so captivated by its magnificence that she almost dropped her bag.
If she thought the exterior decor was light, the interior decor was even more stunning. Gathering herself, she walked toward the receptionist.
"Good morning, my name is Aella... Aella Thompson. I was invited for an interview this morning," she said to the young, beautiful lady who appeared to be in her early twenties, returning her smile.
"You are welcome, Miss Thompson. The waiting area is on the third floor, second door on your left," the receptionist informed her.
"Thank you," Aella replied with a nod.
Upon reaching the waiting area, she saw many applicants who appeared more professionally dressed than she was.
Aella couldn't help but feel a bit inferior, and her nervousness resurfaced, causing her to doubt her chances of being accepted.
As she took her seat beside a young woman who seemed to pass a judgmental glance her way, Aella heard a male voice call her name, "Is Miss. Thompson here?" He asked as he entered the waiting area.
"Yes, I am," she replied, though hesitant as her brows furrowed in confusion as she wondered what was going on.
"Follow me; the CEO wants to interview you personally," the young man informed her.
The eyebrows of the other applicants raised at the young man's words, equally surprised, just like Aella, who was growing increasingly concerned about why the CEO would want to interview her personally.
Despite her worries, she obediently followed the man. After a few minutes, they arrived at the CEO's office door.
The man gave a small knock, and a deep baritone voice, filled with authority, responded, "Come in."
He then turned, gesturing for Aella to enter, and she nodded nervously. She wrapped her shaky fingers around the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open slowly.
She stood fixed to a spot as soon as she entered the office.
The office was decorated with the finest materials, befitting a wealthy man's status.
The desk was made of rich, dark mahogany with inlaid gold accents. The chairs were upholstered in the softest leather, and the walls were adorned with works of art from renowned artists.
The floors were covered in plush Persian rugs, and the windows were framed with heavy curtains in a deep burgundy. The whole room screamed power and wealth.
As she scanned the room, her eyes fell upon a chair whose back was facing her. "Good morning," she said in a very low voice.
She could tell there was someone seated in it as she could see glimpses of dark, shining hair, but what she couldn't tell was why he or she had the chair turned away from her.
Patiently awaiting his response, Aella remained at her standing point, and soon the chair turned slowly.
She was faced with none other than the man who had splashed dirty water on her a few weeks ago.
"You!!" She was shocked.
"It's a pleasure to meet with you again, Miss. Aella Thompson," he greeted with a smirk, his tone full of mischief. "The name's Damien Sullivan."
***FLASHBACK***"Good morning, sir. These are the lists of potential interviewees and their designs," Damien's secretary said as she presented the designs to him that fateful day.The heels of his shoes clinked on the tiled floor as he made his way around the dresses hung elegantly on display.His gaze shifted from one design to another, each one telling a unique story through its intricate details and choice of fabrics.But none seemed to capture his utmost attention except for one, which hung on the left row of the display.It was a dress made of shimmering, iridescent fabric that seemed to shift colors as it moved.The fabric caught the light and glittered like a rainbow, making the dress appear to glow.The silhouette of the dress was classic and elegant, accentuating the figure of the mannequin it was placed on without revealing too much.The color of the dress was a deep, rich purple, reminiscent of the last rays of the setting sun.This particular dress stood out like a radiant
Chapter 6This had to be the eeriest ride back home, and more than anything, Aella was grateful that it was almost over.Throughout the ride home, her mind flashed back to the sight of jubilation when she agreed to get married to Damien. She remembered plastering a fake smile on her face as people of high caliber came to congratulate them both with huge gifts."Finally, my son has become a man," his mother said with tears in her eyes as she congratulated them especially."There's no need to cry, mom."This is supposed to be a moment of joy. Don't dampen it with tears, Damien consoled her."I'm not crying because I'm sad." She got herself some handkerchiefs to clean her eyes. "I'm just happy that you've finally gotten over that daughter of Jezebel called Amelia. I'm happy you've decided to settle down with a good girl. Although the information came as a shock to me and the marriage was a quick one, I'm satisfied that you're now married. Your bride looks even more beautiful than that ex
"What?! Why am I just getting to know about this now?!" Collins exclaimed in utter shock."It happened too fast, honestly. Plus, I didn't have any other options left on the table. Either I got married to him or I got thrown in jail for assault, leaving you and Granny to rot. I couldn't even bear the thought of not being there for grandma."Aella tried to explain to him. Collins had barely come out of jail when he called his sister. Aella had to meet him at a coffee shop instead of her "marital home" for fear that Damien would somehow find out she brought a stranger to his house."Let's look on the bright side, Collins. You're a free man again. Grandma has a chance at survival. I just signed the documents, and the surgery will commence in a few hours. What we have to think about is how to get you a job so you can survive in this country."Collins didn't give her a response. He looked lost in his head for some reason. "I don't have a lot, but here's 500 dollars."Aella slid the thin w
"You don't know your way around, do you?" Aella gasped and turned sharply to face the direction of the voice, only to see a young man fully dressed with glasses that looked bigger than his face. He looked harmless overall, but a little funny with his pointy nose and big eyes. "I'm sorry I startled you. It's just that I noticed you were looking lost. This is the fourth time you've been on the floor with these documents, and every time you come, you scan with your eyes, but never ask for help," he said with a gentle smile. "I've been working here for two days, and it's obvious I don't know my way around. I'm embarrassed, she muttered and looked away in shame, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead. "There's no need to be embarrassed. It happens to everyone, he chuckled. "I'm Gareth. What exactly are you looking for?" "Who actually? Her name is Miss Marie Lopez. According to my husband, my boss, she's the head of the design department and my direct boss. I'll be working as a desig
"Collins!!!"Waves of shock coursed through the room., and murmurs arose from the rest of the people in the meeting."Was it our boss that this nobody called a rich bastard?""Why is our boss not doing anything about it?""The Mr. Damien I know would have this man locked up in prison for the rest of his life.""What's really going on?""How did he get past the security in the first place?""Why... Is it just me, or does he have the same brown eyes as our newest employee, Aella?"While the murmurs went on, Collins and Damien stood face-to-face with each other. Aella was just two seats away, wet with jittery sweat, despite the new air conditioning unit in the office."Is this the thank you I get for getting you out of jail and giving your life back?" Damien finally spoke out."Listen to me and listen well. I don't care whether you saved me from death or not. Don't act like you don't have ulterior motives for doing that. I'm not going to allow you to indulge in a lame act of charity in r
Damien had asked her a question, but with no reply, she furiously summoned the courage to glare at him dead in the eye. "I said! Do… I made myself clear, Aella."He repeatedly questioned her. "Yes, yes,” she replied, furrowing her eyebrows and making her eyes narrow. She felt so much distress and was also left dumbfounded by Damein’s actions; he sure does have lots of connections. "Now let me go, or are you planning on cutting my arm down, huh?" She bravely questioned. He kept glaring at her, seeing she mustered so much courage to talk to him like that. He was about to realize her arm was in his grip, but she furiously took her arm from the tight grip she felt. He saw that she was acting stubborn but still ignored her, took the restriction agreement papers, and walked up to his room. "Release him and make sure he returns safely," Damien ordered, and he flung his phone on the bed. ****** "Hey dumbhead," the police inspectors called out to Collins. "It's time for you to get your
Everyone in the design units was busy working on their designs, and Damien was inside his office waiting for the designers to display their samples.Aella was almost done with her design sample; she was swift and careful, and the dress came out perfectly. Although it was just a sample, it was more like the original design. She completed it, did a few finishing touches, and took it to the display room. She was the first to bring her dress sample.She was there beside her sample until Marie came in and told her to go check up on the other designers to see if they were doing well.“Wow! I must say, bravo! Your work doesn't even look like a sample."Go! Quickly check on the others before they mess up theirs!” Marie said with a little evil smirk on her face. Aella didn't notice.“Yes! Thank you, ma'am. I'll be more than happy to help, Aella, who was inches away, answered and went out of the display room to help the others.“Now let me see how you are going to get praised and hyped in the
Aella stared at Marie with a mix of disbelief and anger. "Seduced Mr. Damien into marrying me? What are you talking about?" Aella retorted, her voice firm and determined.Marie, caught off guard, tried to regain control of the situation. "You don't know the truth. You're just a naive newcomer who thinks she can make it big in this company."Aella took a deep breath before responding, "I might be new here, but I'm not ignorant. Tell me the truth, Marie. What's your issue with me?"Marie hesitated, glancing around as if searching for an escape route. Aella wasn't about to let her off the hook."I know you sabotaged my design earlier. Why? What have I done to deserve this?"Marie scoffed. "You think too highly of yourself. This company is everything to me, and I won't let some outsider steal the spotlight."Aella's eyes narrowed. "Outsider? I earned my place here, fair and square. If you have a problem, let's settle it professionally."Marie, realizing she couldn't intimidate Aella, chan