Chapter 23
The next morning, just as Albert had arranged, Serena reported for work at a well–known design firm in Glonia.
After years of marriage, Serena’s life had revolved entirely around her family. Now, as she returned to the dream she once held close to her heart, she felt both excited and nervous.
As she stepped into the company, her heartbeat quickened on its own. She walked up to the HR manager’s office and gently knocked on the door,
“Come in,” came a warm female voice from inside.
Serena pushed the door open and was greeted by the sight of a woman with immaculate makeup and a bright, welcoming smile.
“Ms. Gray, hello. I’m Emily Cole, the HR manager.” Emily Cole extended her hand with enthusiasm.
Serena quickly stepped forward to shake it. “Hello, Ms. Cole. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She tried to keep her smile steady, but her palms were slightly
sweaty.
Emily said, “We’ve all seen your portfolio, Ms. Gray. It’s excellent. We’re honored to have you join our team.”
Serena replied, “Thank you. I’m really looking forward to working with such a talented group of people.”
“Ms. Gray, please follow me. I’ll take you to the design department.” Emily gestured politely, her warm smile never fading.
“Ms. Mosher, this is Serena Gray. She’ll be working on your team from now on,” Emily spoke.
Serena took a good look at Stacey Mosher. Stacey’s short, sleek hair framed her refined features. Her makeup was minimal yet perfectly done.
A simple pearl necklace rested on her neck, and a silver watch gleamed on her wrist–every detail a reflection of her taste and her attention to precision.
There was a hint of scrutiny in Stacey’s eyes. She couldn’t stand those who got in through backdoor connections, especially ones who hadn’t touched a design sketch in years.
Serena noticed Stacey’s stare but kept her polite smile and gracefully extended her hand. “Hello, Ms. Mosher. I look forward to working with you.”
Stacey gave her a brief, half–hearted handshake, pulling her hand back the moment her fingertips brushed Serena’s palm. “Working with me might be a stretch, Ms. Gray. I’ve seen some of your past designs–they do show a bit of flair.
“But this industry moves fast, and you’ve been out of it for years. You might find yourself falling behind.”
She paused deliberately, her sharp gaze sweeping over Serena’s face. “This isn’t some retirement home. The projects here are no joke.
“Every proposal affects the company’s reputation and profits. If you’re not up to standard, if you can’t create value, I won’t hesitate to cut you loose. Understood?”
Sensing the hostility in her tone, Serena replied, “I understand. I’ll do my best to catch up as quickly as I can.”
Stacey gave a cold snort and turned away, no longer acknowledging Serena. Stacey then addressed the assistant Bianca Byrne behind t Ms. Gray to her desk and give her the project files/Make sure she gets up to speed.”
anca, take
Serena’s arrival caused quite a stir in the office, A lot of people were talking about how she got in through connections, and some were even placing bets behind her back on how long she would last.
In the break room, a few young designers were huddled together, whispering.
“Hey, did you see the new girl, Serena? I heard she landed a spot on Ms. Mosher’s team just like that.”
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“Yeah, I saw her. She’s pretty, but who knows if she’s actually any good”
“I heard Serena got in through connections. No idea whose strings she pulled.”
“For real? No way. Ms. Mosher has such high standards. Why would she take in some nepotism hire?”
“Who knows? These days, anything can happen.”
“But judging by the way she looks, Serena probably hasn’t touched design in years. I bet she can’t even use the software anymore. She’s gonna have a rough time.”
“Exactly. Ms. Mosher doesn’t go easy on anyone. If Serena’s not actually skilled, she’ll get kicked out fast. I’m betting Serena won’t last three
“I’m betting two.”
A man in a black suit walked past, caught a few words, and cleared his throat. “Alright, that’s enough. Get back to work.”
Everyone went silent at once, quickly scattering back to their desks.
The whispers around her reached Serena’s ears, but she didn’t care. She knew it was better to prove herself with results than to get dragged down by gossip.
Led by the assistant Bianca, Serena arrived at an empty workstation.
“This is your desk. These are the project files. You can take some time to get familiar with them,” Bianca said.
Serena nodded. “Thank you.” She looked at the dimly lit corner wedged next to the printer, her brows slightly furrowing. She told herself this was only temporary. As long as she could start over and build her portfolio piece by piece, recognition would come eventually.
After Bianca left, Serena began flipping through the documents. But she quickly realized that these so–called “project files” weren’t any important design plans at all–they were just a bunch of trivial errands.
Serena spent the entire day dealing with these petty chores. As the workday was nearing its end, Stacey walked over and dropped a file onto Serena’s desk.
She looked at Serena, who sat a little stiffly at the dimly lit corner desk. Stacey deliberately dropped the folder onto the table with a loud smack, as if trying to jolt her.
Serena looked up with a flicker of confusion in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself.
Stacey raised her voice on purpose. “Translate this document into English. I want it on my desk tomorrow morning.”
Serena picked it up and glanced at it. It was a long–winded product manual. Stacey was clearly giving her a hard time on purpose.
Serena didn’t respond right away. She set the manual down and lifted her head, meeting Stacey’s gaze calmly. “Ms. Mosher, translating documents doesn’t seem to fall under my job responsibilities.”
Stacey hadn’t expected Serena to push back and paused for a moment. “This is the client’s design brief that needs to be translated into English. If you can’t even handle something this simple, then I don’t think there’s any reason for you to stay.”
When Serena heard the threat in Stacey’s tone, she slightly lifted her chin and met her eyes. “If the company feels I’m not qualified for this role, it can let
me go.
“But I don’t believe these kinds of errands are the best use of my work hours.”
“Errands?” Stacey crossed her arms and looked down at Serena with a smug expression, as if savoring the sight of her being cornered. “Ms. Gray, you’re just a newbie and you only got in through connections.
“Who do you think you are to talk about job scope? Let me make it clear–whatever I say goes on this team. If you’re not up for it, the door’s right there
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Serena knew Stacey was doing this on purpose to put her in her place. If Serena showed any dissatisfaction now, it would only encourage Stacey to push harder. Serena had to hold back.
“Alright. Got it.” Serena took a deep breath and started working on the translation.
