Ch. 101..110

Chapter 101 One-Sided Oppression

Scarlett quickly rose to her feet when she saw Sabrina on her way to attack Nicole. However, just as she was about to grab Sabrina, Sabrina, the deranged woman now fueled by anger, shoved Scarlett to the ground again.

No one else from the Design Department had dared to step forward as they were afraid of becoming the next target of bullying. Sabrina might no longer be a part of the company, but it didn’t mean that the other employees would continue having another peaceful day at work if words were to reach Joanna’s ears. Sabrina and Joanna were each other’s close confidant, after all.

Sabrina’s hands reached Nicole’s throat in no time. With her eyes blazing with fury, she looked like a demon as she wailed and tightened her grip around Nicole’s neck.

“You only got that position because of your underhanded methods. I bet you don’t even know who that b*stard’s father is. Your son is but a lowly retard!”

Unlike Sabrina, Nicole was fairly calm even though she was in the midst of being strangled by the woman. Despite the pressure on her neck that was gradually blocking the flow of oxygen, she still managed to give Sabrina a powerful kick that sent Sabrina falling to the ground in no time.

“Ahhhh!” She let out a pained gasp.

One could only imagine how much the kick must have hurt, considering the fact that Nicole had no inhibitions when she struck Sabrina with her high heels.

It was easy for one to feel suffocated by the somberness of the President’s office, and that was the exact reason why Tony refused to step into the space at first. However, he knew he had to stop the fight from getting worse. Colton would definitely not let him off the hook if Lisa was injured in the commotion.

“President Gardner,” he alerted Colton of his presence in a low voice as he knocked.

Colton’s gaze fell on the teary-eyed Joanna, and he indifferently waved her off while telling

Joanna didn’t respond to him, but instead, she sniffled and peered at Colton with a knowing look in her eyes. As unwilling as she was, she still turned and walked away in obedience.

Tony quickly made way into the office. He didn’t even bother to check whether Joanna had left as he sputtered, “President Gardner, please hurry to the Design Department. Sabrina and Lisa are in a physical fight!”

Colton’s eyebrows immediately knitted together and his expression dimmed when he heard the unexpected news.

Joanna, who was still a few steps from leaving the office, had heard the secretary’s words by accident. She stood there frozen as her face paled. She had only been reprimanded a moment ago. With the impression Colton had on her and Sabrina, Sabrina might as well be considered dead, if he ever had his hands on that nuisance of a woman.

Joanna whipped her body around and quickly suggested, “This is the Design Department’s responsibility. Why don’t you let me handle it my department’s way, President Gardner?”

Colton had risen from his seat then. His tall build was somehow more intimidating than the atmosphere in the office was. He swiftly ignored Joanna as he looked past her and glanced at Tony. “Go downstairs and check it out,” he instructed.

Joanna stiffened upon receiving the cold treatment, but she could only hold it in while she looked at the man walking past her. Clenching her own hand, she quietly followed after them.

However, contrary to Colton’s worst assumptions, Nicole was standing there in one piece.

Sabrina, on the other hand, looked as pathetic as she was crazy while gasping for air on the ground. Her cheeks were completely swollen from the powerful slaps from Nicole.

This looks like a one-sided fight, Tony mused while rubbing his nose.

However, the pure anger on her face had immediately dissipated when her eyes landed on Colton and Joanna.

She suppressed the pain and hopped in front of them with tears in her eyes.

“Director Schmidt,” Sabrina cried to Joanna. “You have to help me receive the justice I deserve. Nicole started slapping and kicking me out of nowhere!”

Looking at the disgruntled-looking Sabrina, Joanna could only bite her teeth and remain quiet. She didn’t dare say a word when the words Colton had said to her were still fresh in her mind.

A glint of disappointment swiftly appeared in Sabrina’s eyes, but just as she was about to continue pleading her case, a man’s cold voice rang out from above her head.

“Where are the guards? This person here doesn’t have an employee badge on her. Who was it that allowed someone who is not an employee of the company in? Is someone looking to get fired because they are sick of their peaceful working days?”

Colton spoke in a cold, low tone, yet it was a voice that had everyone who heard it trembling.

 

Chapter 102 Utterly Disappointed

The security guards immediately came running when they heard the cold threat. With one of them holding Sabrina by the arms and the other grabbing her legs, they attempted to manhandle her out of the building.

She kept letting out sounds of protest as she struggled out of their holds. Never could she have imagined that Colton would take Nicole’s side without knowing the whole story.

Her attempt to break free finally succeeded after she relentlessly moved against their grips.

“President Gardner! President Gardner!” she howled as she stumbled her way back toward Colton. “Nicole was the one who attacked me! She hit me first!”

Colton’s expression only further hardened. With his tightly pursed lips and eyes that had dimmed, anyone could see that he wasn’t in his best mood at that moment.

Looking at the scene, Joanna’s palms began to sweat. Then, she stepped forward before Colton had responded, and she lowered her head to peer at the pathetic woman.

Even though they always had a close relationship, Joanna couldn’t just overlook how embarrassing Sabrina was behaving.

“Stop sticking around and causing trouble, Sabrina. You have been fired. How dare you show up at your former workplace and cause this mess!” Joanna chided coldly.

Sabrina froze again out of surprise. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at Joanna like a scolded puppy, and her lips began to quiver pitifully. “Miss Schmidt…” she muttered in an equally shaky voice.

She couldn’t understand why Joanna was treating her this way when all she did was siding with Joanna!

Instead of taking pity on Sabrina, Joanna continued coldly, “Who the hell do you think you are?! Lisa is the representative sent by F&M Apparel for the collaboration with Gardner Corporation. Continue with your silly antics if you have no intention of staying in Goldwick!”

Those words seemed to work as they finally broke Sabrina out of her delusions. Nicole was indeed a representative from F&M Apparel, and if Gardner Apparel had any intention of becoming a top brand in the country, they should definitely try to get on Nicole’s good side.

Joanna had promised to get Sabrina back into Gardner Corporation, but the plan seemed to have backfired all because of Nicole’s refusal to say anything.

On top of that, Sabrina had come across Queenie after learning that Shaun had been sacked by the company. She must have been so blinded by rage for her to cause such commotion at the company.

Sabrina began to pale as she thought about the consequences of her behavior. She wanted to explain herself, yet, she couldn’t possibly say anything about Queenie, who was the Mrs. Gardner-to-be. Like a fish gasping for air, her mouth opened and slammed shut multiple times as she fought her internal conflict.

Thinking that Queenie would probably not let Sabrina off if she were to snitch on her, Sabrina’s fists began to tighten again.

“President Gardner, Miss Lisa, this was my fault. I’m sorry,” Sabrina confessed to the crime with great difficulty. Her fists were still tightly balled as she looked at the floor.

After hearing the apology, Nicole sauntered in front of Sabrina, and with a dark expression on her face, she coldly spat, “Not all apologies deserve forgiveness. You are an adult, and I want you to be held responsible for your actions. I will be releasing a statement as the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel. Good luck finding a job within the fashion industry.”

Hearing those words was like a death sentence to Sabrina. There was no room to doubt F&M Apparel’s influence in the industry. They were a global leading brand, after all.

A nervous expression soon replaced the pitiful mask she had on just moments ago. Fashion design was the one thing she wanted to do. She had only ever worked as a designer ever since she had graduated from school. “Miss Schmidt!” Sabrina cried.

She turned to Joanna in hopes for her to lend a helping hand, but Joanna was in no position to save anyone since Joanna could lose her own job any moment now.

“What are you waiting for? Want me to bring her out myself?” Colton’s icy glare stayed on the guards the entire time.

The security personnels quickly reacted by seizing Sabrina and pulling her out of the office. They had covered her mouth this time to stop her from spewing more nonsense.

And just like that, the office immediately returned to its quiet state in the morning. And yet, no one dared to break the stern atmosphere in the room even after witnessing the gossip-worthy scene unfold before them.

Joanna finally broke the silence when she told the rest of the employees to resume with their work. It was only then that the crowd dispersed as they each went back to their own desks.

 

Chapter 103 Plan to Bring Down Nicole

Looking at Colton, Nicole knew that he had come downstairs specially to help her out of the situation, so she thanked him with her head lowered. “Thanks for your help, President Gardner.”

When Colton turned to her, his expression softened a lot; there was a gentle smile on his face, and his tone was more relaxed and not as aloof as earlier.

“You’re a guest of honor at the Gardner Corporation, Lisa, and we should have given you a great working environment. I didn’t expect to make you feel bad here.”

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but just enough for everyone in the department to hear it, and they all knew that both this partnership and Lisa were important to Colton.

Aware that Colton was helping her to set up her dominance in front of everyone, Nicole chuckled lightly. “President Gardner, I would like to discuss some details of the partnership with you. Are you free now?”

“Yes, let’s go upstairs together.” Colton nodded, moved closer to her, and walked side by side with her.

Even though Joanna watched everything unfold in front of her without much of an expression, the anger within her was already ignited. Her eyes were red as she fixed her gaze on Nicole while she walked away and stared at Nicole so hard that it was as though her stare could pierce holes.

For so many years, she had never walked side by side with Colton and would always be a step behind him whenever they were walking together.

Initially, she thought that a bimbo like Queenie would be kicked out by Colton sooner or later, but Nicole unexpectedly showed up out of nowhere.

It was only after the both of them had disappeared from her eyesight did Joanna retract her gaze. Recollecting her emotions, she then swept her gaze through everyone in the office and said indifferently, “Bear in mind to be more careful when you’re working with Lisa, everyone.”

In response, everyone nodded and answered softly. After all, they had all witnessed what happened to Sabrina and learned a lesson from her fate.

Because of what happened earlier, the entire atmosphere in the workplace remained awkward and Joanna left the office after scanning across the room.

After immediately walking downstairs, she went out of the building, and sure enough, Sabrina was still around as she sat on a concrete flower bed. Upon seeing her, Sabrina paced to her in a hurry while calling her in an aggrieved voice, “Miss Schmidt.”

Staring at the person in front of her, Joanna sighed softly. “Why are you so silly, Sabrina?”

Sabrina’s eyes were filled with tears. She was so overwhelmed with anger that she didn’t think that much at all, but it was too late for regrets because her life was as good as ruined now.

She looked at Joanna in helplessness and sniffled. “Miss Schmidt, w-what should I do? My life is over if I can never be in the clothing industry.”

Looking back at her, Joanna patted her shoulder. “Lay low for the next few days. The company will definitely compensate you with some money after kicking you out, and you should just settle down for now. Once Nicole is toppled, I’ll help you to get back to the Gardner Corporation.”

When Sabrina heard the words ‘once Nicole is toppled’, a look of delight washed over her face, and she lifted her head at Joanna, whispering, “Do you have a plan already?”

Joanna looked at Sabrina. She actually didn’t want to be associated with people like Queenie, but since the situation had come to this, she had to do something. If she didn’t and allowed Nicole to continue as she was, it would only be a matter of time before she herself was kicked out of the company as well.

A gleeful Sabrina thought, There is basically not much problem anymore since Joanna has made a promise. Recollecting the look on her face, she said happily, “Okay. I got it, Miss Schmidt.”

“Also, don’t breathe a word about this to anyone else; otherwise, even I won’t be able to help you,” Joanna warned.”

Bobbing her head eagerly, Sabrina had a look of malice in her eyes as she gritted her teeth. “Don’t worry, Miss Schmidt. As long as I can see Nicole down and out, I don’t mind even if I can’t return to the company.”

 

Chapter 104 I’m Sorry

Meanwhile, Nicole went to Colton’s office with him, and she only spoke when the door was closed. “President Gardner, you don’t have to side with me so much, actually.”

Colton lifted his head at her without much change in his expression, and he lowered his head again as he chuckled softly. “Nicole,” he called out, while the look in his dark eyes were different from earlier as there was a hidden smirk in them. “This is a partnership between F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation, and your talent as the Chief Designer for F&M Apparel is unquestionable.”

Astonished, Nicole wasn’t expecting that he would say something like this to her. She lowered her gaze, and a smile spread across her face. He probably found out what Sabrina said to me earlier and is trying to console me with this now.

With a smile, she said casually, “President Gardner, as the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, I’ve been through turbulent situations before as well. Although those were some mean criticisms, it’s still within my tolerance level.”

For a few seconds, Colton kept his eyes fixed on her before giving her a nod. “Okay.” He paused. “You can also tell me if there’s any issue.”

Without holding back, Nicole said straightforwardly, “Even though I had a small argument with Shaun from human resources last evening, there was no need to fire him. It’s inevitable to have some disagreements between colleagues, and I don’t wish to be an exception.”

It didn’t occur to Colton that she would speak up for Shaun, so a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Looking up, he pursed his lips and asked, “Is that really what you think?”

Nicole nodded. “I’m only going to be in Gardner Corporation for a few months, so there’s no need to cause such a big ruckus because of me. I joined Gardner Corporation with the idea of creating a clothing line for your company together with your other designers, not to cause the situation now,” she said, a bitter smile hanging on her face.

Fixing his gaze on her, he nodded. “It seems that I didn’t think it through properly.”

After their chat, Nicole went back to her office, which was so quiet that she could hear her own footsteps, and the atmosphere in the room was incredibly depressing.

Looking around, Nicole cleared her throat and announced, “I’m not an employee of your company, and neither am I your superior. We’re all partners, and respect works both ways. For the next few months, I hope that our partnership will be a happy one.”

However, everyone’s head remained low as they kept their silence, and Nicole didn’t say anything else anymore. Since she had already said all these, it was up to them whether they would listen to her or not.

When it was time to get off work in the evening, Nicole went downstairs in the elevator as usual, and she saw a familiar figure from the back when she was at the entrance.

Before she could even react, the figure spoke first. “Hi, Nicole.”

Stopping in her tracks, she realized that the person was Henry, and she smiled, greeting him, “Hi, Henry.”

The smile on Henry’s face appeared a little awkward, and he touched his nose as he said softly, “Nicole, I apologize to you for what happened last evening…” Lifting his head, he gazed at her as he explained, “That guy is from human resources. I… I…”

Seeing how difficult it was for him to say the words, Nicole chuckled nonchalantly; they weren’t a couple any more, so she shouldn’t guilt-trip him into doing anything for her.

“It’s fine. I get it. After all, he’s in a higher position than you, and you still need your job.”

Hearing how casual she sounded, Henry lifted his eyes at her, and the embarrassment on his face finally disappeared. Softly, he chuckled. “Nicole, you’re just as considerate as before.”

In reply, she merely smiled back without a word. She wasn’t exactly being considerate; she had merely seen through life. After years of struggling in the society, she had already been through all sorts of turmoil.

 

Chapter 105 Ex-boyfriend Wants to Make Up

“By the way, are you free tonight, Nicole? I would like to buy you dinner. It’s been a while since we last met, after all,” Henry said immediately, taking a step toward her.

Seeing that the man was approaching her, Nicole took a step back out of habit, and after she did, she saw the hurt expression on his face.

She froze as she didn’t think of this because she had acted almost instinctively. Nevertheless, she gave him a nod, thinking to herself, The nanny’s home to take care of that rascal, so there’s nothing to worry about, she thought.

“There’s a nice restaurant nearby, and it’s dinner time now. Why don’t we go there?” she suggested. As she was feeling a little guilty now, she couldn’t bring herself to turn him down.

“Sounds good.” Henry nodded and followed behind her.

When they reached the restaurant, Henry realized that it was a high-end restaurant, and just a meal here could cost the monthly salary of a regular employee.

His chest tightened, and he felt unbearable upon seeing the prices on the menu. This is obviously a rip-off! he thought. Just one salad costs 388, not to mention other main dishes such as steak or others, which are all listed in four-figure prices.

Flipping open the menu, Nicole took a look at it and asked, “May I order a steak? The steak in this restaurant is pretty good.”

She had been here once with Colton, and it was true that the steak was rather delicious.

Meanwhile, Henry took a look at the price of the steak, but for the sake of his dignity as a man, he tightened his jaw and nodded. “Sure, go ahead and order it.” After Nicole had placed her order, he started, “Nicole, five years ago… did you really have a child with another man?”

Almost everyone in the company knew what happened in the Design Department today; the things Sabrina said had spread throughout the company like bushfire, and there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know. It was just that nobody dared to discuss it because of Colton’s warning.

However, that didn’t surprise Nicole. For this type of issue, even though everyone didn’t dare to say it out loud, they were probably criticizing her behind her back.

Lowering her gaze, she stared at the glass in her hand for a long while before mumbling, “Yeah.”

Although Henry’s expression remained unchanged, his anger was already burning within his chest, and his palms beneath the table tightened into fists as he sneered silently, What a slut! After breaking up with me back then, she just couldn’t wait to crawl into another man’s bed! It’s no wonder she became the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel. So, it’s really because she’s good in bed.

Back then, they had dated for a year, and their most intimate gesture was merely holding hands. He couldn’t believe he thought that she was a pure woman back then as it turned out that she was really just a wh*re!

Despite all the thoughts in his head, he put up a bitter expression on his face as he poured a glass of water. “If we were still together for the past five years, you probably wouldn’t do as well as you are now,” he said in a self-deprecating manner.

Looking at the dejected look on Henry, Nicole hurriedly comforted, “That’s not true, Henry. You have your worth, so don’t belittle yourself.”

He looked at her, staring deep into her eyes with his dark eyes. Gulping, he then uttered, “It’s been five years, Nicole, but I still can’t forget about you. I don’t mind the fact that you have a child, and I can regard him as my own. Do we still have a chance?”

Even though he was disgusted by her and thought of her as a wh*re, at the same time, he couldn’t deny that she was the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel.

As for the promotion which Nicole mentioned, if he could really restore their relationship, there was no point for him to remain in the Gardner Corporation because he could simply choose any position in F&M Apparel then!

Shifting her eyes away, she smiled bitterly and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Henry.”

Henry understood what she meant, but he was unwilling to give up. Seeing the guilt she had for himself, he decided to make use of this guilt, thinking that she would give in to him one day.

“It’s okay. I understand. It’s too random of me to bring this up so suddenly anyway,” he said in a considerate tone.

Chapter 106 Don’t Care For It

“By the way, Nicole, there are some rumors going around within the company, but don’t take it to heart,” he said, casting her an earnest look.

A bitter smile spread across Nicole’s face, and she parted her lips as she said, “Okay. Thanks.”

Looking at Nicole, Henry wanted to draw the distance closer between them, so he started a conversation about their times in school.

“These five years flew by so quickly. Thinking back, you were the school belle back then, and there were countless guys chasing after you,” he muttered with a reminiscent look on his face.

Gradually, Nicole slipped into her memories with his words. It was true; although she wasn’t from a rich family, she had good looks, awesome physique, and elegant temperament. While it was tough on her mother raising Nicole by herself, she had never mistreated Nicole in any aspects of her daily necessities.

Back then, she always enjoyed reading alone in the library. One day, someone took a picture of her without her knowledge and uploaded it on the school’s forum, turning her into the school belle overnight.

Despite the amount of guys courting her, she developed a dislike for men with smooth tongues due to her disappointment in her father.

Therefore, even though Henry wasn’t a good-looking guy and came from a regular family, she still picked him in the end.

The reason was simply because he was very caring and considerate; at least that was how he was in school back then.

With a soft smile, Nicole raised her voice and said in a low voice, “Yeah, the relationships we had when we were in school were pure and not mixed with anything else.”

Henry lowered his head and sighed softly. “Back then, I would always go to the library in hopes of bumping into you. Never did I imagine that you’d agree to date me. It was really like a dream.” Fixing his eyes on her, he gulped and continued, “I thought that we’d always be together, but who would have thought that there would be such a change.”

The smile on Nicole’s face seemed a little helpless, and she dodged the topic. “Give it a try. The food here is not bad.”

It was clear to Henry that she didn’t want to speak about relationships with him, and he lowered his eyes, looking at the steak on his plate as the spark in his eyes died out.

In the Gardner Corporation, everyone said that Nicole’s child was fathered by Zachary Yates of F&M Apparel, which was why she could hold the position of Chief Designer steadily in the company.

Looks like there is some truth to these rumors, he sneered indifferently in his heart. Seems like she has found her way into a rich man’s bed and can’t be bothered to date me now. Since she’s being heartless, then don’t blame me for being cruel!

“Okay.” A smile returned on his face before he lowered his head and started enjoying his steak.

When it was time to foot the bill, Nicole beat him to it, and it was already late by the time they finished eating. The weather was still a little chilly, and it became dark very quickly. By the time they came out, the streetlights were already lit.

They strolled back to the company, and Henry looked apologetic. “I should have been the one to buy you dinner. So sorry about that.”

Nicole smiled and shook her head. “It’s alright. It doesn’t make a difference.”

Lifting his head, he took a quick glance at the sky above. “It’s getting late. Go home first, Nicole. It’s not safe for a girl to be alone outside.”

Seeing the concern on his face, Nicole couldn’t tell for a moment if it was genuine, and she mumbled, “Okay.”

At first, she planned to turn around and leave, but something came into her mind and she paused in her tracks, spinning her head to him.

“Henry, no matter what the reason was five years ago, I was the one who owed you. Just let me know if you need anything.”

He nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Nicole.”

Relieved, Nicole then left while Henry stood rooted to the spot, watching her back with unblinking eyes, and a sneer tinged the corner of his lips.

I don’t want this help out of pity! he thought. Since I can’t hook up with Nicole, I’ll just do what Queenie says. Her life and death has nothing to do with me now, anyway.

 

Chapter 107 The Dress Was a Hit

Because of the dress designed by Nicole, Wendy totally stood out in school and even became one of the popular topics within the country. The girly and youthful dress received the praises of everyone unanimously, and it also turned Wendy into a huge Internet celebrity all of a sudden.

‘This dress is amazing. It’s so pretty!’

‘Yeah, a girl around the age of eighteen should be dressed like this. So youthful and energetic!’

The comments on the Internet were overwhelmingly positive, and after someone later revealed that this dress was designed by the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, Lisa, everyone couldn’t help but crowd to her social media profile and fawn over her.

Even Nicole didn’t expect that the dress she simply designed for Wendy would be so popular because there wasn’t so much commotion when she usually launched new designs at F&M Apparel.

After attending her own graduation, Wendy flew back home and went to look for Nicole at the Gardner Corporation right after touching down.

Meanwhile, Nicole was making coffee in the pantry when she heard the sounds of footsteps behind her. Turning her head, she saw that it was Wendy, who broke into a smile upon seeing her and greeted her sweetly, “Hi, Nicole.”

Even though there weren’t many people in the pantry, they all saw Wendy, and they were surprised to find that Nicole was so close with her.

“Hey, how was your graduation night?” Nicole asked casually. Although she had already seen the news on the Internet, she still showed her concern in person.

At the mention of graduation night, Wendy put on a wider smile, and she hugged Nicole’s arm with both of her hands, saying happily, “Nicole, let’s talk inside. There are so many things that I want to tell you.”

Because she wore the dress designed by Nicole, Wendy became the talk of the town at the graduation night. Nicole chuckled as she gazed at the young girl, who was acting spoiled to her. “Sure,” she said softly.

Back in the office, Wendy plopped herself onto the couch jauntily and looked at Nicole, saying, “Nicole, I love the dress you designed. My birthday is coming in a month; please design another dress for me.”

Nicole didn’t turn her down. Despite the fact that she was now the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, she would often accept a few special orders, so she wasn’t unfamiliar with this.

“Sure. Tell me what style you would like this time, and I’ll draft you the design in a few days’ time when I’m free.”

Hearing that Nicole had agreed to her request, Wendy quickly voiced out her own ideas. “I hope it’s something different from the last time, and everyone would be amazed by it—”

Her sentence was interrupted by someone knocking on the door from the outside, and before anyone could answer, the door swung open and Joanna came in.

Twisting her head, Wendy saw her and greeted politely, “Hello, Joanna.”

Joanna didn’t seem one bit surprised to see Wendy, and she flashed her a smile. “Wendy, when did you come back? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Both of them were on rather close terms; after all, Joanna was the designer for the dresses on her birthdays before this.

“I planned to look for you after chatting with Nicole,” Wendy answered sincerely.

Joanna’s gaze fell on Nicole, and her eyes dimmed a little, but there was still a trace of smile on her face. “Okay, since you have some business with Nicole, then I won’t bother you girls.”

Even though it was not obvious from Joanna’s face, Nicole still noticed her change in expression, and she stood up, saying to Joanna, “Is there anything you need, Director Schmidt?”

Joanna raised the document in her hand. “It’s not something important—just some general directions for the summer designs. I came over to speak about it with you, but since Wendy is here, you can have a chat first, and I’ll be back when you’re done,” she said and walked out directly.

 

Chapter 108 Rip Open Each Other’s Wounds

Closing the door behind herself after going out, Joanna looked a little displeased as her face fell. Suppressing her emotions, she returned to her own office and growled in a low voice after shutting the door, “Damn Nicole Anderson!”

In the previous years, Wendy would always come looking for her whenever she wanted to attend any important event, and because of this connection between them, their relationship had always been close. Furthermore, Wendy grew up under the tender care of the Gardner Family and wasn’t scheming at all. Basically, she would believe anything that she was told.

Step by step, Joanna had set up good relationships with the people around Colton, but she didn’t imagine that Nicole had snatched Wendy to her side in a mere few days.

While she was abroad, she had heard the news that Nicole would be designing the graduation dress for Wendy, but she didn’t pay too much attention to it and thought that Wendy had no other choice but to look for Nicole because she wasn’t in the country. However, Wendy was now even asking Nicole to design the dress for her first adult birthday party.

The Gardner Family was considered one of the best and most influential companies globally, and as the youngest child of the Gardner Family, Wendy’s first adult birthday party would definitely be very spectacular.

Unfortunately, this opportunity was now wrenched out of her hands by Nicole.

Trembling from the anger, Joanna felt helpless because Wendy had always done what she wanted, and it would be difficult to change anything she had set her mind on.

After all her achievements in the Gardner Corporation for seven years, it couldn’t be compared to an outsider who was here for barely a month!

No matter if it was Colton or Wendy, Joanna had spent seven years on them, but Nicole had managed to bewitch them in a few days’ time!

It’s not fair! This is unacceptable!

Just as her fury was boiling, a soft chuckle echoed from behind her, followed by a soft, hypocritic voice. “Director Schmidt, from the looks of it, it seems like you’re angry.”

Hearing that there was someone else, Joanna hurriedly recollected herself and spun her head around, only to see that Queenie had appeared in her office without her noticing.

Raising her eyebrows, she cast an icy stare at her. “Miss Anderson, don’t you know that you should knock before entering?”

From the bottom of her heart, Joanna utterly looked down on Queenie because she was a woman who relied on her body to get to higher positions, after all. However, she decided to set aside her contempt for her on the surface.

“Based on what I know, the dress Nicole designed for Wendy turned out to be a big hit,” Queenie said slowly and giggled as she took a seat, ignoring Joanna’s attitude.

On the other hand, there was not a trace of anger on Joanna’s face, and she smirked. “I heard about it. It’s not surprising since she’s the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel.”

The nonchalant look on Joanna’s face made Queenie burst out in laughter, and she laughed for a while with her hand over her mouth as Joanna’s face turned sullen amidst her laughter.

Narrowing her eyes, Joanna sounded a little aloof as she said, “Queenie, what do you mean by this?”

Hearing her question, Queenie finally stopped laughing, but the edges of her lips remained upturned. “I’m so sorry.” Waving her hand, she apologized, but she didn’t sound apologetic at all. “I just thought that you look funny when you’re angry but could only bear with it.”

With her narrowed eyes, Joanna watched as Queenie mocked her, but she didn’t blow her top and simply took it lightly.

“I can’t be compared to you, Miss Anderson, who can still come out of the house brazenly even after news came out that you were having an affair with the young master of the Mann Family.”

Even though Colton had suppressed this news in the media, the rumor had already spread out within the industry.

The expression on Queenie’s face changed, and the smile disappeared from her face. With gloomy eyes, she gritted her teeth and hissed, “Director Schmidt, our common enemy now is Nicole, so there’s no reason for us to rip open each other’s wounds here.”

 

Chapter 109 Disgusted

Joanna chuckled before she raised her voice and said, “Common enemy? I think you’re mistaken, Miss Anderson. Nicole and I are on good terms. What do you mean by enemy?” Sitting back in her seat, she slightly leaned back and looked up at Queenie.

After being in the industry for so many years, she had long been able to customize her treatment toward every person she met, and she wouldn’t easily give herself away.

“Director Schmidt, we’re all sensible people, so don’t pretend to be confused,” Queenie refuted.

She didn’t bother beating around the bush, but went straight to the point instead.

“As soon as Nicole came, she drove away your confidant, Sabrina, and humiliated her in front of so many people. Besides, you personally helped to design clothes for Wendy during every important event and birthday over the years. Now, not only are you not needed for the graduation party, but also her 18th birthday party. Can you stomach it?”

Although Joanna still appeared calm, she figured Queenie was right. She truly wasn’t satisfied!

Looking up, she cast Queenie a sweeping glance and spoke in a dull voice.

“So what? Nicole is cooperating with the Gardner Corporation on behalf of F&M Apparel, and she will go back after half a year at most. Why should I care about her?”

“If you don’t care about her, then why were you so angry earlier, Director Schmidt?” Queenie smiled. Since she couldn’t tackle Nicole alone, couldn’t she try to get herself an accomplice?

Seeing as Joanna was reluctant, Queenie immediately added, “Director Schmidt, I don’t need you to do anything. Nicole stabbed me in the back, and I will definitely get my revenge. I only need you to make it worse. I’ve already arranged everything else.”

Joanna peered at Queenie, undeniably tempted by Queenie’s suggestion. She blinked, neither agreeing nor rejecting.

She didn’t want to get involved in bad deeds like this. After all, it could be seen from Colton’s attitude that he valued Nicole a lot. It would be okay if they could tackle her with one blow, but if Nicole turned the tables, whoever was involved would probably get into trouble.

Just when the two of them were silent, the door was suddenly pushed in. “Miss Joanna!”

As soon as Wendy opened the door, she saw Queenie. She frowned, and the smile on her face immediately vanished while she asked with a hint of disgust in her tone, “Why are you here?”

Wendy didn’t have a good impression of Queenie at all because previously at the Anderson Residence, she saw Queenie and Joseph on the same bed and Anna even fell sick for a few days because of this matter.

When Queenie heard the disgust in Wendy’s tone, her expression stiffened, but she controlled her temper and answered gently, “Your 18th birthday party will be in another month, so I was thinking of asking Director Schmidt to have a custom-made dress.”

Wendy’s expression was still tense, and she didn’t look kind as she muttered in a low voice, “I don’t even want you to come.”

Queenie appeared a little upset with Wendy’s remarks, so Joanna stepped forward to mediate the situation. “All right. Wendy, it seems like you’ve become a sensation since the graduation party. Come and tell me what happened.”

When Wendy heard her mention the graduation party, she immediately became excited and tugged on Joanna as she began to talk. “Joanna, let me tell you…”

Watching the two of them engage in an exciting conversation, Queenie knew she wasn’t welcomed here, so she walked out instead of staying.

Whatever the case was, she had already said what she wanted to say just now. Judging from Joanna’s behavior earlier, it seemed like a deal had been made.

The smile on Queenie’s face grew. Now, Henry was almost done with his part, so when she leaked Nicole’s draft after he obtained it, they would be able to accuse her for plagiarism.

Plagiarism was a major crime in the design industry. Even if the person was the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, she could still be humiliated.

Chapter 110 Too Attentive

Nicole felt that Henry had been a little too attentive for the past few days. Every time she went to work, he would be downstairs waiting with her breakfast in hand.

Nicole retrieved her breakfast, pursed her lips, then looked at Henry with a trace of helplessness in her eyes. “Henry, you don’t have to bring me breakfast.”

Smiling sheepishly, Henry rubbed his head as he looked up at Nicole with a sincere gaze. “Nicole, you always had the habit of skipping breakfast, so I was worried…”

Nicole glanced down at the breakfast he brought her. Although it wasn’t anything luxurious, it was the buns and soy milk she used to love.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like eating breakfast. In the past, her family was poor, so their life was hard, and they would even save up on meals.

“I don’t skip them now. Don’t worry,” Nicole said enigmatically.

She had experienced too many things, so she didn’t trust anyone much now. Even if this person was her first love and her first boyfriend, she still couldn’t let down her guard.

The smile on Henry’s face stiffened. Gritting his teeth, he looked slightly aggrieved. “Nicole, do you dislike me because I’m poor?”

Nicole was so flustered by his question that she didn’t know how to answer, but she stood firm and shook her head. “Henry, don’t overthink. It’s just that it’s been five years, so everything’s changed. We’re no longer suitable for each other.”

Undoubtedly, Nicole knew why Henry was being so attentive, but it was impossible for her to be with him now.

She let out a soft sigh, then explained, “I’m only in Gardner Corporation because of my cooperation with the Gardners. After the cooperation is completed, I’ll be going back.”

Henry wasn’t bothered by Nicole’s blunt rejection. Instead, he smiled and said, “Nicole, I know that. I’m not planning on getting back together anymore. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. Five years ago is different from now. I just feel that it’s a shame and want to relive the feeling.”

Nicole couldn’t bring herself to refuse, so she could only purse her lips and hurriedly say, “Thank you.”

…

Wendy’s graduation photos set off a wave of imitations on the Internet. Many beauty bloggers copied her look and outfit, and they even brought up the name ‘Lisa’.

Nicole didn’t expect that she would suddenly go viral, which amused her a little.

F&M Apparel’s clothing line was relatively high-end. Their custom made outfits and fashion apparel had a huge price tag.

Previously, her name was only famous among people of the upper class; after all, some rich people had their clothes custom-made with F&M Apparel.

Now, because of Wendy’s outfit, her brand was known all over the country.

The Gardner Corporation did not waste the resources this time as they released the brand earlier than scheduled, taking advantage of the situation to announce their cooperation with Lisa.

It was also because of Wendy’s outfit that she received a lot of orders at once. They were pretty much wealthy people who wanted Nicole to customize clothes for them.

However, Nicole refused all of them, saying that she didn’t have time because she was too busy with her cooperation with the Gardner Corporation.

In the past few days, Henry had become more and more enthusiastic, and he even sent the food directly to her office several times. Nicole couldn’t bring herself to refuse, so she let him come.

Gossip was spreading in the office, saying that when Henry was in the private room, he hooked up with Nicole, and that the two of them had an affair.

“Nicole, why don’t you talk to Mr. Cooper and tell him not to come to the office anymore?” Scarlett suggested out of concern.

Even she felt that Henry was being too attentive, so how could someone as intelligent as Nicole not know?

Nicole reached out and rubbed her swollen eyes. She had heard some of the rumors, but she had abandoned Henry for her mother and money last time, and it was for this reason that she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him again.

Seeing how troubled Nicole was, Scarlett pursed her lips and continued, “Nicole, even though there’s nothing going on between you and Henry, you can’t let him come to the office at noon every day. Even if there’s nothing going on, you’ll be suspected of having an affair with him.”

Nicole lowered her gaze and thought for a while, then figured that what Scarlett said made sense. Thinking that it was time to deal with this, she nodded. “Okay. I got it.”