Chapter 4 You may be the boss, but I'm the model

The elevator door sounded as a man in a dark blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves stepped out. His confident and long strides carried him to the trainee training room.

His face lit up with admiration as he saw a woman he missed dearly elegantly moving into the room.

"You're healthy, and I hope you're always happy, Catherine," Svarga said as he opened the door to the room.

A trainer, noticing the company's boss arriving, asked Catherine to stop. She greeted him while Catherine stood frozen as Svarga walked toward her.

"Can we have the room to ourselves for a moment?" Svarga asked the female trainer.

It was just the two of them now, only Catherine and Svarga.

"You-" Catherine found herself at a loss for words, her tongue-tied.

"Thank you for coming back. I'm happy to see you," Svarga said softly.

Tears streamed down Catherine's cheeks; seeing Svarga was like a refreshing breeze entering her body, which had felt hollow for so long.

"Svarga...."

The man hugged Catherine, rubbing the back of the woman, sweating from her workout. "Thank you for enduring this far. The storm has passed; now it's your turn to be the storm for those who've wronged you."

Catherine let go of the hug, her eyes filled with emotions as she looked at Svarga. "Yo-you... what do you know about me?"

Svarga answered with a smile, then pulled out his phone and played a voice recording.

Catherine was stunned, her heart racing.

"This is what you need, isn't it?"

Catherine's brow furrowed; the phone contained a voice recording of a woman she could vaguely recognize.

"I-is that... Arsila's voice?" Catherine asked, wiping her tears.

Svarga nodded.

"She could ruin your company's reputation," Arsila's voice said in the recording. "She's a woman who can seduce many men. When I heard her name, I worried you might be her next victim...."

"Ah, but I have a kind heart. I don't mind her behavior because I believe that poor woman is just in need of help," Arsila continued.

"So, you don't mind if Catherine is the face of your brand even though you know what she's like?" Svarga's voice replied in the recording.

"Yes, I'm sure she needs money, and I'm the only one willing to take her," Arsila said, and then the recording stopped.

Catherine's breathing became erratic, her face flushed with anger. A simple recording once again trampled upon her dignity.

The fateful night a year ago replayed in her mind. Catherine trembled; her stomach churned to the point of nausea.

Svarga noticed the change in Catherine's expression and guided her to sit in a chair in the training room. "Would you like some water?"

Catherine shook her head, holding her now-cramping stomach. She didn't want to cry; at times like these, only anger and trauma stirred in her soul.

"I know this is hard for you. Your dignity was crushed by-"

"Arsila was my junior in college," Catherine began. "She was a sweet girl who always asked for my advice when she had trouble studying, but her attitude changed when she found out I was marrying Keenan."

Svarga remained silent, letting Catherine voice what had been weighing on her heart and mind.

"I don't know how it happened, but someone reported to me that she and Keenan were having an affair. And that night, I saw with my own eyes what they were doing...."

Catherine's voice trembled, but the nausea in her stomach somewhat subsided. "Do you know? I even lost my baby that night. A baby that even his own father didn't care about once he found out I was pregnant."

Svarga was utterly silent.

"I felt defeated, but after I recovered and Liam came along, I felt like my real life had returned. The name Arsila Gistara will always be on my mind until my dying breath... I want revenge. Revenge against both of them."

A soft growl escaped Catherine's throat. She struggled to hold back the anger that threatened to explode.

"In that case... now's the perfect time," Svarga said, prompting Catherine to look at him.

"Train well, don't let your talent go to waste. I know you well, Catherine Chandra."

The brown-eyed woman stared intently at the handsome man in front of her. "You... I mean... do you want to help me?"

Svarga shrugged. "I don't really have the right to interfere with anything that reeks of revenge. But if you need help, then this company is your best way forward."

Catherine didn't know how to react. She'd hidden her identity well all this time. Living a simple life had taught her many life lessons.

"I don't know, but I feel... Arsila's words might be true," Catherine said.

Svarga's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I might ruin your company's reputation."

Svarga's response was completely unexpected; the man laughed. "Do what you want, Cath. I already told you, this company is your best way forward. I trust you with everything, Cath."

The woman was somewhat taken aback. "You don't mind any consequences that might occur if it involves Arsila Gistara?"

"Of course," Svarga answered confidently.

"In that case..." Catherine paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I'll do the most painful thing for Arsila at the charity stage in Paris...."

***

Catherine sat at her vanity mirror in her bedroom, gently removing the remnants of her makeup with a cleansing wipe. A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips. Her meeting with Svarga earlier in the day had comforted her, and his words had reignited her spirit.

The door to her room creaked open, and a woman in a light blue kimono entered, carrying a cup of green tea. "I thought you were asleep," Keira Chandra-Catherine's mother-set the tea down near her daughter's hand.

"I'm not sleepy yet," Catherine replied.

Keira laughed softly, her slightly wrinkled hand picking up a hairbrush to tidy her daughter's hair. "Your dad and I are proud of you, sweetie. This is what we've been waiting for. We don't want to see our beloved daughter suffering for too long."

"Forgive us for not being good parents to you. We were too busy with our own world and forgot that you had stepped out of your comfort zone as the daughter of the Chandra family."

Catherine stopped her mother's hand, gently stroking it. "Mom, if I hadn't decided to be an independent woman, I would never have known the feeling of being cast aside by a man."

Her mother laughed softly. "In reality, they were the only ones who wronged me, but there are still many who love me-like you, Dad, Dhira, and Sva-"

She paused.

"Sva... who?" Keira asked.

"You still remember Svarga, right?"

"Of course. He was my business partner last year; he sponsored a fashion event in New York."

"Mom, I'm going to be part of Svarga's company," Catherine explained everything in detail, from her meeting with Liam, the contract, and the charity event in Paris to her meeting with Svarga.

"Wow... that's amazing! This is incredible!" Keira exclaimed. "Tell me, what do you need? The charity event in Paris is still a month away, and you'll need lots of preparation."

Catherine shrugged. "I just need to prepare myself mentally for revenge."

The corner of Keira's mouth curved upward. "So, you've started planning to take on Arsila?"

"That's right. I hope you and Dad will support me."

"Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you need, we'll do our best." Keira stood up, then opened the lowest drawer in Catherine's wardrobe.

Keira pulled out a black dress adorned with Swarovski crystals inside the drawer. This was the first dress that made Catherine Chandra famous as a professional model on her debut years ago.

"Wear this and exact your revenge in style," Keira said.

The awaited day had arrived. The name and face of Catherine Chandra became the most sensational topic in the modeling world.

Various media outlets covered and discussed Catherine's name without tiring; every camera wanted to see and photograph her. The woman shined brighter than the crystals on her dress, and she commanded the respect of everyone at the event.

The senior model had arrived and shined brighter than the crystals on her attire. Positive comments about Catherine trended, seemingly endless.

"Cath, look! Everyone's praising you," Dhira said enthusiastically.

Catherine took a deep breath, her lips curling into a proud smile. "I never thought they'd still recognize my face. Did my face change when I married Keenan?"

"What are you talking about? You never changed, you just made a bad choice," Dhira quipped playfully.

Catherine waved, her light brown eyes gleaming brightly despite the constant camera flashes.

Arsila watched from a distance, gripping her wine glass tightly. She hated seeing the woman looking beautiful, healthy, happy, and becoming the center of attention.

"She's stunning," Svarga commented, standing beside Arsila, causing her to turn to him.

"Ah, I'm sure after this, Gistara, Inc.'s stock will soar because we've hired the most beautiful model of the century as our brand ambassador," Svarga added.

Arsila gave a forced smile. "You're right, I'm lucky to be the fastest to react."

"Oh, by the way, where's your husband? Didn't he come? This is an important event for his wife."

"He has a lot of work, and I don't like involving him in events like this."

Svarga nodded, linking his arm with Arsila as they walked to the red carpet stage to join Catherine.

The eyes of the two women met, and Catherine welcomed Arsila as if she didn't know her at all. In contrast, Arsila gave a fake smile. The large backdrop featuring Gistara's cosmetics and skincare brand was the background for photos of the two women.

"This is interesting," Arsila whispered as the cameras continued snapping. "We meet again after everything that happened in the past."

Catherine's heart raced, but her smile remained intact.

"Keenan is my husband now. So, who's your husband? I hope you're not flirting with other men because you're just too low-quality," Arsila said.

"Don't forget, you're a model, and I'm the boss who hired you. You're getting paid by me, so be a good, obedient little puppy if you still want money."

Catherine breathed deeply and replied, "Arsila... you forgot one thing."

Now, it was Arsila's turn to be speechless. "You may be the boss, but I'm the model. Isn't a product's appeal determined by who represents it? Whether people will want to try it or slowly back away."

Catherine took Arsila's hand as they left the red carpet stage, then opened her clutch and handed a photo to Arsila that almost took her breath away.