Chapter 3 Find Her

Upon catching sight of his sudden appearance, Evelyn went through a brief surge of nerves, which were betrayed by the expression etched upon her face.

However, she quickly put on a brave look and strode towards him, determined to explain the situation.

"Thank goodness you're here, sir. I am sure you will take back your words about firing me once I clarify the events that have transpired," Evelyn uttered earnestly.

However, before she could continue, Auden Bernard interjected, his tone cutting and cold.

Evelyn abruptly fell silent, fixating her gaze upon his stern face.

Auden Bernard continued, advancing towards her and casually slipping a hand into his pants pocket.

"People like you are the ones I hate the most. Blaming others for your own misfortunes is a gross display of character," he asserted.

Evelyn's brows furrowed in confusion. "Please allow me to speak, sir. What I'm trying to say is that, if not for the incident with the driver splashing dirty water on my dress, causing me to have to change, I would not have been late for work," she retorted, her frustration evident in her raised voice.

"Then it appears that you are too ignorant to acknowledge your own mistakes as well," Auden Bernard remarked pointedly, sauntering past her towards the car, the door already open and waiting.

"Oh, and in case you didn't know, I happen to be the driver of this vehicle earlier this morning," he announced, halting directly in front of her with a sly grin etched upon his features.

It was one of those creepy smiles that sent a chill down one's spine.

Instantly, Evelyn's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" she murmured incredulously.

"Yes, you heard me correctly. In my opinion, it would be in everyone's best interest to have you fired. Your incapacity and incompetence render you useless to work for me," Auden declared in disgust, raising one hand in emphasis before tucking it back into his pocket.

Without sparing Evelyn another glance, he bent down to enter the car and drove off, leaving her chest heaving rapidly.

She was unsure if she had misheard his final words or if they were simply a product of her own imagination.

While gazing at Auden Bernard's fast-moving vehicle, tears flowed from Evelyn's eyes like pearls slipping off a string. It was then she comprehended the harsh truth- it had actually happened.

The reckless driver who cost her job was the new CEO. And as if that wasn't enough, he had also hurt her deeply by deeming her useless and foolish.

In Evelyn's opinion, her job was like a third child to her. She cherished her work just as much as she cherished her children.

In fact, being a cloth fashion designer had always been her aspiration since childhood. She held her occupation in high esteem and always put in her utmost effort to produce satisfactory outcomes, which earned her adoration from her colleagues.

But Auden Bernard had managed to make her feel completely worthless with just a few spiteful words, without even witnessing her diligent work.

As she recalled his callous remarks and the disgust plastered on his face, Evelyn let out a sob. And another. And another, fresh tears drenching her eyes once more.

She tried to compose herself, but she couldn't help feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed.

**

Quinn grasped Evelyn's hands possessively, expressing his enthusiasm for having her in his small store.

He had been praising her non-stop ever since she arrived in a cab, not even allowing her to pay for it as he rushed towards the taxi and paid for her instead.

Under Quinn's admiring and elevated words, Evelyn couldn't help but feel good and let go of her pensive mood, beaming along with the joyous man.

Quinn, an average height man in his late forties, had a weird habit of acting feminine- coloring his long hair, applying makeup on his face, and constantly chewing gum.

Rumor had it that he was not a straight man, but rather a gay man.

"Brenda told me about the new boss," Quinn stated sorrowfully as they reached his office.

Remaining silent, Evelyn simply smiled and took in the office, her gaze landing on the numerous fashion images adorning the walls.

Her smile widened, as though merely laying eyes on these pieces had solved all her problems.

Quinn joined her at the wall, continuing their conversation with an uncontainable excitement.

"I can't say I'm happy with how you were treated at Glamour, but I'm beyond thrilled to have you here," he exclaimed with a grin.

"Who designed this skirt?" Evelyn inquired, gesturing to an image on the wall.

Quinn's smile faltered. "It was my former employee, Anna. She left last month," he replied.

Evelyn glanced at the skirt again. It was a stunning velvet blue straight skirt, adorned with gold claw glitters along the hem. Despite not being a tangible piece yet, it exuded a captivating beauty.

"Why did she leave, if I may ask?" Evelyn queried, turning to face Quinn.

His smile turned sad. "She said she was disappointed in me. That I haven't lived up to her expectations and am still far behind in the fashion industry compared to others."

Hearing this, Evelyn felt a wave of sympathy for him, but she offered a reassuring smile.

"You won't give up, will you?" she asked, a small spark in her eyes.

In response, Quinn's usual bright smile returned as he shook his head dramatically, his chin held high.

"My ultimate dream is to sit in the same conference room as the top international fashion designers. With that in mind, how could I possibly give up?"

Evelyn gave him a thumbs up and offered kind words. "I wish you all the luck in achieving your dream."

The following day, Auden Bernard was led by Brenda to the department of designers, which consisted of three women and one man.

The workers immediately stood up upon Auden's arrival, fear evident in their expressions.

Ever since the previous day, when he had entered and presented himself with a formidable air, they had all been intimidated by him.

Auden, on the other hand, roamed from one desk to another, skimming through their sketchbooks and monitors.

With his hands tucked in his trouser pocket, he strolled by an empty seat, but his attention was captured by something on the desk and he picked it up.

It was a sketch of a sleeveless black mini dress, embellished with glittering stones on the bust area and a unique pleating detail at the hem.

To the surprise of everyone in the room, Auden's face broke into a faint smile as he absentmindedly sat on the desk and continued admiring the dress.

After a moment, he stood up and made an announcement, "I want the designer of this sketch to bring it to life before the end of the week."

The team exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of Auden's sudden change in mood.

But when no one responded, his voice turned stern, "Is that clear?"

Finally, Brenda mustered up the courage to speak, "The designer of this dress won't be able to bring it to life as per your instructions, sir. You had asked me to fire her yesterday," her tone laced with sarcasm and her eyes showing a hint of satisfaction.

A crease formed between Auden's eyebrows as he muttered, "I told you to do that?"

"That's right, Mr. Bernard. You've fired the best designer on our team," Brenda emphasized each word, thoroughly enjoying the look on Auden's face.

As his fists clenched and his intimidating figure trembled with anger, Auden bellowed, "FIND HER AND BRING HER TO ME NOW!"

Startling everyone in the room with his sudden outburst.