Chapter 42 Nicole Strikes Back
With expressionless eyes and a barely perceptible smile on her face, Nicole looked completely different from the ferocious woman before her. “I’m Lisa, the woman you talked about who got her job by relying on men.”
As soon as she said that, silence instantly enveloped the noisy Design Department, so much so that even the sound of a paper dropping to the ground would sound unusually obtrusive. After all, everyone in the department had just been gossiping about Nicole right before her, especially Sabrina, whose expression instantly became very interesting to watch.
Sabrina didn’t expect Nicole to come to the Design Department at this hour. She was on close terms with Joanna, so she had only said those things about Lisa to lick Joanna’s boots, but she never really intended to offend Lisa. After all, more friends meant more opportunities, whereas more enemies would bring more obstacles to herself. She had only spoken of Lisa like that just now because she thought Lisa wasn’t here. After all, as F&M Apparel’s Chief Designer, Lisa’s status was well-established, for F&M Apparel alone was directly capable of leading the country’s fashion trend. If Sabrina had known that Lisa was here, she wouldn’t have dared to slander her so recklessly.
Instead of getting angry, Nicole looked quite unperturbed. Staring at Sabrina with complete indifference, she said calmly, “I’ve heard about Joanna, and she’s a partner who’s worth working with. Her design work is excellent.”
Then, she suddenly changed the subject, becoming somewhat assertive as she spoke. “But I need to take a moment to clear up your slanders on me. I, Lisa, have never seduced anyone to get ahead in my career. My appointment as F&M Apparel’s Chief Designer wasn’t decided by President Yates alone, for it required 70% of supporting votes from the company’s shareholders,” she said while darting her eyes coldly at the person before her. “Or do you think that I was capable of getting the job by seducing all the shareholders?”
Nicole sounded unruffled as she spoke, but her words struck an involuntary chill into everyone’s hearts. The designers who had chimed in with Sabrina just now involuntarily hung their heads and busied themselves with their own stuff like a bunch of dead-mutes, pretending that they didn’t see what was happening.
Upon hearing Nicole’s words, Sabrina, who had been putting on a ferocious front just now, instantly looked like a deflated balloon. She had been gossiping about Lisa with such righteousness just a while ago, but now, she couldn’t get a word out, as though the words were stuck in her throat. Lisa’s status is well-established, and Gardner Corporation has taken a lot of trouble inviting her to work with us this time. And she heard everything I had just said… She couldn’t help breaking out in a cold sweat with fright as her face darkened. I’ve just talked through my hat on an impulse… Now I’m finished!
Even if Joanna was heading the Design Department, Lisa could kick Sabrina out of the department at once or even have her blacklisted by the entire fashion design industry with just a single word. After all, she had publicly set herself up against F&M Apparel by saying what she had said just now.
At this moment, Sabrina’s heart clenched tightly like a rumpled rag. Her face took on a panic-stricken expression, and she stammered as she spoke. “M-Miss Lisa…”
Nicole smiled even brighter as she looked at Sabrina. “Why don’t you elaborate on what you’ve just said? I’m curious to know how I got my job through President Yates,” she said with a smile while pulling a chair over to sit down. Despite wearing no makeup, she unconsciously projected a powerful presence as she seated herself.
Sabrina nervously licked her lips. Having shot herself in the foot, she could only keep silent at this very moment. “I-I…” She hemmed and hawed for a long time. Then, she finally uttered, “Miss Lisa, those were just unfounded rumors that I heard somewhere, and I only mentioned them without thinking. Please be the bigger person and don’t take to heart what I’ve just said.” She bowed, humbling herself as much as she could.
