CHAPTER 8: I'M SO DISAPPOINTED
1199 Words
CHAPTER 8
I'M SO DISAPPOINTED!
"Make sure that you create an exquisite frame of me with a wedding dress kissing Richard." Those last words of Debby kept flooding Flora's mind.
For more than an hour, she picked her design and painting materials, ready to work but her brain remained blank.
She couldn't think of any perfect picture other than the resentment she had towards Debby.
All Debby's pictures that flashed her mind were those of her evil face and the devilish smile she wore the day she ran into them in the garden.
"Is this some sort of temptation to make me quit this job and this environment for good?" She thought to herself, her eyes almost at the verge of tears, but as soon as she raised them and looked at the little boy she had promised to raise in a good life free of hardship, she squeezed her eyes shut to displace any thought of resentment for the Wilson's.
She needs the money.
"Hey mommy. You're crying again." Little Dan observed as he sat beside her.
She smiled. "Com'on Dan. What did you take your mother for? A crying machine? Don't say that next time, okay?" She scolded him calmly.
"Any time you see mummy being quite like this, just know that she's meditating on a perfect design because that's how designers work. They always take time to think before working."
Little Dan nodded in affirmation, and a light grin spread over Flora's face for successfully convincing the little boy that always thinks he's intelligent to read meaning into everything.
"Now, can you go to sleep already? It's past 10:00 pm, and remember, you're still coming to work with me tomorrow morning." She said and laid the bed.
For more than thirty minutes, Flora searched through the internet to get pictures of Richard and Debby's wedding for reference, but she found none.
Seems like Debby has Debby had taken them down to stress her.
'Hmmmmm. Tough task, Flora.' she mumbled in silence and took a deep breath.
She began to picture her own wedding day with Richard, how their faces were glowing with joy when the judge asked them to exchange kisses.
Now, she has to replace her happy self with Debby's picture.
Since Debby was her best friend, she remembered the wedding dress that Debby admired so much the day she went to help her select one for herself.
"If I ever get married, I'm not going for any choice of gown except this." Those were Debby's words six years ago at the wedding dress aisle.
All through that night, Flora had to burn her candles staying awake to design something meaningful, keeping resentment aside.
"Miss Flora, you look stressed. Is everything okay?" Bianca asked when they resumed work in the morning.
"Yeah. I'm good. Just a bit stressed." Flora replied casually. Of course, she can't deny the stress, because it's written all over her swollen eyes.
"Ms. Elizabeth just asked about you a few minutes ago. You can drop Dan as usual. I'll take care of him." Bianca offered.
Even without being asked, she loves to stay with the little boy because with his intelligence, she enjoys his company just like talking to an adult.
And unlike children of his age that she has lived with, you can't look after them without losing your voice to shouting, especially someone like her nephew, who would turn the house or anyplace he is upside down before he rest.
"Were you able to come up with something tangible?" Elizabeth asked as soon as Flora stepped into the office.
"Yeah. Here is it." Flora nodded and handed the draft over to her.
"Wow! Wow!! Wow!!! Ms. Blake, did you really do all this by yourself in less than twenty four hours?" Elizabeth marveled.
"Of course I did. I know that Mrs. Wilson's intention was to stress me and see that I failed in my duty, but I won't give her such a chance. I don't mind sacrificing my sleep to prove her wrong."
"Wow! I'm really impressed. This is something that other designers can hardly come up with in a week. Now I'm convinced that I never made a mistake of hearing your aunt's plea to make you the executive designer after the previous one left." Elizabeth remarked and opened her arms, engulfing Flora in a warm hug.
"Don't worry. I'll send the draft to her immediately. Trust me, she'll definitely like it, because no sane human will see a design like this and not admire it." Elizabeth commented, but Flora's expression remained blank.
"Hmmmm. Don't be surprised if she trash it as rubbish, Ms. Elizabeth. Remember, she didn't give me any requirements. And since it's coming from me, she might not like to admit it so early that it suits her expectations." Flora objected.
"Trust me, she won't do that. Because if I am to admit the truth, this is the best design she has ever gotten from us and within a short period of time. Now, if she was able to love those previous ones, what then will make her reject this one?" Elizabeth insisted.
Flora lowered her head and smiled. "You mentioned it earlier that no sane will reject this, and I wish you'll know that Debby is not actually a sane person, because no sane person will conspire to throw her best friend out of her marriage just to take up her friend's position."
Without hesitation, Elizabeth picked up her phone and placed a call across Debby.
"Hello Mrs. Wilson, be on the look out on your w******p. I'm sending you the drafts right away. I need you to check it out and give me your feedback." Said Elizabeth before she dropped the call to snap the design immediately.
Less than five minutes after delivering the drafts, her phone began to ring.
When she checked the caller ID, it was Mrs. Wilson.
"I told you. She'll definitely love it." She exclaimed excitedly before taking up the call.
"Mrs. Elizabeth, I must say that I'm very disappointed if this is what your company's best designer can offer to a top client." Debby ranted.
“Huh?” Elizabeth raised her furrowed brows.
“Mrs. Wilson, this…” she tried to defend but Debby interrupted impatiently.
"If not for the good customer relationship I've had with you in the past, I must confess that this is enough reason for me to stop patronising your company. Jeez! Can't you people get some competent hands to promote your company's name?"
"I... I'm really sorry for your disappointment, Mrs. Wilson. I promise, I'll make a change of designer for your project if you don't like this one." Elizabeth stuttered.
"No. I hate it when different people handle my work. Schedule a meeting for me with Miss Blake. I think it's best if I give her some specific requirements to follow. But this time around, if she fails to deliver as expected, then I don't think I can continue with any more projects with your company again, except if you get her out of the job." Debby concluded and hung up the call without waiting for a response from the other end
- Writer
