Chapter 173 Something Fun
Today, B city got blanketed with another heavy snowfall. Waking up to a world cloaked in white brought a sense of peace to the morning air.
Sophia looked forward to taking the kids skiing on Saturday.
With it being Thursday already, she had planned tonight's dinner for Sam.
Considering Sam's sensitive digestion, she decided on making soup.
Ever since she put Tiffany in her place in front of the entire office, people seemed to approach her with a new wariness.
Sophia wondered what they were wary of exactly. As long as no one bothered her, she was content. On the work front, they weren't responsible for the same brand, so there wasn't much overlap.
At most, she'd have someone like Fiona cause her a bit of discomfort occasionally.
Kathy and Caroline kept their distance, but Sophia couldn’t care less. She wasn’t the type to provoke others, but if pushed, she was going to show them why she was not one to be played around with.
Sophia's professional prowess was well recognized. Flora had set new sales records for two consecutive quarters. After the latest launch event, they'd reached even greater heights, and Flora's entry into the Kelly Department Store had certainly cemented its market presence domestically.
Sophia had been outperforming Kathy in clothing sales for two consecutive seasons, and the annoyance this caused her was growing by the day.
Despite Kathy's seniority and experience, Sophia seemed to constantly be granted special treatment due to her close relationship with Margaret. At fashion shows, the models assigned to showcase Sophia's designs were invariably the cream of the crop.
To add to Kathy's frustration, there were whispers about Sophia's ambiguous relationship with Harrison, and an unfortunate misunderstanding had even led Miss Foster to believe that Sophia was involved with Mr. Lancaster.
Sophia had an uncanny knack for attracting male attention—much to Kathy's chagrin. She began to speculate that perhaps Sophia's impressive sales figures were inflated by her numerous suitors.
Now, Kathy felt like she might be onto something. The more she pondered, the more plausible it seemed that Sophia's sudden sales spike during the last competition, edging out Kathy in the final hours, was suspicious at best.
Sophia had this unsettling sensation of being constantly watched. The feeling of a piercing gaze upon her was uncomfortable, to say the least.
She looked up, sweeping the room with her eyes, only to find Kathy's icy stare retreating swiftly as she bent over her design sketches.
If only she could uncover evidence of Sophia's alleged sales manipulation and convince those involved to withdraw their support. This way, Sophia's true colors would be revealed.
But Kathy couldn't be the one to take this on.
Her gaze shifted to Fiona, who was positioned across the room. She needed a hammer, and Fiona was as blunt as they came.
During their afternoon tea—a cherished time for gossip—the topic of conversation habitually centered around Sophia, and today was no exception.
As the competition came up, Kathy offhandedly mentioned, "I heard there's going to be a mystery judge this year."
"Indeed, the organizers announced it, but they're keeping the judge’s identity under wraps," someone chimed in.
Kathy leaned in, "A friend of mine mentioned it might be a famous international fashion designer."
"Could it be Melwood?" Another speculated eagerly.
"I'm hoping for Ferrier," said another wishfully.
"It's a pity we can't compete; no matter how closely we follow it," lamented another.
Competitions like this typically relied on corporate endorsements or official selections. Even though they could try out on their own, why bother when a company recommendation could provide a shortcut?
Everyone had initially thought the company would host an internal contest to choose the best designer for the national competition. Nobody expected that Sophia would be selected without any competition.
In such a scenario, who wouldn't suspect that Sophia had taken a backdoor route to success?
On the surface, everyone played it cool, but inside, nobody was content. They all privately thought they were no less talented than Sophia.
"Let's cut the grumbling," Kathy sighed after breaking the tension. "The company's decision to have Sophia represent us in the competition is strategic. Her designs have topped sales for two seasons running. Even I've been outmatched, so really, save yourself the headache. Unless Sophia can't compete, none of us will get the chance. Let's just accept it and move on." Although she appeared to be comforting the group, her words sparked mischievous thoughts in the more cunning minds around.
"She's got some chops," someone admitted, genuinely recognizing Sophia's abilities.
"Yeah, but I've heard she knows quite a few big shots. Makes you wonder if they've been padding her sales numbers..." Kathy's voice trailed off before she chuckled awkwardly, "But that's unlikely, right? The company's pretty strict. Padding sales could backfire and tarnish the brand. That would be a costly mistake for Sophia."
"True."
The gossip quickly shifted topics, but in the background, Fiona listened intently, her mind racing with possibilities.
Padding sales figures?
Interesting. If she could prove Sophia fudged her numbers, would the company still keep her on board? Sure, inflated sales meant short-term cash flow, but if word got out, it would mean bad news—skewing all sorts of data and analyses. In the long run, the damage would be significant.
Meanwhile, Sophia was engrossed in a selection of international fashion magazines, keeping her designs fresh and trendsetting thanks to her sharp instinct for style.
On top of devouring magazines and fashion editorials, she continually studied runway shows and celebrity red-carpet looks. Dedicated to learning, Sophia was oblivious to the whispers and scheming happening out of sight.
Over at the local preschool, little Sam was tiredly swaying back and forth on a swing, feeling dizzy. He soon stopped and devoted himself to pushing Emma higher and higher.
"Higher, push me higher!" Emma's playful enthusiasm grew with each push.
As she soared to the peak of each swing, her laughter rang out like chimes, delighting everyone nearby.
Other kids, seeing them having so much fun, eagerly wanted to join in.
The preschool had just three swings. Ethan and Emma each claimed one, and the last had just been taken by Josie, who watched Emma with envy.
In her eyes, Emma was the girl to envy in preschool—constantly accompanied and protected by her two older brothers.
Josie wished for a brother of her own, but she was an only child, leaving her longing for the companionship Emma seemed to enjoy so effortlessly.
Emma looked so joyful, and Josie couldn't help but yearn for a similar happiness.
She really wanted to be friends with Emma, who was adorable and always dressed so nicely. However, she felt intimidated to strike up a conversation.
Emma had helped her once, and the next day she brought snacks as a thank you, sneakily slipping them into the drawer of Emma's desk.
The chunky Alva was drawn over too, but he didn't dare tangle with Ethan and Emma, so he turned his attention to the timid Josie.
Blocking her path like a mini meat wall, Josie shuddered and bowed her head as a feeling of dread overcame her.
Alva was going to bully her again.
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