Chapter 639 A Changed Person
Abella said, "I had high hopes for you back then. Even though your work had flaws, I still voted for you."
That's when Holly remembered one judge had cast the deciding vote for her.
"That judge was young, beautiful, and charming. It must be Lady Margaret, the founder of QY!" Holly thought, suddenly looking at Abella. On closer inspection, she realized the cool, impressive woman in front of her was indeed Lady Margaret!
"Ms. Margaret," Holly stammered, turning pale, realizing she had offended someone important.
No wonder she could revise the drafts so brilliantly in such a short time. She was Lady Margaret!
But Abella stayed calm. "I'm not telling you this to brag, but to let you know your designs today really disappointed me. Based on your level last year, they should be better."
Abella always valued talent. Seeing someone she once believed in regress was truly disappointing.
Holly's face turned red, then pale, feeling deeply embarrassed.
Last year's Rivershineia Design Competition had three rounds, each with more prestigious judges. Abella, the final judge, appeared in the third round. Though her screen time was brief, her appearance, demeanor, identity, and sharp comments left a lasting impression.
Abella didn't remember Holly's face but did remember her name and work. So, when the design department mentioned Holly, Abella recalled who she was.
Holly quickly said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Margaret, for letting you down. It's because..." She started crying before she could finish.
She had won third place in the competition, attracting many job offers. She signed with a company that seemed promising but turned out to have many issues. Within six months, the company was investigated for illegal activities. She didn't get paid and faced huge compensation claims and malice.
A male designer who sympathized with her ended up getting engaged to another wealthy woman, deeply hurting her. Later, her family was in a car accident, resulting in one death and one injury. It took her a long time to recover from the grief.
Once a rising star, she had fallen hard.
Abella listened to her tearful story and comforted her, "You've had many hardships, but no one's life is smooth sailing. Whether it's you, me, or Mr. Bourbon, we're all the same."
Holly's tears flowed again.
Abella looked at her gently. "You've made it to the Bourbon Group on your own merits, which means you still have potential. You once shone brightly, and I believe you can do it again. Keep going."
Holly's tears fell again. Abella patted her shoulder and left with Phillipe.
The design department buzzed with whispers. "What did Mrs. Bourbon say to Holly to make her cry like that? Should we comfort her?"
"If Mrs. Bourbon wants to deal with someone, we better stay out of it. Holly was so arrogant in front of her. She's probably getting fired."
"Getting fired might be good. She always made the atmosphere tense."
"Yeah, if she leaves, we might get a chance to shine. With her around, we were always overshadowed."
Holly cried in the hallway for a bit, then wiped her tears and returned to the design department, looking determined.
Seeing her return, everyone quickly went back to their workstations.
"Next time Mrs. Bourbon comes, count me in for the treat," Holly said, shocking everyone.
"I used to be arrogant, thinking I was great because I won a few awards. I was condescending and made things difficult for you. I'm sorry," Holly bowed and apologized. "From now on, if you have any design issues, let's discuss them together."
Everyone was stunned, mouths agape.
Meanwhile, Phillipe held Abella's hand as they headed to the finance department.
On the way, Abella said, "Don't fire her. Give her a chance to turn things around."
Phillipe was surprised. "She made things difficult for you, was arrogant, and had bad intentions."
"It was just competition," Abella replied calmly. If she didn't value talent, she wouldn't have mentioned last year's Rivershineia Design Competition. Holly's level shouldn't have dropped so much.
"Did you suffer any grievances while I wasn't there?" Phillipe asked.
"No, didn't you see? Everyone likes me."
Even the once-proud Holly had apologized in the end.
Phillipe thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll listen to you this time. I hope she doesn't let you down. But with your guidance, this quarter's new designs for the Bourbon Group will definitely sell like hotcakes. How should I thank you?"
Phillipe gently caressed Abella's face, about to kiss her.
Just then, the elevator door dinged open, and the finance department manager was about to enter. Seeing Phillipe caressing a girl's face, seemingly about to kiss her, he was so shocked he quickly rubbed his eyes.
"Mr. Bourbon," the finance manager greeted hurriedly, "I was just about to find you. Here are the financial reports for this week."
"Don't you greet people when you see them?" Phillipe's gaze fell on him. "Call her Mrs. Bourbon."
The finance manager clutched his chest, stunned for a moment before stammering, "Mrs. Bourbon, hello. Welcome to the finance department. I'll show you two around."
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