Chapter 423 Consequences
They spent the afternoon discussing the competition and the outfits. Just as they were about to leave, they ran into Susan. Upon seeing this woman, Flora scoffed and linked arms with her two best friends, saying, "Let’s hurry up and leave. I don’t want to see disgusting people."
Helen, who had been trailing closely, overheard this and stormed over. She positioned herself defensively in front of Susan and declared, "Natalie, I’ll overlook the fact that my daughter was injured in an attempt to say you. However, I won’t allow you to bully her like this!”
Natalie appeared bewildered. She looked at the meticulously groomed middle-aged woman before her and asked, "Ma'am, you stormed over here and accused me without any questions. How did you come to the conclusion that I bullied your daughter?"
"Didn’t you bully her? Otherwise, why would she be so upset? Just because you married Oliver, do you think you’re royalty? Do you think you can do whatever you want?” Helen's anger was palpable.
"Mom, just because I’m upset doesn’t mean I was bullied! Natalie didn’t bully me,” Susan said as she softly tugged at her mother's sleeve. Then, she quickly explained the recent events. However, although she detailed the events, it still seemed as though Natalie and her friends had been bullying her.
Helen scoffed. "Natalie, my daughter was just giving you friendly advice. It’s fine if you want to ignore it, but did you have to be so rude about it? This clearly shows your lack of upbringing. As expected of a child of unknown origin! Don’t think you can hide this fact just because you’re with Oliver!”
"Mrs. Hastings, based on the way you speak, it appears that your upbringing isn’t any better than mine,” Natalie responded sharply.
"You!"
Were it not for their public setting, Helen might have struck Natalie forcefully.
“Let me tell you, our family is among the most influential and prestigious in Tycoon City! You’ll pay for your actions! There’ll be consequences.”
At this time, Flora wanted to speak up, but Natalie stopped her. Then, she looked at Susan meaningfully before she said to Helen, “I’ll be waiting for the consequences you mentioned.”
Susan, catching a glimpse of Flora from the corner of her eye, felt a shiver down her spine. She hastily departed with Helen. She had finally accepted the fact that Flora had returned and frequently thought about her scheme against Flora. Whether it involved pushing Flora into the sea or stealing Flora’s designs, she did not leave any evidence behind. As such, she had nothing to fear.
At this time, Susan had only one thing to do and that was to defeat Flora in the competition.
“Calm down, Natalie. By the way, why did you stop me from speaking?” Flora was aware of Susan's dubious character.
"It’s nothing. Let’s go," Natalie soothed Flora, gently patting her hand.
…
In the end, it was discussed that Natalie would model for Flora.
Flora accompanied Natalie to the fitting room to change.
The hallmark of Flora's design philosophy was the incorporation of natural elements, and this time, she had created a unique haute couture gown. This dress, unlike her previous creations named ‘Wine’ designed for Natalie, leaned more toward a forest theme, particularly noticeable in the gown's silhouette and the design on the bodice, which featured shades of green and white. The patterns appeared as if they had been inspired directly by the heart of a forest.
The moment Natalie emerged from the dressing room, she instantly became the center of attention backstage.
The brilliance of Flora's talent was undeniable, yet this particular couture piece exceeded all expectations, matching the craftsmanship of a master.
The gown seemed as if it were specifically made for Natalie, who radiated a regal presence the moment she donned it.
As everyone was lavishing praise on Flora, the door of another fitting room swung open across the room.
Susan and the model she hired emerged, stopping dead in their tracks at the sight of Flora and Natalie.
"Doris, it has been a while," Natalie greeted despite their previous disagreement.
Doris' expression turned sour in an instant.
Upon seeing this, someone next to her asked, “Doris, do you feel unwell?”
Doris shook her head in response. Her mind was overwhelmed with memories of the warnings she had received from Natalie's former assistant. Since her encounter with Natalie, she had witnessed a sharp decline in her career, experiencing firsthand the extent of Oliver’s influence. His warnings were not to be taken lightly. She now knew better than to confront Natalie again!
A tense silence enveloped the room.
While Doris found herself caught in the fear of Oliver's threats, the other designers were taken aback by the striking resemblance between Susan and Flora's creations - their final pieces were eerily alike!
The similarity in the nuances of their designs, which was somewhat noticeable during the initial round of the finals, had now escalated to the point where their creations seemed almost indistinguishable.
Susan's design, too, utilized green and white as its main colors. Even the style and pattern of the gown bore a striking resemblance to that of Flora's.
Given the level of similarity, it was challenging for anyone to believe that these gowns were the result of independent efforts!
The word that came to mind for nearly everyone present was plagiarism.
"Wine, what a coincidence! I had been told our styles were similar, but I could never have imagined they would be this identical," Susan remarked, recovering quickly from her initial surprise. She promptly claimed the higher ground, as though it was Flora who had imitated her design.
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