Chapter 27

Bella was up earlier than Charlotte. Today is the D-day of her presentation; she could not help but feel nervous about it. Although she had done well at yesterday's presentation, today's is different.
She stood up from the bed and opened her laptop; she would be practicing alone for a few minutes, without waking Charlotte up.
Bella cleared her throat so many times, adjusted her position, lifted her chin, and began to speak. At some point, she got hooked, and she had to start all over again. She tried so many times but got hooked so many times. And every time, she started all over again.
"You can do this," she encouraged herself.
This wasn't her first time speaking in public. It wasn't her first time pitching her work. Although she gets nervous sometimes, she doesn't skip or stutter. She doesn't get hooked at some point either.
What is going on?
She tried a few more times and got the same reaction. She stopped trying and went to the balcony to sit. It was just a few minutes to four but the street was always bustling.
Bella watched in silence as people went about their business.
Bella did not know how long she stared into the street, but by the time she stood up, she not only felt better but also refreshed.
Maybe that was because she had seen an elderly woman try so many times to lift a load into a cart. Despite not having anyone to help her, she did not give up. Instead, she kept trying without feeling sad about it.
She had a smile on her face and even greeted a few people who had walked past her without asking for their help.
Bella was anxious every time the elderly woman tried to lift it up but failed. And when she finally succeeded, she was very happy. She admired the old woman's resilience and determination.
If an elderly woman can be so determined. Why can't she?
Bella had not stood up yet when she saw a bird trying to lift a worm up. At first, it wasn't anything special.
Bella became interested again when it failed to pick it up, yet it did not give up. It kept trying, and Bella found herself growing anxious once more.
What if it fails? Would that crush the resilience and determination she had drawn from the old woman’s example?"
Not everyone who keeps trying eventually succeeds. Bella reminded herself.
Some will give up along the way. Some will discover new paths and choose to switch directions. Others will come to realize that what they’d been chasing wasn’t what they truly needed.
But there’s one thing they all share: learning and growth.
So it doesn't matter if the bird can't pick it up or if she can't present a perfect presentation; she can always try again even if it is not at the summit.
With this thought, Bella became relaxed.
She kept looking at the bird not in anxiousness but to see what its next action would be if it failed again. It did not give up until it finally succeeded.
Bella smiled. It was just like nature was trying to show her the way.
She just has to try again, every time she fails.
She stood up with a lot of confidence and walked back to the room.
She positioned herself, cleared her throat, and tried to speak again. The first few words came out well but she skipped again.
Bella smiled. She isn't going to give up. She won't let this hold her back.
She did not start from the beginning this time; she continued from where she stopped. It went smoothly this time.
Charlotte who had been awake and watching her perform, began to clap.
"It was such a perfect presentation," she said.
Bella smiled. "When did you wake up?"
"Right when you start presenting. Why did you not wake me to watch your presentation?"
"You were too tired yesterday. I did not want to disturb you."
Charlotte smiled. She was indeed tired.
She looked at the wall clock. It was a few minutes to five.
"Bella, it's time to get ready."
Bella nodded and went to the bathroom to take her bath.
When she was out, she began to get dressed while Charlotte went to the bathroom to take her bath too.
The summit would start at seven, but they needed to be at the conference hall ten minutes before it started.
Charlotte came out of the bathroom and began to get dressed too. At six, they were done and ready to leave.
"Do you want breakfast?" Bella asked. "I can order..."
"Come on," Charlotte smiled. "There is going to be breakfast at the summit."
Bella chuckled. She forgot that.
"We had better leave now if we want to have enough time to eat and rest."
Bella nodded. Charlotte is right.
"I need to confirm if I carry everything I need, then we can leave."
"I think I should confirm too," Charlotte said.
They both checked the things in their bags and when they were sure everything was intact, they left the room.
They met a few other people on their way; a lot of them recognized Bella and stopped by to exchange greetings with her.
Bella and Charlotte walked with them to the breakfast area to have breakfast before heading to the conference hall.
The summit started at exactly seven. Bella wasn't the first presenter; she listened to every presenter who presented before her, taking down notes.
Soon, it was Bella's turn. Charlotte patted her hands, giving her a smile.
"You can do it."
Bella nodded and stood up from her seat. She walked up to the stage and began to look around.
Silence invaded the room as they all waited for her presentation. As she looked at their faces, she studied their expressions; some were calm, some were anxious, and some... She can't read their experience.
She caught sight of Jade who waved slightly at her. Jade was excited and so were some other younger designers.
Bella noticed Jordan seated with confidence with a smile on his face. Bella could see a few other people having that confidence too.
Was it confidence of being successful in the fashion industry, or confidence that though things aren't going their way yet, they are making progress?
Bella kept the papers in her hand on the lectern and then took a deep breath.
She smiled slightly. "I had a presentation already prepared for today. I spent time writing it, reviewing it, and making sure it checked all the boxes. But the moment I climbed this stage and saw all your beautiful faces, full of hope, strength, experience, and expectation, something shifted. I began to wonder. Not about trends or fabric, but about your stories."
Bella was quietly looking at their faces. She took a deep breath and then continued. "How many times have you tried and failed? How many designs didn’t work out? How many rejections, low sales, and sleepless nights. How many times have you worried about how to keep your dream alive? Yet you kept going? You are here too. That says something. That says everything."