The Plain Jane Everyone Mocked Was Actually the Queen of a Fashion Empire Chapter 07
The first thing I did after arriving in Paris was get a stylish short haircut.
I stood in front of the mirror and studied my reflection again and again.
It felt as though I could finally see the bold, vibrant woman I used to be.
Short hair was fine.
It would grow back in time.
By the time it did, I would be strong enough to face anything.
I put on some light makeup and carefully matched my earrings, necklace, and hat to a strapless dress !
hadn’t worn in the past three years.
When I walked into Élan Magazine to complete my onboarding paperwork, I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I
had expected.
Instead, I felt surprisingly calm.
It was almost as though this was where I had always belonged.
The creative director was a warm and gentle woman named Sophie Laurent.
She personally walked me through the onboarding process, and we talked for a long time in her office.
She asked, “What made you decide to join us now? If I remember correctly, you’ve been turning us down for
the past three years.”
Her soft smile took all the pressure out of the question.
I answered evenly, “For three years, I lost myself in a relationship. I changed so much for it that I stopped
being who I was.”
“You’d never believe what I looked like during those three years. I was the kind of woman no one would look
twice at in a crowd. I was plain, even frumpy.”
Sophie looked directly into my eyes, her expression sincere.
“Nora, did you know that from the moment I first saw you, I knew you had tremendous potential?”
“You probably don’t remember, but I was one of the judges at your college graduation fashion show.”
She patted me on the shoulder.
“I’m sorry you didn’t find the right person, but I’m honored to have waited for you.”
“To put it bluntly, I’m glad you never got married.”
Her voice was calm but powerful, and every word went straight to my heart.
It felt as though the clouds had finally parted and sunlight had broken through.
The relationship that had weighed so heavily on me suddenly seemed insignificant.
I could start my life all over again.
Before I left her office, Sophie smiled and said, “Every woman on our team is independent and capable. Nora,
I believe you can do just as well.”
I gave her a firm nod.
When I reached my new desk, I found it covered with candy and snacks.
It looked like my new coworkers had left them there as a surprise.
In this unfamiliar place, their gesture was an unexpected comfort.
Within a few days, I had settled into my new life and grown close to my coworkers.
I thought no one would ever bother me again.
After all, those three years were over. As far as I knew, Ethan had probably gotten back together with Chloe.
With me out of the way, their reunion seemed inevitable.
Then one evening, as I left work, I saw a familiar figure standing outside Élan Magazine.
He looked much thinner than before. When he saw me, he didn’t seem to recognize me.
Five full seconds passed before recognition dawned in his eyes.
Only then did he seem to realize that the short–haired woman in front of him was me–Nora.
He stared at me in disbelief.
“Nora, it really is you. You look so different that I almost didn’t recognize you.”
He glanced at the building behind me and lowered his gaze.
“I went to a lot of trouble to track you down. I never imagined you’d be working at Élan Magazine in Paris.”
“And I never imagined this was who you really were…”
