The Plain Jane Everyone Mocked Was Actually the Queen of a Fashion Empire Chapter 10
When I arrived at the office, all my coworkers crowded around me, eager for gossip.
“Oh my God, Nora! You looked like the star of a revenge drama! We watched the whole thing from upstairs.
Their faces were absolutely priceless…”
“Seriously, that woman was so stupid. She actually tore up your sketches. Doesn’t she know designers keep
the original files on their computers? I’m dying!”
I froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
That explained the crowd I’d glimpsed through the upstairs windows.
They had all crowded together to spy on us.
“All right, forget about them. The competition is what matters now.”
Everyone returned to their desks, still laughing and chatting.
The day of the competition soon arrived.
As one of the contestants, I had to give a live presentation.
I knew every detail by heart, from my inspiration and design concept to the final plan for the garment.
Before I went onstage, I spotted Ethan sitting in a corner, watching me intently.
I ignored his stare.
When my turn came, I took a deep breath and walked onto the stage with confidence as the audience burst
into applause.
Smiling, I presented my work without stumbling over a single word. Everything I said came from the heart.
When my presentation ended, the audience erupted in applause.
I saw Ethan clapping too, but the light in his eyes had dimmed.
Then the results were announced.
I heard my name.
“The winner of the Gold Award is–Nora Bennett!”
I shot to my feet, unable to contain my excitement.
All my coworkers had come to support me. They stood together in the audience, cheering as they rushed forward to hug me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw security escorting Chloe away from the entrance.
It seemed she had tried to force her way inside without a ticket.
I didn’t look in her direction again.
As I was leaving the venue, Ethan approached me.
He seemed to have spent a long time rehearsing what he wanted to say.
His voice was quiet.
“Nora, congratulations.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
He hesitated.
“Nora… I know I don’t deserve to be here anymore.”
“And I know you’ll never come back to me.”
“I was clinging to the pathetic hope that you might still have some feelings left for me.”
“I know I was wrong. When I saw you shining onstage and celebrating with your coworkers, I finally
understood.”
“You’ll never be mine again. You belong here. You should always be in the spotlight, shining.”
“I’m sorry for bothering you these past few days. I booked a flight for today, so I’ll be leaving Paris soon.”
He seemed to gather his courage before asking one last question.
He slowly opened his arms.
“Could I have one last hug?”
I didn’t step forward.
After a brief silence, he finally seemed to understand.
He slowly lowered his arms.
I said softly, “Goodbye, Ethan.”
This time, it truly meant forever.
After that, I never heard anything about Ethan or Chloe again.
I hadn’t deliberately avoided news about them. My life had simply grown busier as I focused on designing, competing, and traveling farther than ever before.
Two years later, one of my designs appeared on the cover of a leading international fashion magazine.
On the day the issue was released, my coworkers insisted on taking a picture with me to celebrate.
In the photo, I wore my favorite red dress and flawless makeup. My nails were freshly done, and my smile was bright and fearless.
I posted the picture on a social media account I hadn’t updated in years.
The caption was just one sentence.
“This is my life.”
After the post went live, I turned off my phone and pushed open the door to my studio.
Sunlight streamed through the window, and an invitation to my next international design exhibition sat on the
desk.
Nora Bennett’s story had only just begun.
