Chapter 12 Congratulations, Miss Facer
When Emma entered the office that morning, she was shocked by what she had heard. Mr. Queen’s secretary had given her instructions to start designing a piece and then told her to create a dress. This would be her first dress for the company. Emma wondered why he had chosen her instead of the level-six designer, but she was still happy that he was finally noticing her. This would make it easier for her to carry out her plans.
"In my three years here, I have never been asked to design a piece of clothing for a client or even make a dress. I think Mr. Queen has a soft spot for you," Gia said as she stood in front of Emma’s desk. "What color are you planning to use for the dress? I hope it won’t be black."
With a smile, Emma lifted her gaze. "Black is nice, but it’s also very simple. I need a stronger color if I want to impress Mr. Queen." She turned to Floria. "As a newcomer, could you tell me something? In your three years here, what color of clothing have you seen Mr. Queen wear? Or do you know his favorite color?"
"Let me think..." Floria placed her hands under her chin. She shook her head and replied, "I think he only wears suits. Black and navy blue suits. I’ve never seen him in any other color. Okay! Maybe white and brown too. Also, wine.” She sighed. “Emma, don’t stress too much—just pick any smart color. He already asked you to design it, so I’m sure he won’t mind the color you choose. Are you planning to use sequins for the fabric?"
Emma nodded. "I think so. The sequins give off a dinner-party look, in my opinion. How about the color red? It will look great on whoever wears it. It’s a strong color and stands out."
"Or... gold. I think the color gold will do the trick." Gia placed the colored pencils in front of Emma after taking them from the container. "Try it out, and if you don’t like it, use the red you suggested instead."
As she took the pencil in hand, Emma nodded. Ezra was someone she wanted to get along with. Even though she still feared him, at least this would help her get a little closer to him.
She was worried about the others' reaction when Milan shared the news, but she decided not to care. She was chosen by Ezra because he had seen her past work.
"Do not mess it up. If you do, you might get on the CEO’s bad side," Milan had whispered to her before leaving the office.
Emma took a breath. Of course. She didn’t want to risk ruining anything. She picked up a pencil and started sketching. She enjoyed sketching because, even though it was hard, she could always try again. As she created a dress better than the ones in her portfolio, her lips lifted into a smile.
She showed Floria and Gia the design. "How does this look?" They were the only friends she had at work.
"Oh, my gosh. I like this. Now I understand why the CEO picked you for the job."
"Yes, Gia. You are right." Floria turned to look at Emma. "How did you learn to draw this well?"
“I've always loved design since I was a little kid. My mom noticed this early and decided to enroll me in fashion school, but—" Emma paused, her face turning serious. She stopped painting and looked at Floria and Gia. "The gold color looks amazing. I’m already in love with it." She couldn’t finish her story. She hated it when people felt sorry for her. She wasn’t proud of her childhood. It wasn’t like the happy stories other girls told.
The more she thought about her past, the more she wanted money. Her mother couldn’t afford to send her to fashion school. As the oldest child, she had many challenges growing up. She had to give up her dreams to help her mother support the family. After long days, she would sneak into the nearby fashion school just to look at the drawings on the projector.
She kept going back, and one day, the owner of the fashion school noticed her. The woman came over, asked her questions, and was pleased with her answers. She gave Emma a sketchbook and taught her the basics. As Emma improved, she worked for the woman and eventually became her main helper.
Emma felt grateful to her mentor. The woman had taught her everything about fashion, and Emma’s job was to work for her and earn money. After she got really good, she earned a scholarship to college, studied fashion hard, and graduated successfully.
Turning back to her sketchbook, she sighed. "I'm done for now. I'll catch up with you all later."
Just as she stood up, Gia came over.
"Mr. Queen will love your work, so don’t worry and just enjoy it. Also, please tell us about being in the level six lair. I heard it’s magical."
Emma laughed softly. "I wouldn’t have made it this far without your support. And of course, Gia. I promise to tell you what it’s like in there. I have a feeling they might not even like me."
With her sketchbook in hand, she left.
Emma couldn't quite figure it out, but she felt that fitting into the famous fashion industry would be harder than she thought. As a newcomer, she had gotten a position that usually needed several years of experience.
Gia had mentioned that it normally took about four to five years to reach level six, yet Emma did it in just three days. People might say she was getting special treatment.
Even though the room went quiet when she walked in, she reminded herself that it didn’t matter if they accepted her or not. She was here to earn money and fame, and that was her goal.
"Good afternoon." Emma saw some women around and tried to greet them, but they ignored her. They watched her walk by and continued talking as if she wasn’t there.
She took a deep breath and forced a smile. She walked up to a woman sitting by a machine and said politely, “I'm here to sew a dress. Could you please tell me where the clothing room is?”
The woman paused her work and looked at her. "Aren’t you the girl the CEO has a soft spot for?"
“Huh?”
She looked Emma over carefully. "You look attractive. I bet that’s why you got promoted so fast."
"Excuse me?" Emma hadn’t expected someone to say that.
"Listen. Girls like you who use their looks to get ahead aren’t welcome here. I recommend you have a chat with the CEO to clear things up. Unless… He’s just using you for a short time and then he dumps you, in which case your career will be ruined. Once it gets out that you were just a toy for your CEO, your fashion career will be over."
Emma clenched her hand, standing still. She wasn’t the type to let insults pass, but she reminded herself this wasn’t the time. She was here to work.
"Other fashion owners will think your only skill is using your body instead of your talent."
"Bea!" a woman shouted from the entrance. Emma turned to see her, feeling embarrassed. The woman was tall and slim, about 6’1”, with long well laid back blonde hair in a low ponytail. She wore a powder-blue blazer and matching trousers, with dark blue three-inch heels. Everyone clearly respected her and she had an intimidating presence. She walked over to Bea with a frown. "You shouldn’t talk to your coworker like that."
"But Susan, she is Emma. The girl the CEO has a soft spot for. Isn’t it annoying that someone who just got a job is already Level 6?"
"You may be level six like me, but I am still your boss here.” She scolded Bea. “Say another unkind word to her, and you’ll see what I can do." She turned to Emma. "Miss Facer, please come with me."
Emma held back tears. That was enough embarrassment. Maybe it was karma, she thought as she followed Susan into a room. "This is the clothing room. You can find all the materials you need here." Emma smiled as she looked around. Everything was neatly organized. Susan turned to her. "You’ll be fine. Bea can be annoying sometimes, but if you just ignore her, it’ll be okay."
“I want to thank you for your help back there. But I still don’t want to believe that Mr. Queen has a soft spot for me.”
“And I don’t agree that he does. He doesn’t have a soft spot for anyone. He is ‘The arrogant man,’” she said, air quoting. “He told me about this, and I was shocked he would allow a level one to do this. But when I looked at your resume, it was impressive! It makes sense that Mr. Queen would ask you to make this dress.” She laughed. “I’d be happy if you could take a break and tutor me.”
Emma laughed. Then she said, "His secretary said it has to be perfect. I really hope Mr. Queen likes it."
Susan’s expression changed. "But it’s not for Mr. Queen."
Emma brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"The Duchess of Leamington will wear this dress—Her Grace, Rania. It’s her engagement dress." Susan saw the surprise on Emma’s face. "I don’t think Mr. Queen told you. Congratulations, Miss Facer! You’re about to design your first dress and it is for a royal."