Chapter 4 Start Working
Holland set the phone down with a little more force than necessary, her fingers curling into a fist as she exhaled sharply. She was proud of herself for not hurling it across the room in anger. Then again, what would her colleagues think of her? No, she had to control herself, to take charge. The tension in her shoulders was unbearable, but Holland rolled them back, forcing herself to focus.
Was every marriage this suffocating?
Every conversation with Oliver left her feeling trapped, drowning in a sea of expectations and obligations. After all these years, she still couldn’t see a way out. With him, it was always swim or sink, and she was exhausted from staying afloat.
Shaking off the weight in her chest, Holland turned back to her work. The new jewelry line was set to launch in a few weeks, and she couldn’t afford to lose focus now. Advertising campaigns had to be finalized, social media strategies needed refining, and the market trends had to be tracked. If she wanted everything to go smoothly, she had to be on top of it all.
A sharp knock at the door pulled her from the endless numbers on her screen. She glanced up and immediately straightened in her seat.
Mrs. Lustrelle.
Holland’s mind raced as she stood, smoothing her skirt out of habit. She hadn’t forgotten their last conversation from two weeks ago. This wasn’t just a social visit. The woman was here for an answer, an answer Holland wasn’t sure she was ready to give.
"Good afternoon, Holland," Mrs. Lustrelle greeted warmly.
Holland smiled at the woman's approach, "Afternoon, Mrs. Lustrelle. Here to see your husband?" Mrs. Lustrelle carried herself with the same quiet elegance that she had admired from the first day they met. Holland could still remember that moment vividly. Years ago, right after her sudden promotion to Chief Marketing Officer. The previous CMO had been caught embezzling company funds, leaving a mess in his wake and though young but very ambitious, she had been thrust into the role with little preparation.
The pressure had been overwhelming, but Mrs. Lustrelle had been one of the first people to offer her support, despite barely knowing her at the time. Her words had fueled Holland’s determination, pushing her to prove she was more than capable of leading the department. Years on, with few meetings in passing, she'd grown found of the woman.
"Yes, I just came from his office, but I wanted to see you as well," she admitted, her smile soft but knowing.
Holland gestured toward the chair across from her desk, and Mrs. Lustrelle sat with the kind of poise that came naturally to her. Till date, she still admired how composed the woman always seemed.
"So," Mrs. Lustrelle began, crossing one leg over the other. "What do you say?"
"I haven’t really thought about it," she admitted honestly.
Mrs. Lustrelle raised an elegant brow. "Holland," she said knowingly, "You don’t have to be polite. I know you don’t want to do it."
Holland hesitated before sighing. "It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I really don’t think I need an assistant," Holland explained. She didn’t need help, besides she had been managing just fine since her secretary’s retirement. It had been over six months, and Holland took pride in running a tight and efficient team.
Mrs. Lustrelle leaned forward slightly. "Please, Holland," she said softly. "I need this to work out."
Holland could hear the quiet urgency in her voice.
"Mrs. Lustrelle..."
"Janine," the woman corrected gently. "Call me Janine."
Holland hesitated before nodding. "Janine… I’m sure your daughter will be a great addition to the company, but I don’t think working under me is the best idea."
Mrs. Lustrelle leaned forward slightly. "Holland, she needs this experience."
Holland’s fingers tapped lightly against the desk. "I'm sure she'll be a great fit else..."
"She needs this," Janine interrupted gently. She needed this to work out. Aside from herself, there was no one better than Holland to get Camille in line. Her daughter needed to straighten up, and as her mother, she was taking the first step. "Camille needs this. And I can’t think of anyone better to guide her than you."
Holland resisted the urge to groan. Camille Lustrelle
The name alone sent a wave of irritation through her. She had never met Camille personally, but she knew her reputation, spoilt and reckless. She didn't need someone like her working under her. They'd only clash.
"Janine, I don’t..."
"A month," Janine blurted.
Holland blinked.
Janine’s eyes lit with determination.
"No... three months. If Camille doesn’t meet your standards by then, she’ll leave."
Holland studied her carefully. There was something pleading in Mrs. Lustrelle's gaze, something almost desperate.
Three months.
That wasn’t too long. And at least she would have the final say.
Holland leaned back in her chair, considering the offer. "Alright," she finally said. "Three months. But after that, I will decide whether she stays or goes."
Janine’s face lit up with relief. "Yes!"
The triumphant outburst caught Holland off guard and for the first time in a long time, she laughed. She had never seen this playful side of Mrs. Lustrelle. So childlike when excited.
"She’ll be starting Monday," Janine said as she stood and extended her hand to Holland.
Holland rose as well, shaking it firmly. "I’ll expect her here at seven sharp."
"She’ll be here," Janine promised.
Holland watched as she walked to the door, still unsure if she had made the right decision.
Camille Lustrelle working under her?
This was bound to be a disaster.
Camille stormed through the front door of the family home, her boots clicking against the marble floor as she called out in frustration. Where was everyone?
"Mom! Mom! Where are you?" Her voice bounced off the walls, but the house reamined eerily quiet. It was dinnertime, so her family had to be home. She first checked the living room only to find it empty but with the TV playing on.
"Mom! Dad!"
"We are in here, sweetie!" Camille heard her mom’s voice from the kitchen.
With her irritation growing, she marched toward the kitchen. Reaching the threshold, Camille stopped in her tracks at the sweet sight before her. There, at the kitchen island, sat her parents and her two older brothers, each of them happily eating from a large bowl of ice cream and it wasn’t just any ice cream, it was the special kind her mom made on Sundays. She missed this.
Theo looked up at his sister, smirking. “What’s with the long face, Camille? You look like someone stole your favorite toy.”
Camille narrowed her eyes at him and without hesitation, marched over and smacked him at the back. “Shut up, Theo.” She wasn’t in the mood for his teasing today.
"Watch out, Godzilla's gone tear you apart," Joshua shoved her brother as the two started laughing and jostling each other playfully. It was typical of all her brothers, always playful and avoiding anything serious. But she couldn’t let them distract her.
Taking her chance, Camille quickly moved around them and slipped beside her father. “Dad,” whispered softly wanting to sound all innocent, “my credit cards aren’t working. I tried to get some money, and nothing is going through. What is wrong with them? Don't have any more money? I mean did we run out of money? Are we poor, dad?”
James glanced at his daughter, his eyes softening. Camille knew she had him wrapped around her finger. She was his princess, and she knew how to charm him. Camille leaned in closer, giving her father a playful nudge. “Come on, Dad, you can fix it, right?”
James reached out, pulling his daughter into a warm hug. He loved Camille more than anything in the world and he’d give her whatever she wanted if he could. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll fix it. Everything will be fine.”
"Yes! Thank you da..."
A throat clearing behind her, had Camille turning to meet her mother's gaze.
“No, nothing is getting fixed,” Janine said firmly, her voice carrying the weight of finality. “The only way for you to get any money, sweetie, is for you to start working.”
Camille’s mouth went dry as she took a step back, shocked by the sudden change in tone. “What? Mom, you can’t be serious.”
Camille turned to her father only to find the spot he'd been a few seconds ago, deserted. His father was now standing behind her mother and as Camille watched them both, she could feel the knots in her stomach tightening.
This wasn’t a battle she was going to win. “Your mother is right, princess,” James said, his voice a little softer than his wife’s, “It’s time you started taking an interest in the company, just like your brothers. It's our family legacy. Our lives.”
Camille’s frustration grew. “But, Dad, I don’t want to work at the company."
“No,” he interrupted gently but firmly. “We all agreed it’s time. You’ve been drifting too much. It’s time to focus on something that’ll help you in the long run.”
Her heart sank even further. She turned to her brothers, hoping they would back her up as they always did. But Theo and Joshua quickly avoided her gaze, looking anywhere but at her. Then, Theo quickly grabbed the bowl of ice cream and dashed out of the kitchen, with Joshua hot on his trail as the both of them laughed like unruly toddlers in the park.
“If only Daniel were here,” she muttered to herself. Daniel, her oldest brother, would’ve taken her side. But he wasn’t, and now her two younger brothers had ran off, leaving her with her parents’ decision hanging over her head.
Camille looked back at her parents, and for a brief moment, considered protesting some more but before the words spilt past her lips she was cut off.
“No, Camille. You start Monday,” Janine said firmly. “Take the next few days to get ready.”
Taking her husband's hand, Janine moved toward their only daughter and pulled Camille into a tight hug. "We love you, sweetie."
"But, Mom..." Camille started, her voice tinged with frustration. She felt her heart ache as she rested her head against her father’s chest. She wanted to argue, wanted to scream that this wasn’t what she wanted, but she knew it was pointless. She had lost this battle.
"We love you, Camille," James said softly, pulling both his wife and daughter close to him. As held onto the the two most important women in his life close to his chest, he felt mightly blessed. "Everything will be fine, princess. And hey, you can always have lunch with me. How about daddy daughter lunch dates. Sounds fun, right?"
Camille giggled at her father's words. He always knew what to say to make her laugh, "Fine. And I love you both. Very, very much, Mom and Dad."