Chapter 347
“Shirley, I may not know exactly what’s happened, but if it’s about your designs, you can talk to me,” Effie said gently. “I’ll help you sort it out.”
The mention of “designs” hit a nerve. Shirley’s eyes reddened and she clenched her jaw. “No need,” she replied, her voice tight.
Just then, Peter called out, “Shirley, could you come here for a minute?”
Shirley stood up quickly and made her way toward Peter. As she passed Effie— whether by accident or on purpose-she bumped hard into her shoulder.
Effie frowned, but before she could say a word, Shirley was already walking away. “What is it, Peter?” Shirley asked, her mood clearly low.
Peter studied her pale face, his tone almost sympathetic. “See? I told you from the start, Effie’s not someone you can trust. She gave you hope, but in the end she set you up and didn’t even pay you a cent. Don’t you feel cheated?”
Shirley bit her lip and nodded, looking miserable. “I only realize it now. It’s such a loss. She took all the credit for herself, and I didn’t get a single thing out of it. I actually thought she was a good person, but she turned out to be the worst of all!”
Peter sighed. “You can never really know what people are like on the inside. Next time, you’ll know who to trust.”
Shirley nodded faintly. “Once bitten, twice shy. I won’t go near her again.”
“If you want, I can ask Irving to move you to another spot,” Peter offered. Shirley’s response was immediate. “Yes, please. I’d really appreciate that.”
When Shirley returned to her desk, she started packing her things, completely ignoring Effie’s attempts to speak to her-acting as if she couldn’t hear a word.
It didn’t take long for Shirley to finish. She turned and walked away without a backward glance, leaving Effie standing there.
But as Effie looked over, she noticed Shirley had left something behind on her desk.
She thought about catching up to her, but when she realized what it
was, her expression darkened. It
was the good luck charm they’d net
picked up together at that old.
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church during their trip to the coast. Effie picked it up, her hand tightening around it.
“Designer Bagnold, there’s a client. here who’d like you to design a piece of jewelry,” the design department’s receptionist announced, poking her head through the door.
“Alright,” Effie replied, forcing a polite smile onto her face as she turned toward the door.
But as soon as she saw the client, her expression faltered. It was Suzan.
Effie was about to sit back down, but Suzan strode toward her with a bright, eager smile. “Sis, what’s wrong? You see me and don’t even say hello?”
Sis?
Everyone in the office glanced over, curiosity piqued. Suzan and Effie didn’t look anything alike—why would she call Effie her sister?
Effie’s face was stony, making it clear there was some history between them.
Suzan didn’t give Effie a chance to brush her off. She stopped right in front of her and said, “I’m so excited to see what kind of jewelry you’ll design for me!”
Effie’s eyes narrowed, her voice turning cold. “Sorry, I’m not interested in designing anything for you.”
Suzan just shrugged. “Oh? But isn’t it the policy at Etheridge & Co. that if a client requests a designer, and they haven’t worked together before, the designer can’t refuse?”
So she’d come prepared.
Effie didn’t bother arguing. “Fine. If you insist, let’s discuss it in the conference
room.”
Suzan, satisfied, followed Effie without another word.