Chapter 61 Two–faced Intern
1 didn’t bother with a sob story.
het apologised for the delay and launched straight into my pitch.
I mugged my shirt into place and let the projector warm up, using these precious seconds to steady my breathing and slow my heart down from hummingbird–on–espresso mode.
They weren’t looking at sketches yet, just raw concept.
I called mine BloomState.
Every piece was based on the fleeting moments flowers go through
Istarted with the bud tiny stud earrings, twisted into a barely–there spiral.
Then came the open heart necklace. A stylised bloom, fully open.
The Seed Pod Ring was the show–off. All structure and sharp angles, but with a kind of quiet rhythm to it.
And finally, the Dewdrop Collar. Fine chain, light–catching stones that looked like drops of morning dew.
I’d studied Eliza Black’s whole catalogue, stalked every fan theory thread, and read every fashion blogger’s take. She was known for being playful, but this was going to rebrand her as a bloody icon.
Halfway through, I found my rhythm.
My voice evened out, and my words stopped tripping over each other.
Eliza didn’t react.
Not a blink, not a twitch, not even a polite nod.
She just sat there, still masked, legs crossed, arms folded, the human equivalent of a locked phone screen.
But at least she didn’t look like she was about to bolt anymore.
As soon as I wrapped, her agent stood up. ‘She has a shoot. We’re already running late. Will let you know our decision soon.‘ And they were gone.
The second the door shut, Savannah rounded on me.
‘Do you know how many people were sat here twiddling their thumbs waiting on you? If I hadn’t begged and bartered like a bloody hostage negotiator, they’d have walked!‘
I didn’t argue.
I didn’t need to.
Savannah had a mouth like a guillotine but a heart made of marshmallow.
She wasn’t mad at me.
She was mad at how close I’d come to flushing the opportunity of the year down the toilet.
I swigged an entire bottle of mineral water before I could speak.
Savannah, babe, I swear I didn’t know they changed the time. If I’d known the meeting was today, do you seriously think I’d have been at home passed out in my pyjamas?‘
She squinted at me.
Chapter 61 Two–faced intern
+25 BONUS
I could see the gears grinding behind her smoky eyeliner.
She knew me.
I wasn’t the kind to ditch work without a damn good reason.
I’d done late nights voluntarily, just to use the studio’s centrifugal caster when no one else was hogging it.
Freelance or not, I’d earned my stripes.
Then Savannah turned her head slowly and aimed that laser glare at Chloe Shaw.
‘Did you not tell Mira the meeting time was noved?‘
The admin assistant looked like a startled fawn caught in headlights.
Chloe was fresh off probation, officially signed on last month, and still walked like she hadn’t broken in her heels yet.
‘I did! I told her!‘ Her voice took on a whiny, panicky edge. ‘I told everyone, like, two days ago. I swear I told Mira. I said it to her in person. There’s no way she didn’t know.‘
I snapped my laptop shut. ‘Funny. I haven’t seen you in days. What time exactly did you tell me? Give me the full deets, timestamp and all.‘
Her face twitched. ‘It was right before the end of the day, around 43o? Savannah told me it was super important everyone knew, so I told everyone one by one. Just to be safe. Face–to–face.‘
A voice piped up behind me. ‘Yeah, Chloe was really clear about it. Kept reminding me like ten times. You don’t get interns this conscientious anymore.‘
I glanced sideways.
The guy piping up had Violet Lin’s scent all over him–same fake charm, same smug loyalty.
Her little fan club had clearly rehearsed their lines ahead of time.
My eyes chilled.
I turned to Chloe Shaw and asked, slowly, like I was offering her a last chance to stop digging her grave, ‘If you really came to tell me, in the office, on Friday afternoon, then someone must’ve seen you. Who can back you up?‘
‘I, ah, I went to you when the office was empty. No one was around. So… no, no one saw me.‘
I laughed.
Not a haha–funny laugh.
More of a you’ve–got–to–be–fucking–kidding–me laugh.
‘Right. Four–thirty, just before clock–out? You expect me to believe the entire floor was a ghost town?‘
There wasn’t a single day when that place was quiet at 4:30.
People were usually hovering by the printer, bitching about deadlines, stealing snacks from the breakroom, or pretending to work while online shopping.
I folded my arms and stared her down. ‘If no one saw you, no one can back up your story. Maybe you should’ve thought of a better lie than that.‘
Her lips trembled.
Then the tears came–messy, theatrical, just the right amount of pitiful to stir sympathy in the cheap seats.
‘Mirabelle, I swear I told you! Why would I lie? I know you think I’m inexperienced. Fine, I am just a fresh grad, but I take my job
Chapter 61–Two–faced Intern
seriously. It means everything to me. You can’t say that… you’ll get me fired!‘
+25 BONUS
Violet Lin glided over and handed Chloe a tissue. ‘Mira, come on, Chloe’s never had any beef with you. Why would she leave you out on purpose? You were late and you’re just lashing out at a newbie.‘
Another one jumped in. ‘Yeah, poor Chloe. She’d never do that on purpose. Look at her. She’s crushed.‘
‘She’s the first one in, last one out. Always working her arse off. Don’t throw her under the bus like that.‘
The crowd murmured their approval.
Apparently, I was now the wicked witch who picked on interns for sport.
I let out a slow breath. ‘I haven’t even raised my voice, and she’s already sobbing like I keyed her car. No one saw you tell me, Chloe. You’ve got no proof. I’m the one you were allegedly talking to, and I don’t remember it happening. Make that make sense. Or we can just check the security footage.‘
Her eyes were red, nose running, full–on ugly crying now. ‘I did tell you, I swear! It just so happened no one saw it. You were late, you almost screwed everything up, and now you’re blaming me because you’re scared of getting in trouble!‘
She sniffled. ‘If you really want to throw accusations at alphabetise the stationery cupboard. I’ll just quit.‘
me,
fine. I’m the lowest–ranking nobody here. All I do is fetch coffee and
And boom–crowd reaction.
Gasps. Murmurs. An entire chorus of ‘don’t quit, Chloe’s bursting out like she’d just announced she had two days to live.
‘Alright, enough!‘
Savannah smacked the table like a judge.
‘I don’t care if Chloe forgot to pass the message or if Mirabelle hit snooze too many times. This mess ends now. From today on, every communication gets documented–text, email, whatever. Meeting over.‘
The crowd scattered.
I left with my jaw tight and my face frozen in neutral.
Right before I reached the door, I caught Violet Lin watching me, smirking.
Chapter 02 1Quit
+25 BONUS
Chapter 62 1 Quit
