Chapter 13
Eight months later, Bella was celebrating the success of her fashion brand. However, her joy was short-lived when she received an urgent phone call. A customer had used one of her brand's expired face creams, causing her face to swell severely. The condition was so serious that she was admitted to the hospital, unable to even open her eyes.
Panicked, Bella rushed to the office to assess the situation and then heading to the hospital to check on the customer. However, the customer's family was furious. They insulted her and demanded that she leave. Feeling helpless, she immediately called Jay, who was out of the country at the time, and asked him to return as soon as possible.
The Next Day - Jay's Return
As soon as Jay arrived, Bella and him visit to the hospital. Once again, the customer's family lashed out at her, blaming her for their loved one's suffering. Jay stepped forward, stopping them. "I'm truly sorry," he said. "But this isn't Bella's fault. We take full responsibility for this oversight. I will personally make sure this is resolved."
At the Office
Back at the office, Bella and Jay were working tirelessly to figure out what went wrong and how to handle the situation. Suddenly, a lawyer entered and handed them legal documents.
The papers stated that Bella must resign from her position due to the severe damage done to the brand's reputation and brand will close because of it. Shocked, they read further and saw that the legal order had come from the chairman of the company.
Jay immediately called the chairman, but his assistant answered instead, informing him that the chairman was too busy to talk.
At Home -
Frustrated, Jay went home to confront his father. "Why did you do this?" he demanded.
Jay's father, the chairman of the company, replied calmly, "The store is in loss. I had to take action for the company's sake."
He continued, "Let me inform you that a new vice chairman is joining the company tomorrow. He made the decision, and I merely signed off on it for the good of the company."
The Next Morning - A New Arrival
At the office, the employees were preparing to welcome the new vice chairman. As someone entered, the entire staff greeted them respectfully.
Bella frowned. "But you said the vice chairman is a man. Who is she?"
As Bella and Jay stepped forward to welcome her, the woman stopped them. "Wait," she said. "I'm not the vice chairman. I'm his personal assistant. My name is Sunny."
Bella raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you clarify from the beginning?"
Sunny replied. "They rushed toward me so quickly that I didn't get the chance."
Jay, still curious, asked, "Then where is the vice chairman?"
Sunny smiled politely. "I'm sorry, but he couldn't make it today. He's busy in a meeting. He will arrive in two days."
Two Days Later - A Struggle for the Store
Bella and Jay worked tirelessly, trying to convince the shareholders to support her store. However, they all refused.
"Your store has suffered too great a loss," one of them stated. "We can't risk investing in it any longer."
Another shareholder turned to Jay. "Why are you so desperate to save this store? It could damage the company's reputation even further."
A third shareholder added, "The company's reputation is already at risk because of this incident. If we keep supporting this store, our customers might think we don't value them."
Bella felt her heart sink. This store meant everything to her. It wasn't just a business—it was a dream she had shared with Tia. She had named it after her best friend, honoring the promise they had made to open a fashion store together. Tia had always wanted to be a designer, while Bella had planned to run the brand.
Just as despair was about to consume her, the doors to the meeting room suddenly swung open.
A strong, authoritative voice echoed through the room—
"The brand will continue running smoothly."