Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Bella hesitated as she had never been a model and had never thought about it, but now she found herself unexpectedly faced with such a request, leaving her bewildered. Lisa remained silent, eager to hear Bella's response, while Max couldn't stay calm. He thought about the piece of land Levi had mentioned, urging Bella.
"It's just becoming a model, not a difficult job. Quickly agree," Max pushed Bella's hand gently and said.
After a moment of hesitation, Bella finally spoke, "But I'm currently working at the company..." Bella didn't want to reject Lisa's offer either, as Lisa was a quite famous designer. Being offered an exclusive modeling contract by a renowned designer brought both joy and pressure.
"If that's the case, then quit your job at the company. With your current position, it's fine either way," Max said, feeling annoyed at Bella's hesitation. Earlier, he had explained to her the reason for bringing her here, but now Bella seemed indecisive, frustrating Max.
Lisa raised an eyebrow at Max, but she respected Bella's decision. It wasn't because she genuinely liked Bella, but the woman in front of her was the target Levi, her cousin, was interested in. Therefore, she couldn't afford to be disrespectful to Bella.
Bella glanced at Max without revealing her attitude, then looked at Lisa and nodded, "Alright, but I'm still working at the company, and I don't intend to quit. If I become your exclusive model, I want this modeling job not to overly affect my current work."
Lisa anticipated Bella's response and quickly agreed. The two reached a final conclusion, and the conversation proceeded smoothly and swiftly.
On the way back, Max couldn't stop blaming Bella for hesitating on such a good opportunity. He told her she didn't need the company anymore and should focus on her future modeling career. However, Bella remained indifferent and refused. Essentially, if Max didn't want Bella to continue working, he could find reasons for her to quit, but he couldn't do that.
"I don't want to quit. I've agreed to be Lisa's exclusive model. So, I don't want to discuss this with you anymore," Bella appeared tired and unwilling to talk. She didn't know when her loving and gentle husband turned into someone so controlling and calculating.
Bella laughed sarcastically, realizing that Max wasn't the emotionally understanding man she thought he was.
On the day of the new product launch, the company organized a grand event, inviting many clients and business partners. The new product, along with the packaging designed by Pearl, was displayed. However, not everyone paid attention to the external packaging; most were interested in the quality of the new product.
As a company employee, Bella had to be present to welcome clients and business partners. She was excited as it was her first time attending such a significant event.
Pearl wore a tight black dress that accentuated her seductive curves and an open-mindedness that captivated many. She enjoyed the attention.
"Bella, you finally made it. Are you still angry about that day? I didn't mean it; I just wanted to help you," Pearl approached Bella, appearing pitiable.
Bella wore a long dress with a white shirt, and an employee badge around her neck. From a distance, the difference in their ranks was evident.
"If you didn't mean it, that's good. I'm not the type to dwell on the past," Bella said sarcastically in her mind. She knew Pearl's intentions as she kept bringing up that incident.
Pearl chuckled at Bella's response, but she didn't want to leave and continued, "How do you find the packaging I designed? It's not bad, right? And I heard you've become the exclusive model for the famous designer Lisa. Congratulations!"
Bella frowned slightly because this information was known only to her and Max, and it had happened just last night. "I never told you about it, so how do you know?" Bella didn't need to ask; she knew it was Max who revealed it. After all, they were a vaguely hidden couple, but Max couldn't stand Bella's recent changes, which made him reveal his true nature.
Pearl just noticed that she had spoken carelessly about herself, but quickly tried to remedy it. "You know, your husband is the director, and I am his secretary. Sometimes, when we talk, he mentions it because it's quite impressive, so I remember it well." Pearl deliberately mentioned Max to see Bella's reaction, but she didn't show any particular expression, causing a bit of disappointment for Pearl.
Bella didn't want to continue meaningless conversations with this dirty person; she pretended to be busy, and before leaving, she said, "I have to go now. There's an employee recognition program later, and I'm sure you'll be there, so I'll congratulate you tonight." Bella immediately left for her work.
Lauriel had just welcomed some guests and walked over to Bella, expressing her discomfort. She pointed her gaze at Pearl, looking extremely displeased. All employees and even department heads had to wear ID badges for identity verification, but Pearl could dress as she pleased without following the company's regulations.
"It's really annoying. Although her dress code violation is not worth condemning, I find it really uncomfortable. Isn't Mr. Cooper too lenient with his secretary?" Lauriel crossed her arms, continuously showing her displeasure towards Pearl. Almost all the employees present were dissatisfied. Why could only Pearl dress beautifully as she wished, while they had to wear office attire and ID badges?
Looking at it, there was a clear distinction in the company hierarchy; anyone who didn't know might think Pearl was an important guest of the company.
"Okay, enough gossiping. Let's get back to work quickly," Diana, despite being a manager, wasn't different from regular employees.
Bella silently observed everything. In her role as Max's personal secretary, Pearl always accompanied him to greet and converse with partners and guests. However, their relationship did not resemble a superior-subordinate dynamic, creating misunderstandings among some guests.
Bella saw it all, but she remained calm and continued working. She wanted everyone to be happy because in a little while, they wouldn't be able to smile anymore.
After Max spoke about the company's new product and the guests were invited to try it, as the product was not yet released to the market, the invited guests would receive limited samples.
"... Now, during the introduction of our new product, the company's leadership would like to commend employees with outstanding achievements during this period. Those employees whose names are on the list, please come up..." The MC enthusiastically spoke, and everyone applauded. Bella stood to the side, also applauding.
Pearl's name was on the list, just a secretary, but she stood alongside the company's top managers and outstanding employees. If it were just going up and speaking, nothing special would happen. However, someone as prestigious as Pearl would not settle for just the reward.
The MC said, "As you all have seen, the design on the packaging of the new product is created by Pearl. She spent a lot of time creating an eye-catching design suitable for the company, a good product not only in quality but also visually appealing to customers."
Pearl stood proudly and confidently in front of everyone. The glow around her made Pearl feel like the strongest person there. Pearl glanced slightly towards Bella and her colleagues, then smirked.
'Bella, do you see? Even though you're the daughter of the chairman, the owner of this company, what of it? You're still just a lowly person who can never be on par with me.' Pearl stopped mocking in her heart.
Bella also noticed Pearl's gaze towards her. She knew that Pearl was feeling extremely proud of her design at this moment. This new product of the company was highly anticipated, and once it hit the market, Pearl would surely receive recognition from everyone in the company.
Diana gently patted Bella's shoulder from behind. "Don't be sad. If there's a chance later, you'll definitely be the one standing there, not Pearl." Lauriel, standing beside them, also comforted Bella. Both of them thought Bella was upset for not being chosen, but they were mistaken.
Bella was not only not sad, as everyone thought, but she also wished for Pearl to win because if Pearl won, she would have the opportunity to 'give a gift' to Pearl.
While Pearl was representing the company to talk about the new product, the screen behind her displayed her packaging designs. Pearl didn't think much of it, assuming that the organizers were showcasing her designs for a better view. But...
"What is this? Why does that design look so much like the work of the artist VB?" Some art-savvy guests immediately spoke up when they saw the designs on the big screen.
The completed and unfinished designs of Pearl were compared to the artwork of the artist VB. And if they weren't similar, there wouldn't be anything to say, but when Pearl's designs were compared to the works of the artist VB, the people below were stunned to the point of gaping.
They had a very high degree of resemblance if not outright copying.
Pearl stood frozen, looking at the big screen. There was a lot of small talk and whispers behind her. After showcasing Pearl's designs and the artwork of the artist VB on the screen for a while, it immediately went dark. At this point, the murmurs became even louder.
Max quickly pulled Pearl down and stood up to apologize to everyone, explaining that it was a technical error. Once everything was resolved, a proper explanation would be given.
Immediately after that, the deputy director, department heads, and company employees hastily directed the guests toward the complimentary products and discount vouchers.
Bella watched everything become chaotic, but she remained calm, observing everything and then smiling. Everything lasted for only ten minutes. Bella appeared bewildered and rushed as if she were caught up in the chaos like other employees. She didn't know that a man from the upper floor had been observing her from start to finish. He chuckled lightly and then left the scene.
