The Rebirth of a Scorned Heiress

“Wow!” Alana exclaimed as she looked over Lily’s shoulder to see the design she had sketched out in her sketchbook. “This is beautiful!” She added and almost snatched the booklet away from Lily’s hand to stare at the design.

Lily hummed and handed the book to Alana before stretching her sore muscles. She had been working on the sketch all day without moving about. “It’s still missing a few things,” Lily announced, and Alana frowned.

She gazed down at the sketchbook, taking in the intricate details of the gown drawn on its surface. The long, flowing fabric was adorned with a pattern of stars against a midnight sky. It was a breathtaking design, one that seemed almost magical. Something out of the fairy tales.

Lily walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, taking a long drink before turning back to Alana. “It just doesn’t resonate with me that was why it took me this long to finish it, I always feel something is missing,” she said thoughtfully. “I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but it feels like something is lacking or out of place, it just doesn’t feel right.”

“Maybe it’s the split in the front, or the neckline, or maybe the silhouette of the dress. It just feels a little too plain, not quite as striking as it could be, I could add a few more things to it, roses or a bow. But I was thinking that would defeat the simple design I want for the dress.” She took another sip of water, her mind whirling with ideas for how to improve the design.

“Did you have someone in mind when you designed this dress? Maybe having a clear picture of the model could help, what do you think?” Alana asked curiously as she placed the sketchbook on the table.

“Not really; it was just a general design, but now that you mentioned it, having a model for it would probably make it better, I can make it for their figure and temperament,” Lily replied.

She picked up the sketch pad and pictured Alana in the dress. With a shake of her head, she tore out the page and crumpled it to start over. Seeing her pick up a pen for a do-over, Alana snatched the booklet and playfully glared at her.

“Take a rest and sleep; you barely had any rest all week from going to school and coming back here to work!” She pointed it out. “I brought some soup from the house today; Sharon, our housekeeper said it helps relax the brain while re-energising the body!” She explained while dragging Lily to the kitchen to eat.

Lily was about to protest, insisting that she wasn’t tired or hungry when her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. Alana chuckled and shook her head as she watched her. “You don’t even know how to properly take care of your body! You would have continued all night if I hadn’t stopped you in time!” she reprimands, and Lily couldn’t help but smile.

Getting lost in work was a habit she had cultivated while she was still in Victoria. Constantly learning and coding to develop the Hamilton business.

She sat down at the small dining table in the kitchen and allowed Alana to serve her a bowl of chicken soup. She took a hesitant sip, then closed her eyes and savoured the rich, savoury flavour. “Mmm,” she murmured, “this is delicious.” Alana smiled, “Sharon is very good at making this kind of soup. And she always forces us to drink a few bowls daily, but it’s all for our good and everyone now enjoys taking it” She giggled, enjoying the fun memories of her childhood.

“How is the situation at home?” Lily asked Alana sighed. “It’s a little complicated still. I’ve been avoiding going to the main house these days so I won’t get pulled into the drama,” Alana explained.

“Drama?” Lily asked with a raised brow.

“The main daughter is also joining the national fashion competition as a seamstress, and her assistant will be picked from the rest of the family. Now, to gain the recognition of the main house, everyone is battling to be her assistant. You don’t know how complicated it is.” Alana muttered with an exasperated tone.

The more she talked, the more her voice became agitated. “I know I will never get picked to be her assistant since they are always afraid that I will outshine her with any little exposure, but the others don’t know that; they all see me as an eyesore that needs to be removed from the way so that they can be her assistant… Do you feel my predicament? I’m living among hyenas!” She ranted, feeling angry about her family situation.

“But if you stay away from the main house, won’t they make things difficult for your family?” Lily asked worriedly, and Alana shook her head.

“They can only oppress me; my parents aren’t that easy to deal with since they have quite a lot of influence in the whole family. Because of their influence, I’m able to escape most things as long as I don’t outshine the main house’s daughter.” Lily gave a nod, understanding Alana’s predicament.

Although Lily had not gone through many struggles or the drama of fighting for inheritance with extended family because her grandparents only gave birth to her mother, she had friends who always complained about those complicated family disputes.

“Will it be convenient for you to go to the competition then?” Lily asked, and Alana waved her hands.

“You have nothing to worry about; I got the go-ahead from my parents already. Besides, the competition allows us to hide our identity under a mask if we don’t want people to know us, so it’s convenient. Even if we don’t win, it’ll be a good story that I went to the nationals!” she giggled and Lily tapped her forehead with the spoon.

“We will win”

While they were both casually discussing over meal, they heard the bell of the front house chime, and Alana went out to look while Lily cleared out the plates. Alana soon returned with a grinning face.

“The part-timer guy from last time is back again!” She announced, Lily gave a nod and followed her out to see Gary awkwardly standing by the door.

“I never thought you’d come back after not hearing from you in a week,” Lily voiced with a friendly smile.

“It’s not like that! One of my younger siblings went down with the flu, and there was no one else that would look after her,” he explained with a guilty expression. “I intended to get back to you earlier.”

“What about your parents? Too busy?” Lily asked casually but soon noticed the young man’s distress and decided to drop the topic. She chuckled awkwardly and waved him over as she led him to the small office. “It’s okay, so have you decided?” She asked, and Gary gave a nod.

Noting that she wasn’t looking at him, he voiced his reply. “I have thought about it, and I would like to join, but I know nothing about modelling,” he confessed.

“That’s not a problem; you will be trained professionally for a month,” she replied. “Here, this is the part-time contract for a year; read it and let me know how you feel about it, “she urged as she sat on the table with several sketching pads, both used and unused.

Gary read the contract and gave a satisfied nod. “For the month you will be undergoing training, you won’t be getting paid; however, we will pay for the training,” she explained.

“I’m okay with the contract. Will I have to travel during shootings?” He asked, and Lily gave a nod.

“There are times you’ll have to, but not in the meantime since we are still a startup,” she explained. “For now, we will have our shoots here in the studio and around the city. We will inform you seven days before the shoot so that you will be ready,” she clarified, and Gary gave a nod as he signed the contract.

As Lily read through the contract again with Gary’s signature, she smiled. “Welcome to Lily’s team; we are looking forward to an amazing future with you!” She shook hands with him.

{Mission: Employ Gary Green, complete. Mission reward: 100 points acquired}

{New side mission unlocked}

{Design and sell five outfits in one month}© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

As Lily read the mission, her heart twitched, but she couldn’t help the giddiness in her heart. “I’m one step closer!”