Chapter 101 HT
“You know, you might have actually been a good mother if your life had been different.”
Helena laughed. “Oh, I know I would have been. But just not in this reality.”
*Jane*
I stepped into the huge office building on my first day at work. Even with Lucky staying strong for me, I struggled to hold my head high as I made my way to the elevator, heels clicking against the tiled floor. I tugged at my navy blue suit jacket before hitting the button for the twenty–third floor. I purposefully picked the most expensive pantsuit in my closet to increase my confidence.
It didn’t work. My nerves were still all over the place.
I’m not prepared for this at all, I said to myself.
Stop it, Lucky chided me. You’re more than prepared. You sailed through the onboarding process. The team and executives loved you when you were introduced to them. Everything will be fine.
Yes, but this is actually working with them. What if I make a mistake?
You won’t. Trust me on that, she encouraged.
The elevator doors opened before I could respond to her. I tightened my grip around my bag and stepped out, heading to the conference room. I took a deep breath, pushed the doors open, and walked in.
G00%
25
00
1634
Chapter 101
288 Vouchers
Ten faces turned to face me.
“Jane! We’re so glad to have you on board!” The brunette in the front row beamed at me. The others nodded in agreement with identical smiles.
I forced my lips to curve upward, hoping it looked welcoming.
“Thank you. We can begin whenever you’re ready.”
The brunette nodded and pointed to a vacant seat on the left side of the conference room. Just as I settled in, she grabbed the tiny remote beside her and turned on the wall–mounted screen.
I immediately pulled out my iPad as I watched the images flicker to life.
“As you can see here…” My gaze shifted to look at the person speaking. I recognized her instantly. She wore the same brown, thick–rimmed glasses, dressed in a silk blouse and perfectly tailored pants. “This is a summer collection. Seasonal collections are always a hit, but the aim is to exceed expectations by twelve percent. We can achieve that with a pre–launch campaign, or even introduce limited items.”
I took notes as she explained her plan, but every so often, I would look out the window, watching as cars drove by.
“Jane?” Jocelyn’s voice cut through my wandering thoughts. “What do you think about the COO’s proposal?”
Alin was the COO now? I blinked, my eyes shifting to the screen.
“I think,” I began carefully, trying to piece my thoughts together. “I think we can incorporate a UGC campaign. We could get customers involved, have them show us their summer look. This could amplify reach.”
28 54%
O
25
16.15
Chapter 101
288 Vouchers
Alin turned to look at me. “Yes, but our customers are mostly the one percent of the one percent. They might not…”
“That means it’s something new to them, and they might appreciate that. We can tell a story with it, and a bit of emotional branding, add VIP tiers and early bird benefits, and personalize some orders,” I added.
“Hmmm…” She said nothing after that.
The meeting went on, and I found myself looking at the other executives. Their faces began to blend in, resembling those of my teammates at Blackwood. I was taken aback by the tug in my heart at the memory. It only reinforced that the people at Blackwood had been like family to me, despite their flaws, how they’d acted toward me, and even gossiped behind my back.
I gripped my iPad tightly, forcing myself back to reality. This was a new beginning; it’d be best to leave the past in the past.
The meeting finally wound down. Everyone got up, gathering their paper and laptops.
“Jane!”
When I looked up, I found myself face–to–face with Maria Garcia, VP of Marketing. She was sporting a pixie cut that made her look younger than her thirty–five years (yes, I googled her). Her brown eyes were smiling at me as she approached.
“I have to tell you, that was a brilliant input on the summer campaign. I heard about your reputation coming in, but seeing you in action? Even better than advertised.” She laughed, then leaned in. “Look, I know you’re just settling in, but I want you to feel free to call me any time. I’d also love to pick your brain sometime. Lunch? Coffee?”
