Bride To Be Not Me (Janice and Simon) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18 

Janice never anticipated what kind of role she would have at Prosper Stitch Group. She even brought along her set of crochet tools, assuming she would be seated at a workbench, stitching away on projects. Little did she know…. 

At this moment, the VP of the Product Division came to greet her. “Ms. Smith,” he said, “let me show you to your office.” 

This VP was also newly appointed just two days ago. Previously, both the CEO and VP positions in the Product Division had been vacant. 

To avoid any discontent caused by parachuted leadership, Edward delayed the announcement and appointed both leaders simultaneously. This way, no one could entertain unnecessary thoughts. 

After all, in the Product Division, skill was everything. If you couldn’t produce top–quality crochet, even the most senior employees wouldn’t make it into management. 

Sunny led her into the office and gestured. “Ms. Smith, take a look.” 

Outside the office’s glass walls stood a neighboring high–rise, its height perfectly matching theirs. 

“The office directly across from you belongs to Mr. Moore,” Sunny explained. “There’s a private wallway between the two buildings; it’s just over 20 yards to their side, which houses the Business Administration Department. Meanwhile, this entire building is dedicated to Product Development. 

“The first 30 floors are for seamstress workspaces. Floors 31 to 50 are for management, and the 51st floor is right here,” she added. 

Janice quietly marveled at the sheer opulence of Prosper Stitch Group, which owned not one but two towering buildings. By comparison, Refined Threads Co. only had one building. They had planned to construct another office tower by year’s end, but without her crochet to help, she wondered if Simon could still afford it. 

“I heard Prosper Stitch employs over 50 thousand seamstresses. Can 30 floors really accommodate that many?” Janice asked. 

“Our 30 floors are divided into five departments: Broomstick Crochet, Capital Crochet, Artisan Crochet, Riverside Crochet, and Double -Sided Crochet. The seamstresses working here are the elite, the rest work in factories. 

“Most importantly, you’ll be in charge of the Double–Sided Crochet Department moving forward. Later, the heads of the other four departments will come by to meet you. Here’s their personal information.” 

Sunny placed a file on the desk after finishing her explanation. 

On her first day, Janice didn’t have much time to idle. After Sunny left, she dove straight into familiarizing herself with her duties, which were almost identical to her role at Refined Threads Co. 

She was responsible for selecting seamstresses for the company and screening quality crochet to send to headquarters. The main difference here was the sheer scale—there were twice as many seamstresses compared to Refined Threads Co. 

Once she completed her tasks, Janice pulled out her Fall Tournament entry, ready to frame it herself. Just then, a loud knock came from the door. 

“Come in,” she called out. Setting aside her work, she looked up to see four women walking in. All of them were dressed uniformly, and their ages varied. 

“Ms. Smith, hello, I’m Isabella Channing. I’m in charge of Riverside Crochet,” said the first. 

“Ms. Smith, nice to meet you. I’m Fiona Torres, responsible for Broomstick Crochet,” the second introduced herself. 

“Ms. Smith, good day. I’m Luna Everly, head of Capital Crochet,” said the third. 

The last woman, who appeared to be in her 50s, spoke calmly. “I oversee Artisan Crochet.” She didn’t provide her name. 

Janice wasn’t new to the game–she could clearly see that the artisan crochet supervisor was giving her attitude. 

Prosper Stlich Group had only recently established its double–sided crochet department earlier this year after previously lacking a leader for the craft. Before that, artisan crochet was the company’s best–selling product, both in quality and market demand, solidifying the artisan crochet supervisor’s sense of superiority. 

However, Janice wasn’t someone to be easily trifled with when it came to her work. She wore a sharp, professional outfit: three–inch heels, soft waves in her hair, a black camisole paired with a white blazer, and bold red lipstick that radiated confidence. Her aura was impossible to ignore. 

With a faint smile, her sharp gaze swept over the four women, yet she didn’t utter a single word in response. Was she trying to intimidate her? As far as seniority in the industry was concerned, Janice didn’t think she was any less experienced than the artisan crochet supervisor. 

Chapter 11 

The four women had mixed thoughts. This woman was undeniably striking. Rumor had it that she had been personally recruited by Edward and left Refined Threads Co. But now, her silence–what was she trying to convey? 

Unfazed, Janice busied herself, treating the four supervisors as though they were invisible. The four stood awkwardly for about 15 minutes until Sunny entered with a booklet of crochet samples. He raised an eyebrow at the scene but chose not to comment. 

“Ms. Smith,” Sunny began, “here’s the booklet. Could you review it by today? By Monday, we need to select three pieces to send to headquarters for the Winter Tournament.” 

Janice glanced briefly at the booklet. “Where are the actual pieces?” 

Sunny was momentarily stunned “Uh what?” 

Without looking up, Janice stated, “Photographs can have discrepancies in color, lighting, and other factors, which can lead to errors in judgment. I only review the actual items.” 

This policy made it impossible for any seamstresses trying to cut corners to manipulate the selection process for bonuses. It was also one of the reasons why Refined Threads, though only two–thirds the size of Prosper Stitch Group, managed to carve out a significant market share in Greenfield City. Janice was meticulous in selecting and approving works. 

Feeling the weight of Janice’s authority, Sunny quickly nodded. “Understood. I’ll have the items brought over immediately.” 

“And make sure the seamstresses don’t sign their names on the crochet pieces,” Janice added. 

“Got it!” Sunny responded, now realizing that Janice was not someone who played favorites. Her impartiality was refreshing—and fair. 

After Sunny left, the artisan crochet supervisor finally spoke. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll take our leave.” 

Janice still didn’t respond. 

Though they had said they were leaving, the new director’s silence made it seem as though they dared not take a step out. The tension In the room grew palpable. 

Isabella, the Riverside Crochet supervisor, couldn’t hold back any longer and cautiously asked, “Ms. Smith, is there something about our previous work you’re unhappy with?” 

Fiona, the Broomstick Crochet supervisor, chimed in, “Yes, please let us know, and we’ll address it immediately!” 

By now, they had one impression–this new director was not someone to mess with 

Finally, Janice put down her work and looked at them, her expression neutral. “I don’t know your names yet, so I don’t know how to engage with you properly.” 

Don’t know their names? But hadn’t they just introduced themselves? 

Fiona suddenly remembered that the artisan crochet supervisor hadn’t introduced herself earlier and hadn’t even greeted the new CEO. Embarrassed, the three supervisors now directed their dissatisfaction toward the artisan crochet supervisor. 

Noticing the shift in the atmosphere, Janice took a sip of water, her lips curling into a faint smile. Steering tension was often the best way to resolve conflict. 

“Why don’t you reintroduce yourself? Isabella softly urged the artisan crochet supervisor. 

Luna, the Capital Crochet supervisor, said coldly, “We still need to prepare the actual pleces to bring over. Don’t waste our time!” 

Under their combined pressure, the artisan crochet supervisor’s face turned dark, but she eventually managed a forced smile. “Ms. Smith, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sophie Pearce, the Artisan Crochet supervisor. 

Janice set down her glass of water, wiped her hands, and slowly walked toward the four supervisors. She was taller than all of them, and when in work mode, her demeanor transformed completely. The commanding aura she exuded could easily intimidate even the most confident newcomer to the point of tears. 

“I’ve always respected capable people,” Janice began. “I’ll need your collaboration and support in my work moving forward, and I’ve brought a little gilt for each of you as a gesture of goodwill.” 

Isabella responded with a polite smile, “Ms. Smith, you’re too kind!” 

Luna added in a low voice, “Cooperating with you is part of our duty to the company.” 

Plona reassured her, “Ms. Sinith, don’t worry; we’ll do our best,”