The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 59

Janie pointed at the female designers, her face red with anger.

Startled by Janie's outburst, the women rolled their eyes but showed no intention of stopping.

"Janie, stop acting like her white knight. We're just stating facts. Plenty of people saw it at the gala last night."

Janie was about to charge over and argue when someone grabbed her wrist.

Nora stood up from her chair and gently pulled Janie back to her seat.

"Let it go, Janie."

Nora's voice was completely flat, her face showing no signs of being provoked.

"But Nora, the things they're saying are awful!" Janie's eyes were red, feeling frustrated on Nora's behalf.

Nora shook her head. She looked at the hostile and disdainful glares around the office but didn't say a word in her defense. She was used to it.

During her three years at the Hayes family, every one of Giselle's friends and the estate staff had looked at her exactly like this. She had tried to fight back, tried to explain, but it only earned her more cold disgust from Gideon.

In this world, the justifications of the weak are the most useless things.

Nora released Janie's hand and sat back at her desk.

"They can say whatever they want with their own mouths."

Nora picked up a mechanical pencil from her desk, her gaze falling on the data reports Sloane had thrown over. "Arguing during work hours is pointless. Just focus on getting the job done."

Nora's attitude left Janie stunned. Looking at Nora's calm profile, she could only swallow her anger and sit down to keep drawing, clearly upset.

Nora lowered her head, picking up the pencil as she stared at the blank paper, though her mind was a tangled mess.

Her phone vibrated briefly in her drawer.

Nora pulled the drawer open. The screen displayed a new text message. It was Nathan again.

Sloane looked down at her. "You've been out of the industry for three years, and the materials and techniques have long been updated. Cross-check and categorize these two boxes of materials, and send me the spreadsheet before you leave today."

This was grunt work meant for a new intern or an inventory assistant.

A few young designers nearby exchanged looks and let out quiet snickers. Anyone could tell Sloane was deliberately trying to break Nora.

Nora looked at the two dusty boxes, her expression entirely unreadable. She didn't talk back, nor did she mention that she was the project lead. She just nodded quietly. "Alright, I'll get it sorted today."

"Nora, why are you accepting this kind of work!"

Once Sloane walked away, Janie hurried over, whispering indignantly. "She's clearly jealous that you got the French order and is doing this on purpose! You should go straight to Arthur and complain!"

Nora shook her head, reaching out to peel the packing tape off the boxes, her voice mild. "It's fine. Janie, I really haven't touched these raw materials in three years. Re-familiarizing myself won't hurt. Arguing won't solve anything."

She picked up one of the boxes and headed toward the dark storage room at the end of the hallway.

Nora spent the entire morning crouching on the freezing floor of the storage room, using a magnifying glass and calipers to painstakingly verify every tiny metal clasp and crushed diamond.