I honestly think Isa and Matt underestimated the whole AM.co jewelry launch disaster when they gave me that lecture, because this turned out to be way bigger than I imagined. The entire company has descended into chaos and at the center of it all is none other than Miss Caruso.
The design department has borne the hit of her madness. She's even threatened to fire the entire team if they don't produce "the most unique designs" within a week. They've been working tirelessly, creating beautiful pieces, only for Cruella to toss their work aside with a dismissive, "It's nothing special," as if she could do better from behind her desk, spending her days shredding people's efforts instead of creating anything herself.
Right now, all my sympathy lies with Matt and Isa.
"My poor babies," I sighed.
Just then, I spotted Mr. Romano, head of the design department, making his way to Miss Caruso's office. Through my window, I watched him pause at her door, take a deep breath, and whisper a quick prayer. The sight made my heart ache for him he looked utterly drained, as if one more rejection from her might be the final blow.
After his silent plea, he stepped inside. Moments later, Cruella's sharp, nagging voice rang out, echoing through the building. She launched into yet another rant about how "bad" and "unproductive" the entire department had been all week. Her criticisms weren't anything new, but the way she trampled on people's emotions and dismissed their hard work was just cruel. Then again, why would she care? In her mind, she's above everyone else.
Moments later, her office door swung open and Miss Caruso walked out. I rose from my chair, stepped into the hallway, and moved toward her just in case she needed something. The instant her eyes landed on me, she let out a long, sharp hiss and muttered, "Pathetic," giving me a slow, cutting glance from head to toe before striding out of the building.
I watched as she slid into her expensive car and drove away. Only then did I release a quiet sigh and begin making my way back to my office. Around me, the other staff were already packing up since it was late, and with the boss gone, the day was effectively over.
When I reached my office door, I noticed someone was still inside Miss Caruso's office. So I stepped in and there was Mr. Romano, standing in the middle of the room, looking utterly defeated. The designs he had brought with him were scattered carelessly across the floor, the scene screaming of Miss Caruso's handiwork.
I knelt down quietly and began gathering the scattered designs, taking care not to bend or tear them further. Once I had them all, I arranged the pages neatly, retrieved a stapler from Miss Caruso's desk, and secured them together. As I flipped through each page on my way back to Mr. Romano, I couldn't help but be impressed, the work was stunning. Three true masterpieces, each one more brilliant than the last.
"This is beautiful, Mr. Romano", I said softly as I reached him.
"Well", he replied with a weary half-smile while extending his hand for the papers, "someone seems to think otherwise".
"Oh please, who cares about what she thinks?", I said, waving my hand dismissively. The comment earned a small chuckle from him, but it faded almost as quickly as it came, his sad expression returning.
"I don't know what else to do," he admitted, his voice heavy. "Honestly, the team has given everything they have, and I don't want to push them past their limits again. I really thought she'd accept this one but she didn't. We've only got one week left until the deadline, and I just hope we can pull through."
He exhaled, then gave me a faint, tired smile. "I envy you, you know. At least you're not running around like the rest of us".
"You have no idea," I murmured. We sat in silence for a while, the weight of the week hanging heavily between us. Eventually, Mr. Romano glanced at his wristwatch, realizing how late it had gotten. He stood to leave, offering a quiet goodbye. I told him not to let the situation eat at him and to enjoy his weekend as best he could.
Once he was gone, I gathered my things, slipped my bag over my shoulder, and headed out to grab a cab. The night air felt like a small mercy. It was Friday and tomorrow is Saturday. At least for a few precious hours, I could rest and stay far away from Cruella.
On my way home, I asked the cab driver to drop me at a store near my apartment so I could grab a few toiletries. Once I'd finished shopping, I turned into the street that led to my house.
That's when I felt it again , that unsettling prick at the back of my neck. For the past two weeks, I'd had the nagging sense that someone was following me. At first, I brushed it off as paranoia, but over the last three days, the feeling had been impossible to ignore. Am I in danger?, the thought flashed through my mind as I quickened my pace, breaking into a half run to reach my apartment faster.
When I arrived at my door, I saw it was already unlocked. I figured Kathy must be inside nothing unusual since we kept spare keys to each other's places. I knocked lightly, and she opened the door. I stepped in and locked it behind me.
Blondie had already made dinner, so we ate together, swapping stories about our week. I told her how Cruella had been wearing everyone down at work, and she vented about the chaos at the hospital with endless emergencies, constant rushing, and how her legs ached from being on her feet all day.
After dinner, we settled on a romantic Hallmark movie for our Friday tradition, and I gave her a foot massage. For a moment, I considered telling her about the stalker, but then decided against it. She'd had a rough enough day, and maybe I really was just being paranoid. So I pushed the thought aside and let myself get lost in the movie...