Chapter 104 I’m Sorry
Meanwhile, Nicole went to Colton’s office with him, and she only spoke when the door was closed. “President Gardner, you don’t have to side with me so much, actually.”
Colton lifted his head at her without much change in his expression, and he lowered his head again as he chuckled softly. “Nicole,” he called out, while the look in his dark eyes were different from earlier as there was a hidden smirk in them. “This is a partnership between F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation, and your talent as the Chief Designer for F&M Apparel is unquestionable.”
Astonished, Nicole wasn’t expecting that he would say something like this to her. She lowered her gaze, and a smile spread across her face. He probably found out what Sabrina said to me earlier and is trying to console me with this now.
With a smile, she said casually, “President Gardner, as the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, I’ve been through turbulent situations before as well. Although those were some mean criticisms, it’s still within my tolerance level.”
For a few seconds, Colton kept his eyes fixed on her before giving her a nod. “Okay.” He paused. “You can also tell me if there’s any issue.”
Without holding back, Nicole said straightforwardly, “Even though I had a small argument with Shaun from human resources last evening, there was no need to fire him. It’s inevitable to have some disagreements between colleagues, and I don’t wish to be an exception.”
It didn’t occur to Colton that she would speak up for Shaun, so a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Looking up, he pursed his lips and asked, “Is that really what you think?”
Nicole nodded. “I’m only going to be in Gardner Corporation for a few months, so there’s no need to cause such a big ruckus because of me. I joined Gardner Corporation with the idea of creating a clothing line for your company together with your other designers, not to cause the situation now,” she said, a bitter smile hanging on her face.
Fixing his gaze on her, he nodded. “It seems that I didn’t think it through properly.”
After their chat, Nicole went back to her office, which was so quiet that she could hear her own footsteps, and the atmosphere in the room was incredibly depressing.
Looking around, Nicole cleared her throat and announced, “I’m not an employee of your company, and neither am I your superior. We’re all partners, and respect works both ways. For the next few months, I hope that our partnership will be a happy one.”
However, everyone’s head remained low as they kept their silence, and Nicole didn’t say anything else anymore. Since she had already said all these, it was up to them whether they would listen to her or not.
When it was time to get off work in the evening, Nicole went downstairs in the elevator as usual, and she saw a familiar figure from the back when she was at the entrance.
Before she could even react, the figure spoke first. “Hi, Nicole.”
Stopping in her tracks, she realized that the person was Henry, and she smiled, greeting him, “Hi, Henry.”
The smile on Henry’s face appeared a little awkward, and he touched his nose as he said softly, “Nicole, I apologize to you for what happened last evening…” Lifting his head, he gazed at her as he explained, “That guy is from human resources. I… I…”
Seeing how difficult it was for him to say the words, Nicole chuckled nonchalantly; they weren’t a couple any more, so she shouldn’t guilt-trip him into doing anything for her.
“It’s fine. I get it. After all, he’s in a higher position than you, and you still need your job.”
Hearing how casual she sounded, Henry lifted his eyes at her, and the embarrassment on his face finally disappeared. Softly, he chuckled. “Nicole, you’re just as considerate as before.”
In reply, she merely smiled back without a word. She wasn’t exactly being considerate; she had merely seen through life. After years of struggling in the society, she had already been through all sorts of turmoil.
