Chapter 73

Chapter 73:

The job was nothing short of torture for Mina and her group.

Tensions ran high, and when they voiced their discontent, the assistant was blunt. “If you’re not happy, you’re free to quit!”

However, quitting meant walking away with little severance—a bitter pill they couldn’t afford to swallow. Left with no choice, Mina and her group resigned themselves to their fate: distributing flyers under the merciless summer sun.

As they trudged through the scorching streets, the heat seemed almost tangible, as if it were peeling their skin away layer by layer.

“I’m going to drop dead if we keep this up!”

The relentless heat and the weight of their predicament bore down, testing their limits. As they trudged along, drenched in sweat, they happened to pass by Natural Beauty.

A thought struck them sharply: had they not left, they could be relaxing in the cool embrace of air conditioning and sipping tea within those welcoming walls. What a stark contrast to their current plight! The vision of such comfort seemed almost cruel now, and regret was clearly etched on Mina’s face.

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Michelle, her jaw set firmly, broke the heavy silence. “How about we go back?”

“Yeah, I think we should! Miggie Skincare is merciless. They wear smiles when the sailing is smooth, but the moment a storm hits, they abandon us!”

This sentiment struck a chord, and agreement spread rapidly among the group. Driven by both resolve and necessity, they redirected their steps with purpose and strode into Natural Beauty.

Coincidentally, Madisyn had just arrived at the company when they entered. They stumbled into her unexpectedly, and Mina’s face flushed a mixture of red and pale as their eyes met.

Michelle, undeterred by the tension, rushed toward Madisyn, exclaiming, “Boss!”

Madisyn’s response was icy. “I’m pretty sure I’m not your boss anymore.”

“Miss Johns, we were just playing around before. We only went to Miggie Skincare to gather intel on them. You didn’t really think we wanted to join the enemy, did you?” Michelle tried to smooth things over, her smile strained.

“We’ve got inside info on Miggie Skincare now, and we’re ready to share it with you,” she added, hoping to pique Madisyn’s interest.

Madisyn scoffed. “Did you say the same thing when you entered Miggie Skincare?”

Michelle was speechless, caught off guard by Madisyn’s sharp retort. Embarrassment washed over her; she had once betrayed Natural Beauty by taking the formula to Miggie Skincare, convinced she would cement her position there and that Natural Beauty would crumble without her.

Yet, Natural Beauty had flourished in her absence, while their life in Miggie Skincare proved to be a struggle. With her head bowed, Michelle felt too ashamed to look Madisyn in the eye.

Madisyn assessed the group gathered behind Michelle. “You left us for Miggie Skincare for a better future, and when Miggie Skincare is struggling, you thought you’d just return to Natural Beauty? Sorry, but we’re not a fallback option.”

Her words were sharp, slicing through the air and leaving a mark of shame on the group’s faces. Mina, her anger boiling over, snapped, “Madisyn, how dare you speak to us like that?”

“Well, sorry, but we’re not interested in keeping you around,” Madisyn responded, her tone as cool as the expression on her face. With that, she turned and walked away.

If they left Miggie Skincare and Natural Beauty wouldn’t take them back, where else could they go in the skincare industry? The stigma of having abandoned their posts for a competitor, only to plead for return, tainted their professional reputations.

“Miss Johns, please forgive us!” Michelle cried out, chasing after Madisyn, her voice dripping with desperation. “I admit my fault. I overestimated my worth, thinking I was irreplaceable. I see now how mistaken I was. Please, allow me a second chance. I promise to devote myself wholly to Natural Beauty!”

“Us too!” echoed the others, their voices laden with regret.

Their urgent appeal paused the normal flow of the office, drawing the attention of their former colleagues, who congregated to watch the drama unfold. The majority looked on with a blend of intrigue and disdain.

Feeling the collective gaze upon her, Madisyn turned to her employees. “What do you think? Should we let them return?”

The answer came swiftly and emphatically. “Absolutely not!”

The firm rejection from the crowd washed over Michelle, leaving her face ashen.

Madisyn faced the group squarely, her voice unwavering. “Did you hear that? When you chose to leave Natural Beauty, you should have realized there was no path back. Natural Beauty doesn’t recycle what it’s discarded.”

With those final words, Madisyn stepped into the elevator. No one dared intercept her.

As the doors closed, a wave of regret swept over Michelle and the others; some even started crying. Mina clenched her jaw, her eyes simmering with bitterness.

While the others were merely employees, she was once the vice president of Natural Beauty, but it was now flourishing under another’s rule. The reality of the company thriving without her, under Madisyn’s leadership, churned a storm within Mina.

How had Madisyn managed to captivate Dane so completely?

A glint of iciness flickered in her eyes, evil thoughts beginning to form.

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