The Wrong Woman

The elevator stopped at the design department's floor. "Candice, you're up," Jasper said as the doors slid open.
After stepping out, Candice turned to face the elevator. She waved at Jasper with a smile, her gentle gaze naturally drifting
toward Elio. Elio's gaze met hers-intense, deep, and unflinching. As the elevator doors began to close, their eye contact was
broken.
Candice touched her chest, feeling her heart flutter with nervous excitement as she sighed. With no more need for secrecy, she
could openly admire Elio without the guilt of desiring someone she thought was taken.
Still, she wasn't completely certain about his relationship status. Although he wasn't with Josie, could there be someone else?
Regardless, Candice felt optimistic about where things might lead. With a joyous smile, she covered her face, ducked her head,
and briskly made her way into the design department office.
Candice found her work in the design department incredibly fulfilling. Passionate about fashion design, she poured her heart into
her projects with unwavering dedication.
The winter design drafts were under review for the upcoming collection, and Candice's submissions had been rejected. Yet she
remained undaunted. Overwhelmed with anxiety, Vanessa sat at her desk, holding her head in distress. Candice wheeled her
chair closer and asked gently, "What's wrong?"
Vanessa held her job dear, her voice tinged with sorrow as she said, "Candice, every single one of my drafts got rejected."
With a reassuring smile, Candice patted Vanessa's shoulder. "Mine, too. Don't worry."
"But how can I not worry? If I don't make a breakthrough soon, I'm definitely going to be laid off next."
Candice looked surprised. "There's another round of layoffs?"
Vanessa looked up, her face etched with sorrow and her eyes reflecting deep anxiety. She muttered, "Candice, have you heard
about the new CEO? He's really intimidating-way more than the last one."
"Intimating?" Candice was puzzled. Elio was certainly reserved and perhaps distant, but she would hardly call that intimidating.
Vanessa leaned closer to Candice, lowering her voice. "He's such an intimidating. guy. After taking charge, he dismissed all the
worthless

employees left from the previous CEO's tenure. He even handed over those harming the company to the police with solid
evidence,
"Besides, some of the long-standing employees were let go outright. Those who had contributed in the past but weren't useful
anymore were offered severance packages and encouraged to take early retirement.
"And now, he's implementing massive layoffs alongside hiring a wave of fresh graduates."
"Isn't that expected if it benefits the company?" Candice asked.
Vanessa was puzzled. "But doesn't it seem wrong to just use people and cast them aside?"
"For a company to thrive in the long run, it can't afford to carry unnecessary weight," Candice explained indifferently.
Vanessa pursed her lips, her eyes welling up. "Candice, are you implying that I'm the unnecessary weight?"
Candice immediately hugged
Vanessa and reassured her. "Vanessa, don't be sad. I wasn't talking about you at all. Trust me, you're not going to be laid off. I
promise you're safe."
"You might want to be concerned about your own position. You're the least experienced here, yet your salary isn't exactly low."
"Okay, alright, I'll be careful," Candice replied, smiling.
After work, Jasper offered Candice a ride home. During the drive, Candice broached the topic of company layoffs.
Jasper was transparent and explained the situation thoroughly to her. He even assured her she had nothing to worry about and
wouldn't be laid off.
"Could you please ensure that my friend, Vanessa Yates, also stays off the layoff list?" Candice asked.