CHAPTER XXV

                                    

                                          


I know not informing mom about Simo's actions is not the right thing to do but if you knew my mom, you would know why I would keep something like this a secret from her. However, I don't want Simo to get away with this, which is why I am going to report him to the lawyer. I am not being spiteful but he broke the will clause and as an adult, he knew the consequences of his actions. 


First order of the day, I ask Pule to forward the evidence to Mr. Mbatha and then get ready for work. I am heading over to F&S because this is the final week before the fashion show. I am pretty sure I will find everything upside down but I have hope that everyone is handling things well, especially Justin, because the last time I saw him, he was not coping well under the pressure he was put in. 


I arrive at F&S and immediately when I step into the lobby, I feel at ease and at home, a feeling I don't think I will ever get at MT. Fabs and Stitches is and will always be my home. It is my first baby and I am only realizing now that my heart will never leave this place. After obtaining the knowledge I need to run MT, I just have to find a way to balance my work life between fashion and technology. I head over to the fashion department just to check on how everything is going on. I bump into some of the models rushing in with their heels. It seems like they got here early. I see Justin putting on some flashy top on one of the models and I walk over to them. 


"How is everyone doing this morning?" I ask and Justin looks at me before smiling. 

"I think things are finally coming together. I just need to finish stitching up this top and then add some of my details just to spice things up." He responds with a smile. At least he is not panicking this time around. 

"Did Thaziba give you some of the secret stash?" 


He giggles and nods. "It does wonders and takes away the nerves." 

I chuckle. Thaziba is a drunkard and I really don't mind as long as she delivers on time and never shows up to work drunk. She always keeps a single bottle of Lubelihle wines on her office. "That's good to know. Just don't get addicted and lose focus on your work. You have a rare talent, that's why I brought you in. Don't make me regret it." 


His face turns serious instantly. "I promise I won't. I am going to make you proud and not fail your brand." 

I smile. "That is good to hear. Let me check other things. Keep up the good work." I proceed to my office where I find Ginni already waiting for me. 


"Morning Miss Myeni. How nice of you to join us this Monday morning. You are looking beautiful as ever." She compliments and I chuckle. I already know that she is being sarcastic and we probably have a lot of work to do. 

"Hey, Ginni in the bottle. What is happening? How is our schedule looking this morning?" 


"We have a final fitting with Thaziba in 10 minutes and then we have the interviews for the CEO position immediately after that in boardroom 2. After that we have a brunch meeting with Couture Joburg because they wanna cover the entire show. Then we are having lunch with the minister at Juanita's Savoury." 


"Minister as in my mom?" She nods. Ow fuck. Why did she schedule a meeting with me? Is this a normal mother-daughter catch up session or more of an interrogation? And why could she not just invite me like a normal mother would? This is all too fishy for me. 

"Then after that lunch, we have to..., wait, aren't you going to MT after lunch or you will be with us for the rest of the day? Because if you are leaving, then I can schedule the rest of the plans for tomorrow or another day." 

"No I am here for the rest of the week. The staff at MT usually knock off at 7 to 8, so I will head there later just to check in and see if there are some things that need me." 


"Okay, would you like breakfast  in the mean time? Hot water and honey, right?" That's as close as I can get to tea. 

"And toast." 

"Sure." She rushes out and a few minutes later, she returns with my breakfast. This one is a keeper. I wish I can take her with me to MT but she belongs in the fashion world and I wouldn't take that away from her.


***


"So why do you think you are fit for this job? What makes you stand out from the other candidates?" Cilwane asks. He is the head of HR. 

The candidate, Arabella, smiles before responding. She seems pretty confident and very experienced. I am just not sure if she is the right fit for our company, our brand. That's not me being racist or anything, just stating the facts. "I am driven by passion and fashion is my passion. I don't just keep up with the latest trends, but I make sure that my designs or my brand is always part of the conversation and only good things are said about it. I believe that my positive vibe and energy is exactly what this company needs." 


"Are you saying that it lacks positive vibe and energy?" Penelope, the head of the fashion department, asks the question that is on my mind. The girl is confident but maybe too confident for this company. 

"Before you answer, Miss Lightwood, this is not a temporary position. It's an interim one since our CEO will be taking a leave of absence due to academic reasons. Not that we don't like change and enthusiasm. That is good, but you must bear in mind that it's not permanent. Meaning when you leave, you will leave with your positive vibes and all. Are you willing to join the company for a lower position after being CEO for 6 months?" Cilwane asks. 


Arabella clears her throat. "I am not saying that the company lacks positive vibes and energy. I just feel like as a new addition, I can bring in a lot to the table. Also I don't mind being an interim CEO. We all have t start somewhere, right?" 

I lean forward and look straight into her eyes. "Here is a scenario, Miss Lightwood. You are preparing for a fashion show to launch one of the new designers, and no fashion show is bigger than the other in this company, and the new designer gets cold feet a few days before the show and start lashing out on everyone and throwing around fits. How do you handle that situation as a CEO and the number one brand ambassador of the company?" 


I see her left eye twitching and I chuckle inwardly. That's a no from me. "We are all adults at the end of the day. No one should be treated harshly just because you are going through some crisis. I would call that designer into order or discipline them harshly in front of everyone that they lashed out on. No matter how stressed you are, you should never take it out on a person." 


"But we are talking about a new designer here. Someone who is not used to the pressure and everything." Penelope adds and even before Arabella can respond, I cut the interview short. 

"I think we have gathered all we need from Miss Lightwood. Thank you for your time. We will be in touch. Have a nice day." She stands up and heads out without a single word. 

"One entitled bitch after another. Who did we murder, kanti?" Cilwane asks and I laugh. The next candidate walks in and stands before us. "You may sit down, Miss, you're Kendra Timbers?" And she is black. I was expecting another white woman. Seeing the name and all. 


She smiles. "I am surprisingly black and British. Nice to meet you all. May I sit?" Her accent though. It's giving Bridgerton vibes. 

"You may sit." Penelope responds and Miss England sits down. I don't know but there is something about her that I like. Not just the colour of her skin but some low-key confidence that I am detecting. "Tell us more about yourself." 


"I am Kendra Timbers. 31 years of age and recently divorced. I had a boutique in New Castle which was running successfully for 5 years but when I decided to part ways with my husband, we had to sell it and divide the money since he invested in it. I have been making clothes since I was a baby. I went to London School of Fashion for my degree and have been travelling to different countries just to get a sense of their fashion and then come up with a diverse taste that confuses a lot of people but most people that are educated in fashion recognizes the true art or meaning behind each clothing I produce." 


"You do realize that being the interim CEO of Fabs & Stitches doesn't mean producing couture level clothes and hoping people with a great sense of fashion will purchase them, right?" Cilwane asks. "We are a huge company and we cater to different fashion styles, including the type of clothes that are only fit for a runway, clothes that artists wear on occasion, clothes that I wanna wear to wear, basically any type of clothes and we have to make sure that people buy what we are selling in order to keep this company afloat. Is that something that is at the back of your mind?" 


Kendra smiles. "I understand, sir. I can describe myself as a versatile designer. I can adapt into many different styles. So keeping the vision and objective of the company alive won't be a problem." 

I like her. "What do you think about coping mechanisms in the work space?" 

"Is that a trick question?" I laugh and shake my head. "Fashion is very stressful and sometimes you just need a glass of wine to calm down and proceed with your work peacefully. I am not saying that is legal, but a necessity rather." 


Penelope laughs. "You are hired, Miss Timbers." She frowns and looks at me. I just chuckle. 

"I like your honesty and your confidence. I believe that my company will be in great hands until I come back. So welcome to our organization." Her eyes pop out. I am pretty sure she though that alcohol related question was a ploy to get rid of her. 


***


By the time I arrive at the restaurant, mom is already waiting for me while sipping on her coffee quietly. I sit down opposite her and put my bag on the table. She knows. God, I know she knows. You know when a parent is setting you up to come clean. Your gut have a way of warning you. 


"I was going to tell you though." I start off and she chuckles but doesn't look at me. "But mom come on. I am an adult. You trust me enough to handle these type of situations by myself and I am handling this the best way I can." 

"By letting a naive girl die for one stupid mistake of trusting a pathetic boy?" 

I clear my throat. "She intended to kill me. Whatever happens to her is because of her actions." 

She scoffs. "You are a coward. You never punish the messenger. Maybe a light punishment to teach them a lesson but the bigger punishment is always reserved for the actual perpetrator and you are letting him go with a slap on the wrist." 


I pout and look the other way. "I submitted enough evidence to Mbatha. He will reverse Simo's inheritance." 

"Then what? When the inheritance is gone, he will have nothing to lose and he will come for you guns blazing." 

"What do I do then, ma? How shall I handle this situation according to you?" 

She rolls her eyes and sits back. "I have got it handled." Dear God.