Page 8 of Aquarius Awakening
“Not at all, but for once, we did agree on something,” I explained.
“That’s new. What did you guys agree on?” she asked as she tilted her head.
“Our marriage is over. I suggested we take a break, but my dear husband had to let me know he was over it a long time ago. You know he can’t ever say anything without going for the jugular. He always wants to hurt me,” I dismally stated.
I wiped the tears from my face. My lips quivered as I tried to stop a full breakdown. I felt like all I had done these past couple of years was cry. I’d gone from crying over being unable to conceive to mourning the loss of my marriage.
Milani looked at me with a saddened expression. She then reached over to pass me the box of tissues in the corner of my desk. “And how are you feeling about all of this? It’s one thing to have scenarios in your head, but hearing him say that must have been hard. I’m sorry he’s such an asshole.”
I took a deep breath to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. There was no time for tears. I had a business to run. If I didn’t get my head in the game, my team wouldn’t eat.
“It’s been a long time coming. Now, I need to move on from this. When you said I would know when I was tired, you ain’t ever lied. To hear Mason call me a whore first thing in the morning was it for me. I told him I was tired of being his punching bag,” I choked out.
Milani stood up and walked over to my side of the desk. She pulled me out of my chair and gave me a hug.
“I’m proud of you. I know it wasn’t easy, but one day, all of this will be a distant memory,” she whispered in my ear. After a few moments, she let me go.
“I’m going to need to stay at the rental a little longer. Can you see if they will extend my stay?”
“I’ll take care of that for you. If they can’t, I’ll find you somewhere equally fabulous to stay,” she teased.
“Girl, let me go into this bathroom and touch up my makeup. Can you gather everyone in the conference room? I’ll be out in fifteen minutes,” I stated.
Milani nodded in agreement as she exited my office. I went into the bathroom in my suite to get myself together. As I looked in the mirror, those sad eyes were once again staring back at me. Milani was right. I did look thinner than usual. Today was the last day of looking in the mirror and not recognizing myself. I touched up my makeup before making my way to the conference room.
Everyone was present as I was the last one to arrive. “Good morning, everyone. I’m so excited to see what y’all have been working on,” I greeted the team.
Leon was the first to speak up. “We are excited to show you. How about we get started?” he offered.
I nodded in agreement as he called the first model. Leon smiled as she walked out in a pink and white bikini with a pink ribbon that represented breast cancer. Each year, we chose a cause to support, and this year, it was breast cancer. One of our designers’ mothers had been diagnosed, so it was a moment that hit close to home for the team. The bikini was cute, but there wasn’t much to design since we only incorporated the pink ribbon. Luckily, it wasn’t the focal point of the show.
The next model walked out in a multicolored two-piece with sequins. It was cute, and the custom aviators that she wore went perfectly. There was a sarong that completed the look. We were off to a good start. In total, we would need ten pieces. I didn’t expect all the pieces to be completed today.
One by one, the models walked out in various looks. I continued to look at the models while remaining silent. It was hard to keep a poker face because I was annoyed. When the last model left the conference room, I was relieved.
“What did you think? It was hot, right?” Leon excitedly asked.
“Did we look at the same thing? The first two pieces will work, but the rest will not work,” I informed him.
“What do you mean?”
“We talked about this the other day. I told you I didn’t like those designs, yet I’m seeing them again. Did you listen to any of the feedback I gave you?” I asked him.
“I heard what you said, but I disagreed. The designs look great to me,” Leon replied.
All I could do was shake my head. I knew when we met the other day that his behavior toward me felt dismissive. “Leon, I didn’t approve the designs the other day, and I’m not putting them in my show. We will have to go back to the drawing board,” I calmly stated.
“I’m not trashing them. I think you have been in the game so long that you are losing your eye,” he responded.
I was two seconds from losing it. When Leon had authorized things without my approval, I knew he had lost his mind. Now, he stood in front of me as if his behavior was okay.
“You may like the designs, but they don’t follow the vibe of the Love Faith brand. As the owner and founder of this company, I have the final say. I need some new designs, and they need to happen quickly. We’re running out of time,” I advised.
“I can’t work under these conditions. I quit!” Leon yelled as he twirled out of the room.
I stood there numb and irritated. He couldn’t even quit without being dramatic. Leon was a real piece of work. After all the years of us working together, this was how he chose to end things. I stormed out of the conference room and back to my office. Milani was on my heels as she entered my office right behind me.
“What am I going to do?” I asked her.
