Chapter 24: The Faded White Suit
Chapter 24: The Faded White Suit
In a small, windowless office in the Garment District, Regina Blake sat at a cheap laminate desk.
She had finally found employment as a mid-level quality control consultant for a mass-market retail brand.
She wore one of her old white suits, but it was slightly frayed at the cuffs now. The dry-cleaning bills were too high to maintain its pristine perfection.
A young, stressed intern walked into her office, dropping a pile of fabric swatches on her desk.
"Regina, the manager needs these sorted by color code before five," the intern said briskly, not bothering to use a title or show any deference.
Regina looked at the cheap, synthetic fabrics.
A year ago, she would have thrown the swatches at the intern's head and fired her on the spot.
Now, Regina simply nodded, her expression hollow.
"I'll have them done," she said quietly.
As the intern walked away, Regina caught a glimpse of a fashion magazine sitting on a nearby chair. The cover featured Maya Brooks, smiling brightly, under the headline: The Architect of the New Era.
May you like
Regina didn't tear the magazine. She didn't scream.
She just picked up a pen and silently began sorting the cheap swatches.
