Sometimes Hate is Enough

Chapter 30

Seven years later

Arnav

Delhi

"Aman, I want you to clear my schedule after 4 tomorrow." I said as I flipped my way through the design catalog and glanced at my laptop.

"I'll line them up for Sunday then." He asked from somewhere opposite my desk.

"No, not Sunday. Do it for Friday." I stopped at a design, and I pressed my tongue on the wall of my cheek as I felt my eyebrows tug with irritation because I couldn't find what I was looking for. I wanted something entirely different for next year's summer collection, but the designers—they were not able to bring out what I had in mind on paper. They... Chum-chum-chum... I closed my eyes for a second and took a moment to breathe before opening them again and focusing back on my work.

No sooner than Aman left, I heard the door of my cabin swing open again without any knock, and my mood only worsened, but I didn't look up. I flipped another page as I heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor. There is only one person in this whole office who'll enter my cabin without knocking. I breathed heavily through my nose as my frown deepened before I closed the file, slammed it loudly on the table, and then leaned back on my chair.

"What is wrong with your people?" I asked as I looked up at the nuisance standing opposite me. "Why can't any of you designers make anything good for the season?"

Neha, Head of Design, pressed her lips tightly before exhaling slowly through her teeth, then looked me in the eyes. "My designers have been working and making new and very, I repeat, very unique designs for the last 5 months, and most of them were good enough to challenge other international brands in the upcoming fashion week, but you," She glared at me with wide, angry eyes as acquisition laced most of her features, while her voice gradually rose with each word she spoke. "You've been rejecting all of them for god knows what reason, then refused to tell us why you are doing so, and now...you have the audacity to question their talent?"

"Yes, I have the audacity to question their talent, and yours too, along the way—because I know what I hired. I know where I invested. And I know that you lot can do much better than those piles of bullshit you like to call work." I answered firmly, even though I felt my temper flare, because no one has ever spoken to me like that other than... Chum-chum-chum... I controlled myself because, no matter how big of a nuisance this girl was, she was at least talented enough to belong here at AR.

"You have been making us work like slaves for months now! We can barely go home." She replied back after she looked down on the ground, but her voice shook a little as she gripped her phone tightly. "Tina and Pooja—our newest recruits—literally started to work in this office for 3 days, but they don't even have time to breathe peacefully. Why?" She paused to look up at me. "Because our boss is making us do the work of three fashion houses—even assistant designers, like them, don't have time to eat or take a tea break." Then she slowly shook her head. "And don't get me started on the senior designers."

I pressed my tongue on the wall of my cheek as I looked at her, before avoiding her nonsense, calmly saying, "Don't forget that I'm your boss, Neha. And you do not hold the authority to question me."