Natalie forced a smile, unsure of how to respond to Dolores’ excessive praise. “Thank you very much. I appreciate it. But I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me,” she replied.
Laughing, Dolores patted Natalie on the shoulder. “No need to be so modest, Natalie!”
Natalie couldn’t help but notice Dolores’ overly familiar behavior. They had only known each other for two days, yet Dolores acted as if they were old friends. Clearing her throat, Natalie politely asked, “Was there something specific you wanted to discuss? If not, I should get back to work.”
Dolores smiled and suggested, “How about we grab some coffee? I just woke up from a nap, and I still feel a bit dizzy.”
Natalie saw no harm in that and followed Dolores into the tea room. As they found themselves alone, Dolores suddenly looked at Natalie with a serious exp**ssion.
“Natalie, you’ve been working here for quite some time, right?” Dolores asked, seeking confirmation.
Natalie focused on making coffee and didn’t look up. “Yes, it’s been almost a year. Why do you ask? Is something going on?”
“Mr. Wesley mentioned that we’re in charge of interviewing applicants, and I have a friend who’s eager to work here. We graduated from the same design school. I can’t bear to say no to him… Can you help me out?” Dolores requested, hoping for Natalie’s assistance.
Natalie tilted her head to the side, pondering the situation. “Well, if he’s your friend, I suppose there shouldn’t be an issue as long as he meets the required professional skills. However, we already have numerous applicants at this stage. Let’s see if he stands out among them.”
Dolores’ smile faded, and she exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! Doesn’t Natalie understand what I mean? I meant we don’t need to consider other candidates if we choose her friend directly!” She spoke slowly, winking at Natalie with a flattering smile.
This made Natalie extremely uncomfortable. She had always valued her work, and it was the first time she faced such an ethical dilemma. “Let’s see how his interview goes first,” Natalie replied, deliberately giving Dolores a vague answer.
The interview began promptly at three in the afternoon. Dolores wore a disappointed exp**ssion throughout the process, while Natalie maintained her professionalism. If Dolores’ friend truly possessed exceptional talent, they would be welcomed without skipping the interview process. Natalie couldn’t help but feel that Dolores was underestimating her own design capabilities.
A few minutes later, Dolores’ friend arrived for the interview. As Natalie reviewed the portfolio, she realized that the designs were rather ordinary and not up to the standards of a prestigious studio like Marks & Co. There were many other outstanding candidates.
After Dolores’ friend left, Natalie turned to Dolores and said directly, “I’d like to see the other candidates.”
Dolores began collecting the resumes, intending to dismiss them. “There’s no need. I’ve already reviewed all the resumes and portfolios of the other applicants. She is the best choice.”
Natalie reached her limit and spoke coldly, “Dolores, you don’t have the final say in this interview.”
Her frank words caused Dolores to blush with anger. She angrily threw the resumes in front of Natalie. “I’m not lying! Take a look for yourself. There’s even one candidate with a significant career gap who recently resumed work. Moreover, she’s pregnant! Hiring her would only disrupt our workflow and create inconvenience if she has a child at home!”
“Call in the next candidate for the interview. They traveled a long way to be here. Let’s not disappoint them. It’s a matter of respect,” Natalie firmly stated.
With clenched teeth, Dolores had no choice but to proceed with the next candidate. “Hello, I am applicant number 108,” the woman introduced herself.
To Natalie’s surprise, it was Tasha standing before her, confirming her suspicions.
“Tasha, is that you?” Tasha was taken aback to see that the interviewer was Natalie.
“I knew Natalie worked at w Marks, but I never expected her to be the one interviewing me,” Tasha thought to herself.
Tasha had her reasons for coming to w Marks. After divorcing Seth, she received a substantial settlement and returned to her family, the Javis. The Javis family had arranged Tasha’s marriage to the Klein family for mutual benefit. However, now that she was divorced and the Klein family was facing financial difficulties, the Javis family felt ashamed. No-ve-loz-com. Adding to the complexity, Tasha was pregnant at the time, which made matters worse. Given all that had happened, it seemed unlikely that Tasha could remarry another wealthy man. This burdened the Javis family, and even some of her relatives began treating her coldly. Unable to bear it any longer, Tasha decided to move out.
Although money wasn’t an issue for her, she didn’t want to remain idle. Coincidentally, w Marks studio was hiring at the time. Draco, a renowned figure in the fashion industry, headed the studio. Tasha wanted to give it a try, so she submitted her resume.
