Chapter 47 A New Start
Jean and Ben went to the parking lot. As the car door opened, a strong scent permeated Jean’s nose. It was a fruity perfume fragrance, one that would be used by young women. Jean blanked for a moment before entering the car.
“If she finds fault with you again, you can tell me right away. I’ll help you out.” Ben seemed peeved.
“It’s alright. I’ll just avoid her the next time.” Jean put on her seatbelt. They happened to be meeting up with Sonny for a discussion about the next competition and decided to go together.
Ben glanced at her. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.
With a foot on the accelerator, they headed west.
As they stopped at an intersection, a figure at the side of the road waved toward them.
It was a young teenage girl. She clutched a designer handbag. It was obvious that her family was well off. She kept staring at Ben.
Jean realized the situation.
When Jean called Ben, he came in a short time. He must have been nearby, plus he wouldn’t have gone to the shopping mall on his own.
“Should I just hail a taxi?” Jean asked.
Holding the steering wheel, he muttered, “It’s fine. It’s just some family stuff.”
Before Jean could speak, the girl was by their car.
Ben furrowed his eyebrows as he rolled down the car window. “This is the middle of the road. It’s dangerous.”
“I know. I just wanted to say hello. The driver will be here for me soon.”
She smiled brightly like the sun at midday and waved at Jean. “Jean, I hope you will all win again in the next competition. Good luck!”
She left smiling before Ben could reprimand her.
As the traffic light turned green, he frowned. “That little kid.”
Jean smiled wryly and shook her head. She looked out the window without any more words.
They managed to win first place in Goblet of Flames this time around. Dark Horse was in the spotlight for the first time in the year.
But Goblet of Flames, Thunderbolt Cup, and Arid Cup were famous racing competitions in the country. If they could win all the competitions, the racing crew’s record would be significantly improved.
Dark Horse may even enter the international competition without a hitch.
Sonny gathered the crew to improve the teamwork between the members. “I plan to have a closed training in the mountains next Monday. Does anyone have any objections?”
The drivers needed to train their physical fitness while the rest of the crew would need to improve their concentration and teamwork with the drivers as their focus.
“I’m not going.”
Jean had only agreed to work with the crew verbally the whole time. She just needed to be Ben’s co-driver in the competition.
Ben felt that it would be a shame if she didn’t join them. He pulled Jean. “The crew will pay for it. You don’t need to worry about the money.”
She shook her head. “It’s not about the money. I have a job now. If it wasn’t for the competition, I wouldn’t have been able to come.”
“You’ve found a job?” Ben was more surprised than she was.
She nodded, and Ben pulled her away from the others.
“Where’s the work? When will you start?” he asked anxiously.
Jean smiled. “Why are you more excited than I am? But you’ll definitely be moved if you know what company it is. Listen well. I’m working at MON & Co. as an intern.”
His eyebrow twitched. “No way! How did you manage to land a job there?”
“I’m not telling you. I’m starting tomorrow. They will reveal the details of the job then.”
Jean was thrilled.
She hadn’t had such a feeling for quite some time. Her life had been in the dark for too long.
The next day, Jean, dressed in a simple jean and white T-shirt outfit, went to MON & Co. early in the morning.
Glass windows covered the entire first floor. Numerous famous designers’ first designs were displayed. The most expensive item was worth hundreds of millions.
The front desk staff looked at Jean’s resume and hesitated. “Please follow me, Ms. Weller will be meeting you.”
Ms. Weller?
Jean thought that perhaps Ms. Weller was the person whom Zane had contacted.
They rode the elevator to the office on the second top floor. The style and design of the company shone through the row of golden jewelry ornaments in the office.
“That’s the office. You can just wait there.” The staff handed Jean a card with her name and photograph. “That’s the area for the top management. We’re not allowed in.”
Are they really that strict just to protect their designs?
Jean accepted the card. The staff had left before she could say thanks.
She took a deep breath. Swiping the card against the security scanner, she entered the area.
She waited for some time at the office door but Ms. Weller was nowhere to be seen. Half an hour later, she received a phone call telling her to report to the third floor.
When Jean rushed to the place, all twenty interns were gathered. She was the last one to arrive among them.
She calmly accepted the disapproving gazes from the others and apologized to the person-in-charge. “I apologize for being late. I went to the wrong office.”
The person-in-charge, Anna, was a plump woman of short stature.
She raised an eyebrow. “Everybody’s here waiting for you. You should apologize to them.”
The interns gave Jean a disparaging look. Jean apologized sincerely. “It was my mistake. I apologize to all of you.”
“Is she Jean Eyer? The Royden Group’s…”
“It is her! I wonder how she managed to get a spot here. MON & Co. have always been strict when they choose their interns. It took me more than six months to prepare myself.”
“Forget it. She may be a divorced lady, but she has more support behind the scenes than we do. She must have used her connections.”
The voices weren’t loud but were clear enough for all in the room to hear.
Jean didn’t respond to those people.
Anna was astounded by Jean’s lack of reaction. Displeased, she waved her hand. “That’s enough. Be careful next time.”
She was annoyed that she didn’t get to see Jean lash out at those words.
Jean stood at the end of the first row.
She came to Yorktown to live her own life and not to please anyone she met. Besides, Anna was probably just a small leader in the company.
Anna cleared her throat. “Alright, now everyone is here. This is a timetable for all of you to train under each department. Have a look and report to your designated department.”
Other than Jean, all the others crowded over the paper fixed on the whiteboard.
They turned back at her with a mystifying sympathetic look.
“Jean, you are assigned to Ms. Weller’s group. How lucky of you.”
Jean didn’t hear an ounce of sincerity in those words.
She went back to the office through the familiar path. Not a shadow was seen in the office.
Ms. Weller wasn’t present at the company at all. Someone in the company was making fun of Jean.
She was being set-up on her first day at work.
