Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson)

I froze solid for a moment. It was as if I needed to double-check to ensure what I read in the email was real.

Yes, there was no mistake. Margaret, who parachuted to become the head of the Design Department, would be my direct supervisor.

"Jane, do you know her?" Christine noticed my offbeat reaction, waved a hand before my face, and voiced her guess.

I put down my phone, replying, "Yeah, Margaret is Bryant's half-sister, the one I mentioned to you before."

After graduation, everyone scattered to the winds, but Christine and I, having been thick as thieves since college, had made a pact to stay in RiverCity, come hell or high water.

Christine clicked her tongue. "Damn, talk about nepotism."

I stayed quiet, nodding along to what she was saying.

"Has Bryant lost his mind?" Christine didn't hold back on her complaints, venting on my behalf, "Why her? I've never even heard of her in the design circles. And Bryant, just like that, hands her the director's spot? And you, what does he think of you..."

"All right, that's enough." I cut her off gently, "It doesn't matter. If he wants to give it to me, he will."

And if he didn't, someone else would.

But since we were in the company cafe, I didn't think it necessary to air these thoughts out loud to avoid giving the gossipmongers any fodder.

"Do you have plans then?" Christine knew me well enough to guess. As we left the cafe and saw no one around, she sneaked a question, draping an arm over my shoulder.

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Christine pressed further, "Come on, Jane. Spill it."

I replied, "I guess you could say that, but I haven't decided yet."

Four years into my job, I'd never thought about jumping ship. The Ferguson Group felt like my comfort zone. Leaving would probably require a push, something, or someone to give me a push. Back in the office, I dove into designing a new limited edition for Christmas, skipping lunch.

Technically, it should've been a task for the director, but with the director's position vacant, it naturally fell to the deputy director, so I had to buckle down.

"Jane, coffee." Around two, my assistant Linda knocked and entered, placing a cup of coffee on my desk.

I smiled. "Thanks."

She saw me working on the design drafts, puzzled. "Jane, how can you stay calm enough to design? I heard the new boss didn't even go through a proper interview process. She just took the director's position. Aren't you mad?"

I chuckled wryly, unsure of what to say.

'Mad? Of course, I'm mad. But it isn't something I can discuss with a subordinate.' I thought.

"Everyone, listen up." Outside the office, a commotion arose as Kevin gathered everyone together.

Through the glass, the scene in the public office area was clear as day.

In a custom-tailored dark suit, Bryant stood with his hands in his pockets, exuding an air of aloof nobility just by being there. Beside him, Margaret, who was poised and confident, glanced at Bryant with a subdued expression as if seeking help.

He frowned slightly, showing signs of impatience, but still indulged her.

In a calm voice, he introduced her, "This is Margaret Ferguson, the new head of the Design Department. I hope everyone will cooperate with her."

Margaret looked at him with disdain. "Why so serious?"

Then, with a chill and friendly grin, she turned to everyone and said, "Don't mind it. I'm easy to talk to and won't be stirring things up just because I'm new. Feel free to talk to me if there's anything I'm not doing right."

With the CEO backing her, the atmosphere naturally turned harmonious.

Linda couldn't hold back, making a face. "Oh come on, talk about nepotism. She clearly snagged the job."

I was already feeling out of sorts, but hearing her tone, I couldn't help but laugh a bit.