Chapter 107: Chapter 107

Chapter 107:

When Eileen returned to the shop with coffee, Aniya had already finished serving the customer and was emerging from the break room.

Seeing Eileen, Aniya paused, hurried over to take the coffee, and said to the customer, “Sorry for making you wait.”

To Eileen’s surprise, Aniya refrained from criticizing Eileen’s slowness. She raised an eyebrow as she watched Aniya hand the coffee to the customer and say goodbye.

Essie and Aniya then huddled together, whispering and casting wary glances toward Eileen.

“Eileen, a customer is waiting for you in the VIP room,” Essie declared, her arms crossed.

Startled, Eileen, leaving her clothes by the door, turned her gaze toward the VIP lounge.

“Eileen, we’ve had a healthy competition since you started here. We haven’t made it more difficult for you here, so you shouldn’t do that to us either. We’re all colleagues here. From now on, let’s support each other,” Aniya proposed, her friendliness sounding slightly strained.

Confused by their change in tone, Eileen ignored them and headed into the VIP lounge.

Essie, pulling at Aniya’s arm anxiously, whispered, “Eileen actually knows Miss Warren, the future wife of the CEO of Apex Group! What if they’re really close? What if Eileen complains about us to Miss Warren?”

“We haven’t bullied her,” Aniya reassured. She then suggested, “Let’s wait outside and listen to what they’re discussing—”

They discreetly positioned themselves outside the lounge to eavesdrop.

Inside, Eileen was taken aback to find Vivian and Megan lounging on the sofa.

Møɍɛ ųρɗα†єş ıŋ ɢαℓŋσνєƖş.ƈσʍ Vivian beamed, pleased not only to have found Eileen but also to see her in such a humble role.

“Miss Warren, Miss Beckett,” greeted Eileen, quickly adopting a professional demeanor. “Welcome. Are you here to order?”

“I found out you worked here, so I came to see you,” Vivian responded, her posture poised and crossed.

“Thank you, Miss Warren, for your concern. I’m managing quite well here,” Eileen replied.

Megan laughed mockingly, “Eileen, surely you don’t think we came just to see you, right?”

The hostility was palpable. Eileen knew they were not there to visit her but to stir up trouble.

However, Megan didn’t seem to realize Eileen’s politeness was insincere.

After chuckling, Megan’s expression turned to irritation, and she rolled her eyes at Eileen.

Eileen just smiled again in response.

“Since we’ve come all this way, let us take a look at the gowns,” Vivian suggested, rising to peruse the haute couture gowns. She nonchalantly pointed to two dresses. “Take those two down for me to try.”

“Okay,” Eileen replied, her tone neutral, as she carefully removed the gowns from the mannequins.

Megan quickly selected two gowns for herself as well.

Eileen prepared tea and pastries, positioning herself outside the changing rooms to wait.

Before long, Vivian emerged, glanced at herself in the mirror, and declared the gowns unsuitable before retreating to try another.

Unsatisfied, she continued to pick three more dresses, each time returning the unsuitable dress to Eileen.

Megan followed suit, and soon, Eileen was holding a stack of about eight rejected gowns.

Throughout, Eileen’s expression remained courteous, a polite smile never leaving her face.

Observing this, Vivian pushed the boundaries further. She flopped down on the sofa, exhausted, and gestured at two more gowns, “I’m tired of changing. Just bring those two here so I can feel the fabric.”

Without a word, Eileen fetched the gowns, presenting them to Vivian, who briefly felt the material before handing them off to Megan.

The mannequins in the lounge soon all stood bare, along with several racks that had been emptied.

Eileen had presented the gowns with the hangers, but Megan had removed them from their hangers and carelessly piled the gowns onto the sofa.

“I haven’t found anything I like. I’m quite thirsty,” Vivian said. “This tea has gone cold. It’s no problem to replace it, right?”

“No problem,” Eileen answered, taking the cooled tea away and promptly returning with steaming cups. “Please enjoy.”

Vivian raised an eyebrow, then requested, “I don’t like tea. Bring me a cup of coffee instead.”

“I don’t drink tea, either. I’d prefer some juice,” Megan chimed in, exchanging a knowing look with Vivian, clearly enjoying the inconvenience they were causing Eileen.

However, Eileen wasn’t as flustered as they had anticipated. She quickly swapped for the requested juice and coffee.

Vivian then complained that her coffee was too bitter and requested another type, and Megan asked for ice in her juice.

Regarding the pastries on the table, Megan complained that some were too sweet, others too dry, and a few simply unappealing.

After three hours had fallen, the lounge was in disarray, with gowns scattered across the sofa.

The table was cluttered with various drinks and pastries.

Vivian finally decided to leave after receiving a call from her parents. She stood up and grabbed her purse. As she walked past Eileen, she smiled wryly. “Seeing you just puts me in a bad mood. I don’t feel like buying anything today. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not,” Eileen responded, maintaining her professional demeanor with a steady smile.

Despite Vivian’s provocations, Eileen kept her cool. “This way, please. I’ll walk you out.”

She opened the door to the lounge and escorted Vivian and Megan out.

Seeing them emerge, Charli approached with a smile. “Miss Warren, thank you for visiting. Please follow me to pay the bill.”

“Pay for what?” Vivian looked back at Eileen and remarked, “The gowns weren’t quite to our liking. Are we obligated to purchase anything?”

For the past three hours, Charli, Essie, and Aniya had believed that Eileen was handling a lucrative deal.

They had assumed Eileen would have sold several gowns, but it turned out that wasn’t the case at all.

“By the way, the service here is subpar. Is there a way to file a complaint?” Megan asked.

Charli caught off guard and turned to look at Eileen.

Eileen, who stood a step behind, made no move to interject.

“Of course,” Essie replied, quickly fetching a complaint form from the counter. “It might be easier to write this down while sitting.”

Vivian led to another area to sit to complete the form.

Megan wrote the complaint first, and as she was about to hand the pen to Vivian after she finished writing, she swiftly added, “Miss Warren, just to clarify, guests together can only submit one complaint form.”

The implication was clear: Vivian’s and Megan’s grievances would be combined into a single complaint about Eileen. Vivian’s face clouded over, her displeasure evident.

Seeing that, Essie quickly added, “However, Miss Warren, you are welcome to come back and express further grievances on another visit. Also, after one complaint, Eileen will have a thousand deducted from her salary, and three complaints could lead to her dismissal.”

While speaking, Essie glanced at Eileen, who was being pulled aside by Charli for a private conversation.

Vivian, satisfied with what Essie had said, flashed a smile. “So that’s how it is. Then I won’t file a complaint today. See you tomorrow.”

As Essie and Aniya walked Vivian out, they secretly celebrated. The sight of the disarray in the lounge both shocked and excited them.

Facing Charli’s questioning gaze, Eileen just responded, “We have some personal grudges.”

Seeing the state of the lounge, Charli believed Eileen.

Charli advised, “You need to manage these situations better. Today, there have been no other customers; otherwise, it could have affected others. If they return tomorrow and you can’t handle it, it’s best to avoid them.”

Eileen nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you for the advice. I’ll be more cautious.”

“Alright everyone, clean up here and prepare to get off work afterward,” Charli instructed, motioning for Essie and Aniya to help clean the mess in the lounge.

However, Essie and Aniya flatly refused.

“This mess wasn’t our doing, so we shouldn’t have to clean it.”

“Essie and I already have plans after work. Eileen should handle the mess herself.”

Charli opened her mouth to object, but upon seeing Eileen already tackling the mess, she decided against further comment.

The custom-made gowns, crafted from delicate materials like silk, had been carelessly tossed aside and now required careful ironing before being hung.

The used cups needed washing and disinfecting, adding to the cleanup tasks.

By the time Eileen finished cleaning up, it was nearly midnight.

Exhausted and hungry, she rubbed her aching waist and allowed herself a brief respite on the sofa.

After a five-minute break, she surveyed the lounge, now restored to its pristine condition, grabbed her bag, and left the building.

The mall was eerily quiet now, patrolled only by security guards.

The streets outside were equally deserted, the biting cold wind whipping across Eileen’s face, adding to her discomfort.

“Eileen.” Atley’s voice came from his car parked on the roadside. As Eileen approached, he rolled down the window. “Why are you leaving so late from work?”

Caught off guard by Atley’s presence, Eileen replied, “I just cleaned up the store, Marshall.”

“Get in; I’ll drive you home,” Atley said, stretching out his arm to open the passenger door.

But Eileen quickly closed it from the outside, bending down to speak through the window, “Thank you, Marshall, but I live nearby. It’s just a few minutes’ walk; you should go home and rest as well.”

Without waiting for Atley’s response, she turned and walked away.

Atley sat there, his curiosity piqued. He was eager to learn more about Eileen.

The HR manager from headquarters had been tight-lipped about Eileen’s background, even advising him to inquire less and keep his distance.

Driven by his curiosity, Atley started his car and secretly followed Eileen. He trailed her for two streets until he saw her enter an upscale house.

Stunned, he wondered how Eileen could afford such a place.

At Apex Group headquarters, Raymond, looking visibly tired with dark circles under his eyes, updated Bryan on his work tasks. After he finished, he didn’t leave; instead, he said to Bryan, “Mr. Dawson, these tasks aren’t that urgent. They can be handled tomorrow.”

It was already midnight, exhaustion evident in Raymond’s demeanor.

“Arrange a visit to the Vicin Mall tomorrow morning,” Bryan instructed, not looking up from his work.

Raymond’s pulse quickened, realizing the significance of the sudden task as he hurried to arrange the visit.

At three in the morning, Bryan finally put down his massaged eyebrows and got up. He walked over to the window and lit a cigarette, trying to revive himself with the nicotine.

The reflection on the window showed his face obscured by smoke, his mood visibly irritable.

A sudden thought struck him, and he reached for the internal phone. “Eileen, come in.”

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