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Couture and Consequences
Couture and Consequences
작가: Cocojam

Chapter 1

작가: Cocojam
My five-year marriage with Alexander was like a couture gown, ripped to shreds.

"I want Victoria to show your collection for the New York Fashion Week spring preview."

My husband Alexander's voice cut through the sketch I was working on.

I stopped drawing.

I must have heard him wrong.

"What did you say?"

"Victoria is new. She needs a platform. Your new spring collection is the perfect springboard for her."

"You're a showstopper every year. What's the harm in giving her one shot?" he asked, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.

"Besides, the brand needs new blood."

I stared at the man I'd spent five years with. Suddenly, his face looked sharp, unfamiliar.

"Do you have any idea how many nights I've stayed up working on this collection? And you want to give it to some new assistant?"

"Evelyn, don't be so petty. It's just a preview."

His expression turned cold. "I've already decided."

I clenched my fists, a thousand emotions churning inside me.

Fine. If you're going to treat me like this, don't blame me for leaving you.

...

My husband and I have been married for five years.

I never thought that he would steal the collection I designed and just hand it over to an assistant who'd been here for two weeks.

When the spotlights came up for the preview, Victoria glided down the runway in the silk gown I designed.

The betrayal hit me like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head.

The fashion critics in the audience looked at Victoria with awe.

Brand owners were nodding in eager approval.

I even heard someone whisper, "This new talent is one to watch."

"Her design language is so mature and bold, on par with a senior designer who's been in the business for over a decade!"

I sat in the last row, watching a girl seven years younger than me wear the suit I had cut with my own hands.

She lifted her hand gracefully, pointing out details that were mine, explaining my design concept as if it were her own.

Alexander sat in the front row, his eyes filled with an unconcealed pride, as if he'd just discovered a diamond in the rough.

At the party after the show, he even raised a toast, calling Victoria Alex Fashion's brightest new star, an example for everyone.

My nails dug into my palms under the table, hard enough to draw blood.

When the party was over, I waited for Alexander right outside his private lounge.

He saw me, his face still flushed with excitement, his eyes shining. He had no idea a storm was coming.

"Evelyn, did you see that? Victoria is so talented! Your designs looked perfect on her!"

I took a deep breath. The sweet smell of champagne made me sick.

"Alexander, those are my designs."

He paused for a second, then waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, that."

"I just thought Victoria needed a chance, so I let her try out your collection."

Try out.

The work of my last three sleepless months was, to him, just a toy for an assistant to "try out."

"Do you know what this collection means to me? It was my entry for this year's Paris Fashion Design Competition!"

A flicker of guilt crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by that same sense of entitlement.

"You win awards every year anyway. What's the big deal if you let her have this one?"

"Besides, it's just the spring preview. It's not like the actual competition in Paris."

I felt a cold hand clutch my chest. The blood was roaring in my ears.

"Alexander, what am I to you?"

He seemed shaken by my cold tone and looked away. He reached out to put a hand on my shoulder, a weak attempt to comfort me.

"Don't be like this. Victoria is just a kid. She's fresh out of school, so young, no connections. I just wanted to help her out."

I turned and walked away. I couldn't stand to hear another word. It felt like death by a thousand cuts.

I heard him call my name behind me, but I didn't look back.

I didn't even slow down.
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  • Couture and Consequences   Chapter 9

    In the end, due to the massive amount of money involved, Victoria was sentenced to twelve years in prison and ordered to pay back every cent she stole.But most of the money was already gone, either spent or scammed away from her. The amount they could recover was less than half a million dollars—a meaningless sum compared to the brand's huge losses.Alex Fashion ultimately went into bankruptcy liquidation. Alexander himself had his credit destroyed and was hounded by debt collectors. The man who once graced magazine covers was now a pariah.The young star of the fashion world had, overnight, become a debt-ridden failure everyone avoided.He had to sell his luxury home and his fancy cars and move into a rundown apartment. The friends and partners who used to swarm around him now treated him like he had the plague.What made it even more painful was that the entire industry was laughing at him. Everyone called him a brainless fool, scammed out of his entire fortune by a girl in her

  • Couture and Consequences   Chapter 8

    Sure enough, it wasn't long before we heard news of Victoria.The police tracked her down through several large purchases she made at luxury stores in Paris. With the stolen money, she was living the high life, staying in the fanciest hotels, floating between high-society parties, and throwing cash around like it was water.But Victoria's good times didn't last.At a private club, she met a man who claimed to be a Russian energy tycoon. He was handsome, wealthy, and pursued her aggressively. He told her he had an investment opportunity with an incredibly high rate of return that could double her money in no time.Blinded by greed and vanity, Victoria didn't think twice. She invested most of the money she had left.The result was predictable. The "Russian tycoon" was a member of an international fraud ring. Not only did Victoria lose everything, but she was scammed out of nearly three million dollars.When she realized what had happened, she went to confront him, only to be beaten

  • Couture and Consequences   Chapter 7

    Two months later, there was a new development in Victoria's case.Daniel told me that by tracing international bank transfers, the police confirmed Victoria had indeed drained the brand's accounts of a massive sum, totaling four million dollars.Part of that money was startup capital Alex Fashion had set aside for a new product line. The other part was from a loan he’d taken out, using his studio and home as collateral.Victoria's scam was brilliant, in a twisted way.First, she used Alexander's absolute trust in her to "offer" to help him manage the brand's finances. At the time, he’d even bragged to a friend, "Victoria is such a good person. Not only is she talented, but she's so responsible. She's helping me carry the weight when I need it most."Next, Victoria faked a series of documents for an overseas luxury investment project. She sold it to Alexander as a golden opportunity that could save the brand. The paperwork looked flawless, and Alexander was completely mesmerized by t

  • Couture and Consequences   Chapter 6

    In the first month after the divorce, I launched my own independent fashion label: "Evelyn."Thanks to the reputation and contacts I’d built over the years, the studio quickly landed orders from several top-tier fashion houses.I also poached a few of the best pattern makers and designers from Alex Fashion. They had long been fed up with Victoria's antics and Alexander's cluelessness, and they were eager to follow me.Meanwhile, I heard from friends that things at Alex Fashion were going from bad to worse.Without my core designs, the brand's new collection had no spark, nothing that could set a new trend. Several major partners voiced their deep dissatisfaction.Even worse, Victoria was starting to show her true colors at the company.According to my old colleagues, she was acting like she owned the place, ordering everyone around. She convinced Alexander to make her the new Creative Director. He hesitated, but after a few sweet words from her in private, he agreed.The problem was, V

  • Couture and Consequences   Chapter 5

    "You want to divorce me… because of Victoria?"I shook my head."It's not because of her. It's because of you. Because you don't trust me, you don't respect me, and… because you’re a fool.""How have I not respected you?" he shot back, his voice rising with the anger of someone who’s just been called out."The moment you started giving away my life's work like it was nothing, respect was dead."Alexander's face grew even darker."That's all small stuff! We can talk about it, we can fix it!""It might be small stuff to you, but to me, it was my soul. It was my bottom line."I pointed to the papers on the table."I've thought this through. Just sign it."Alexander slammed his hand on the table, his face a mask of fury and disbelief."I'm not signing! We still have feelings for each other. We have a daughter!""I'll raise our daughter," I cut in. "You can see her whenever you want.""Evelyn, are you really going to be this heartless?"Watching him rage, I wasn't made of stone. My heart di

  • Couture and Consequences   Chapter 4

    The next day, I discovered that the core design files for my Paris Fashion Design Competition entry had been completely deleted from my computer.Even the recycling bin was wiped clean.Those designs were everything I had been working on. They were the cornerstone of the independent brand I was planning to launch to finally get away from Alexander.I called IT immediately.The technician told me the files had been manually targeted and erased at eleven o'clock last night.At eleven last night, I was already home. The only people still at the office were the night guard and... Victoria.The security footage confirmed my suspicion. Not only had Victoria stayed late, but she had also been caught on camera sneaking into my temporary office.When I threw the evidence in front of Alexander, his reaction sent my blood running cold."She probably just wanted to study your design process and deleted them by accident. Stop assuming the worst. She's just learning the ropes, what's so wrong wit

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