A Chance to Prove Herself

Chloe hurried into the building, praying she wouldn't be late. She signed in at the front desk, barely slowing down, and made straight for the department's team office. Her bag landed on her desk with a dull thud. She didn't even stop to catch her breath. Ms. Victoria was standing near the window with a file in her hand, and Chloe crossed the floor to her at once.

"Good morning, Ms. Victoria."

"Good morning, Chloe." Ms. Victoria looked up. "Yes?"

"I finished the profile on Chef Caleb that you requested." Chloe held out a thick file with both hands. "There's also a proposal for our collaboration."

Ms. Victoria's brows lifted. "Goodness. Did you finish all of this in one day?"

"I already had a few ideas from the last recommendation," Chloe explained. "So it didn't take very long."

Ms. Victoria took the file, slipped her glasses on, and began to read. The room seemed to quiet around her. She turned the pages slowly until her finger stopped on a single line.

"White kimchi ravioli?"

"Yes, ma." Chloe straightened. "I wanted to bring a hint of Korean flavor to the dish, so I thought of using white kimchi as part of the filling."

"Hmm." Ms. Victoria nodded, considering the idea. "Interesting. And since it's kimchi, it could certainly work for mass production."

She continued turning the pages until a photograph made her pause. A man's face looked back at her from the paper.

"And what is this?"

"Oh, that." Chloe gave a small, sheepish smile. "I thought President Adrian and the other directors might not know much about Chef Caleb or his background. So I compiled some reviews of his dishes from social media."

Ms. Victoria read in silence for a moment.

"Hmm... these are quite good. And the chef is handsome." She gave a soft laugh. "Wow. He's really popular with women."

"Yes, ma. I think that could work in our favor when we market the products to customers in their twenties and thirties," Chloe added.

Ms. Victoria tapped the page thoughtfully. "But white kimchi ravioli. Don't you think that's a bit risky?"

"I've thought about that too." Chloe had been prepared for the question. "We could test different fillings to see which one customers prefer. If the ravioli doesn't appeal to them, we could also consider developing a separate dumpling product using beef or kimchi. That way, we would have other options."

Ms. Victoria closed the file and studied the young woman in front of her. She was impressed by the effort Chloe had put into the proposal, and she didn't hide it.

After dismissing Chloe, she remained seated for a few minutes, thinking. One thing had become clear to her. Chloe had done the research and developed the idea herself. It was only right that she should have the opportunity to present it.

"Chloe, please come. I have something to tell you," she called.

Chloe appeared at the office door within moments.

"Yes, ma? You sent for me?"

"I want to give you the opportunity to present this proposal to the company at the board meeting." Ms. Victoria smiled, watching her reaction.

Chloe stared at her, momentarily speechless.

The board meeting?

In front of President Adrian and all the other directors?

Her mind went blank. She had prepared the proposal, but presenting it to the company's leadership was an entirely different matter.

"Yes, ma," she managed to say. "I would be honored."

She walked out of the office with her thoughts tangled and her chest full of doubt.

I can't do this, she thought. How am I supposed to give a presentation in front of the president?

The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. She had never presented anything in front of so many important people before. What if she forgot her words? What if they questioned her ideas and she couldn't answer them?

Unable to ignore her worries any longer, she turned around and headed back to Ms. Victoria's office.

"Ms. Victoria," she said hesitantly. "There is something I need to tell you."

"Yes, Chloe?" Ms. Victoria set down what she was doing and gave her full attention. "I'm listening."

Chloe drew a deep breath, trying to gather her courage.

"Ma, I think it would be better if you gave the presentation." She lowered her eyes. "I've never tasted Chef Caleb's ravioli, and above all, I don't think I can explain everything as well as you can."

Ms. Victoria listened without interrupting. She could hear the uncertainty in Chloe's voice, and she understood that the young woman wasn't questioning the proposal itself. She was questioning her own ability to present it.

"Chloe, look at me," she said gently.

Chloe slowly raised her head.

"You prepared this proposal yourself, didn't you?"

"Yes, ma."

"You researched Chef Caleb, studied the reviews, and came up with the idea. So tell me, who understands this proposal better than you do?"

Chloe opened her mouth, but no answer came.

Ms. Victoria leaned back in her chair. "You don't have to know everything, Chloe. If there are questions you can't answer, you can admit that and explain what you plan to do next. What matters is that you understand your own work."

Chloe listened quietly, taking in every word.

"But, ma, what if I make a mistake?" she asked.

"Then you learn from it." Ms. Victoria smiled. "Nobody becomes confident by avoiding every opportunity that scares them. I'm giving you this chance because I believe you can do it."

Chloe looked down at the file in her hands. A part of her still wanted to run away from the responsibility, but another part knew Ms. Victoria was right.

"Take some time to prepare," Ms. Victoria continued. "Review your proposal, practise your presentation, and make sure you understand every detail. You don't have to be perfect. Just be prepared."

Chloe nodded slowly.

"Thank you, ma. I'll try my best."

"Good. I look forward to seeing what you can do."

Chloe left the office again, holding the file a little tighter than before. She was still nervous, but Ms. Victoria's words had given her something she hadn't felt when she first heard about the meeting.

A little confidence.

Still, one thought lingered in her mind.

She was going to stand in front of President Adrian Blake and present her own proposal.

And somehow, that frightened her more than anything else.