All Chapters of Couture and Consequences: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

The next morning, I made a point to miss breakfast with Alexander.When I got to the office, I went straight to my personal design studio.Alexander had set up this space for me when he was trying to get me to stay, a special studio inside the brand's headquarters. It was where I kept all my design awards and portfolios from over the years.But when I pushed open the door, I froze. It was like I'd been struck by lightning.All the trophies and certificates in the glass display case were gone. Vanished.The design posters I'd drawn by hand, which used to hang on the walls, had been replaced with cheap, generic portraits.But what made my blood boil was seeing Victoria sitting in my chair.My design sketches were spread out in front of her. A latte sat on the desk beside her. She looked lazy, relaxed, like she owned the place.When she saw me, a flash of panic crossed her face, but she quickly put on that signature innocent look."Evelyn, you're here. Alex said I could work in here fo

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

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

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