24 From Notoriety to a New Opportunity
“Do you think he’ll actually confront her?” I asked Vera as we drove away from the hospital, my mind still reeling from our encounter with Alistair.
Vera snorted, flicking her turn signal with practiced ease. “Honestly? I doubt it. That man has the backbone of a jellyfish.”
“You didn’t see his face when your aunt confirmed everything.” The image of Alistair’s crumbling expression lingered in my mind.
“Men like him prefer comfortable lies to uncomfortable truths,” Vera said, pulling onto the highway. “He’ll probably convince himself Dr. Vance misheard or that Ivy was having a bad day.”
I stared out the window, watching the city blur past us. “You’re probably right.”
“Of course I am.” Vera flashed me a quick smile. “My bet? He’ll crawl back to you within a week, seeking comfort when Ivy’s demands become too much.”
“Comfort?” I raised an eyebrow.
“You were his emotional support human for six years, Hazel. Cancer treatment is brutal. Ivy’s true colors are probably showing through her ‘dying angel‘ act, and Alistair is realizing what a
mistake he made.”
The thought settled uncomfortably in my stomach. “Well, he can seek comfort elsewhere. I’m done being his crutch.”
“That’s my girl,” Vera grinned, pride evident in her voice.
My phone buzzed with notifications. I grimaced when I opened my social media. “Great. Someone at the hospital must have recorded our little showdown. It’s already trending.”
Vera cursed under her breath. “The vultures work fast.”
I scrolled through the comments, each one more vicious than the last. “Apparently I’m now a heartless bitch trying to steal a dying woman’s husband.”
“Give me that,” Vera said, snatching my phone at a red light. “Stop reading that garbage.”
“I need to know what people are saying,” I protested weakly.
“No, you don’t. Trust me on this.” She tossed my phone into her purse. “I’ll handle it.”
“Handle it how?”
Her smile turned dangerous. “I have connections, remember? By tomorrow, some celebrity will have a much bigger scandal, and everyone will forget about this.”
I sighed, slumping in my seat. “My brand reputation-”
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24 From Notoriety to a New Opportunity
“Will survive,” Vera cut me off firmly. “Quality speaks louder than gossip.”
I wasn’t convinced, but I was too exhausted to argue. When Vera dropped me off at my apartment, she hugged me tightly.
“Don’t check social media tonight,” she warned. “Promise me.”
“Fine,” I agreed reluctant
“But the damage is already done.”
“Just trust me,” she insisted before driving away.
Despite my promise, I couldn’t resist peeking at my phone before bed. The comments had only grown more venomous. I turned it off and tried to sleep, bracing myself for the professional fallout I was sure would follow.
Two days later, I stared at my sales report in disbelief.
“Cherry, are these numbers correct?” I asked my assistant, certain there must be a mistake.
Cherry nodded enthusiastically, her bright pink hair bouncing. “Absolutely! We’ve had a 300% increase in website traffic since the hospital video went viral. In–store sales are up 250%!”
“That doesn’t make sense.” I frowned, scrolling through the data. “Everyone was calling for a
boycott.”
“Apparently, controversy sells,” Cherry said with a shrug. “People came to our website to leave nasty comments but ended up browsing the collections. And the store visitors started as rubberneckers hoping to catch a glimpse of the ‘husband stealer, but they couldn’t resist trying things on.”
Vera sauntered into my office without knocking, waving her phone triumphantly. “Told you I’d
handle it.”
“What did you do?” I asked, still baffled by the sales surge.
“I called in some favors.” She plopped herself on my desk. “Had a few influencers strategically mention how unfair the backlash was against you. Then I may have leaked a different, much juicier scandal involving a certain reality TV star.”
I gasped. “You didn’t!”
“I neither confirm nor deny.” Her smile was wicked. “But notice how no one’s talking about you
anymore?”
She was right. The online harassment had virtually disappeared overnight, replaced by outrage over some celebrity drama I hadn’t even heard about.
“That’s not all,” Cherry chimed in excitedly. “Fashion Weekly wants to do a feature on you. They’re calling it ‘Rising Phoenix: How Hazel Shaw’s Brand Survived the Flames of Scandal.“”
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24 From Notoriety to a New Opportunity
I blinked, struggling to process this unexpected turn of events. “So my public humiliation has become… a marketing opportunity?”
“Welcome to the age of social media,” Vera said, laughing. “The only thing people love more than tearing someone down is watching them rise from the ashes.”
“This is insane,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“No, this is business,” Vera corrected. “And you’d better get used to it because-”
Cherry’s phone rang, interrupting whatever wisdom Vera was about to impart. My assistant answered, her professional voice snapping into place.
“Evening Gala, Cherry speaking.” Her eyes widened dramatically as she listened. “Yes, one moment please.”
She covered the receiver with her hand, her voice dropping to an excited whisper. “It’s from the Sinclair Estate. They want you to design an outfit for Mrs. Sinclair’s sixtieth birthday party!”
“The who?” I mouthed, completely confused.
Vera nearly fell off my desk. “The Sinclairs?” she hissed. “Take that call right now!”
Cherry handed me the phone, and I cleared my throat. “This is Hazel Shaw.”
“Good morning, Ms. Shaw,” a cultured male voice responded. “I’m Walter Reed, head butler at the Sinclair Estate. I’m calling on behalf of Mr. Sebastian Sinclair regarding a commission.”
“A commission?” I repeated, noticing how Vera was frantically gesturing for me to sound more professional.
“Yes. Mr. Sinclair would like to commission a custom outfit for his mother’s sixtieth birthday celebration next month. He specifically requested you as the designer.”
I frowned, puzzled. “Mr. Sinclair requested me personally?”
“Indeed. He admires your work greatly.”
My eyes met Vera’s, who was now vigorously nodding while mouthing “say yes” repeatedly.
“I’d be honored to accept this commission,” I said carefully. “Would Mr. Sinclair like to schedule a
consultation?”
“Excellent,” Walter replied, sounding pleased. “A car will collect you tomorrow at 10 AM sharp for a meeting at the Sinclair Estate. Is that convenient for you?”
“Yes, that would be fine,” I agreed, still bewildered by this sudden development.
After exchanging a few more details and ending the call, I looked between Vera and Cherry. “What just happened?”
Vera was practically vibrating with excitement. “What happened is that you just hit the jackpot!
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24 From Notoriety to a New Opportunity
The Sinclairs are practically royalty in this city. Old money, immense power, and they never, ever commission from new designers.”
“Then why me?” I asked, genuinely confused. “And how would they even know about my work?”
“Who cares?” Vera exclaimed. “This is a career–making opportunity. If the Sinclairs endorse you, every elite client in the country will be knocking on your door.”
As Cherry rushed off to rearrange my schedule, I sat back in my chair, feeling overwhelmed by the whirlwind of events. Just days ago, I was public enemy number one, and now I was receiving exclusive commissions from families I’d never even heard of.
“What Sinclair Estate?” I asked Vera, completely lost. “Who is celebrating a sixtieth birthday?”
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