“Glenn Leads Beyond Limits! I believe in Glenn–he’s never let us down, Lady Jenny declared.
“But I heard this time he handed the design over to some new woman, Ms. A replied, her voice tinged with skepticism. “She was a housewife before this!”
“Wait, really? Has Glenn lost his mind? How could he risk something this big on a woman?”
“Isn’t the project manager at Fawkes Enterprises a woman too?”
“That’s different. She’s a high–powered executive who just returned from overseas.”
れ ”
As Evangeline scrolled through the comments, she realized that nearly every one of
them questioned her competence.
Within minutes, the topic was trending.
A wave of people flocked to Glenn’s Twitter, demanding that he replace her.
She’d predicted this kind of doubt from the start. Of course she felt pressure, though there was no point arguing–at least not until the project launched.
Evangeline hadn’t planned to respond, but the backlash served as a wake–up call.
She decided it would be better to let Theo handle the press conference.
The quality of the finished product was certainly important, but people’s perceptions often hinged on reputation, not reality. They didn’t trust her–because she was a woman, and because she’d spent five years as a stay–at–home mom.
But if Theo took the stage, maybe the public would see things differently. Maybe things would change.
Evangeline knew this was a way of dodging the issue, but she couldn’t let her past jeopardize UME’s future.
With that resolution, she switched off her phone.
What she didn’t notice was that, moments later, Glenn posted from his personal
account:
“I believe in our designer. Professional ability isn’t defined by gender, and the past doesn’t dictate the future. I hope everyone can judge rationally.”
20:00 0
He was making it clear he stood firmly by her.
The tone in the comments began to shift.
Some people even spoke up in her defense.
“Who says a housewife can’t create something amazing? Being a stay–at–home mom just means you focused on family for a few years–it doesn’t mean you stopped living.”
“Support Glenn, support UME!”
On the other side of town, Flora Fawkes lounged on her sofa, scrolling through the latest UME news, when a message popped up.
“Sis, I think Glenn’s new designer is actually his girlfriend.” It was from Yvette, the fellow Glenn fan Flora had met at the airport. They’d been chatting a lot lately, though Flora had never revealed her own privileged background.
Flora felt a wave of disappointment. She’d suspected as much even without Yvette’s hint. Still, it stung.
“Glenn is seriously out of his mind this time. How could he hand over such a huge project to a woman?” she muttered bitterly.
Yvette disagreed. “I don’t think gender matters. Glenn’s right–ability isn’t about being a man or a woman. And isn’t the lead designer at Fawkes Enterprises a woman too? If she can do it, why not someone else?”
“Poppy isn’t like the others. She’s exceptional!” Flora shot back.
“Sure, she’s different,” Yvette replied, clearly just trying to keep the conversation going.
Honestly, Yvette just wanted to see the press conference and find out what kind of woman Glenn was so taken with.
Flora could tell Yvette was just humoring her, but she didn’t mind. Yvette didn’t know Poppy, so it was natural for her to have some doubts. Given time, Flora was sure Yvette would see Poppy’s brilliance.
She believed Poppy would create something that would truly dazzle ever, ie.
Chapter 170
At this moment, Fawkes Manor.