Vickie chuckled, a sound that caught the attention of her colleagues, who exchanged confused glances. They couldn’t understand why she was laughing at something so serious.
“Graduated with honors from Presal Institute of Art…” Vickie read aloud, disbelief lacing her voice.
Presal Institute of Art was one of the top foreign schools, renowned for its exclusivity and expensive tuition. Vickie couldn’t fathom how someone like Loraine could have afforded it. Didn’t she drop out of junior high? This couldn’t be true—Loraine had to be lying.
A malicious grin spread across Vickie’s face as she savored the opportunity to expose Loraine’s supposed deception. The thought of humiliating her rival filled her with a dark sense of glee. She could almost feel the satisfaction of watching Loraine squirm.
With a self-satisfied expression, Vickie cleared her throat and spoke in a voice dripping with disdain. “I hate to say this, Miss Torres, but after looking at your resume, I must say that you’re not qualified to work at Universe Group.”
Loraine’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise. “Why am I not qualified?” she asked, her voice steady. “Attached to my resume is a collection of designs I’ve worked on in the past. Not to brag, but I think they speak for themselves. I wouldn’t have been invited to interview if I wasn’t qualified.”
Vickie scoffed, dismissing Loraine’s words with a casual wave. In her mind, Loraine’s designs were probably just as fake as her educational background. She didn’t even bother looking at them.
But then, an idea struck her—a way to humiliate Loraine even more.
“I see,” Vickie said, her tone sharp. “Since you’re so confident, I have to test you.”
Her colleagues stared in disbelief as Vickie threw a document at Loraine with an exaggerated flourish. “I hope you’re not all talk. This is your chance to prove yourself.”
Loraine caught the document with calm assurance. It was a project proposal for a coastal resort, and the question on the page was as follows:
“Due to the warm weather in recent years, the rising sea levels have rapidly eroded the island area. The resort project has been unable to forge ahead…”
Loraine read the prompt carefully, her mind already working through the problem. She took a deep breath and began speaking, her voice clear and confident.
“The resort can be built around the island, using wooden stilts on the reef submerged by the sea. These stilts should extend from the shore to the surface of the water, creating a fence with wooden connection blocks. On the fence, we can place sheds that curve around the coast. The sheds should feature French windows so tourists can enjoy the view of the sea. For long-term development, we must consider the island’s ecological system. We should study the local climate’s impact on the ecosystem and work to reduce the use of fossil materials, establishing environment-friendly facilities for sustainable tourism.”
As Loraine spoke, the room fell silent. She had given a detailed, thoughtful answer, showcasing both her creativity and understanding of sustainable design. When she finished, the two other interviewers exchanged looks, their expressions filled with admiration.
“Bravo! That’s a great idea!” one of them exclaimed.
“Yeah, why didn’t we think of it?” the other added, nodding in agreement.
The two interviewers clearly saw something in Loraine that Vickie hadn’t anticipated. They turned toward her, their eyes shining with newfound respect.
“You’re hired, Miss Torres. When can you start?” one of them asked eagerly.
Vickie’s face went pale, her jaw tightening as she realized that her attempt to humiliate Loraine had backfired spectacularly. The interviewers weren’t interested in her petty vendetta—they were impressed by Loraine’s skill.
Loraine, standing tall with quiet confidence, gave a small, satisfied smile. “I’ll be ready to start whenever you need me,” she said calmly, her eyes never leaving the interviewers’ faces.
As they made their final remarks and Loraine stood up to leave, Vickie sat frozen, seething with frustration. She had underestimated her rival, and the taste of defeat was bitter.
But Loraine, for the first time in years, was starting to feel like she had regained some control over her life.
