A Dangerous Liaison

-10-

Star 

Tuesday 

"What do you mean, I can't expand my brand?" Star demanded, her voice rising as she flung the stack of papers onto the table with a sharp slap. Her business advisor, Jenny, tried to soothe her, but Star's frustration took over. She wasn't a child to be placated. "I have the funds, I have the time—what else do you want?" she shouted, her hand crushing the papers into a tight ball.

Jenny remained composed, though her eyes had a hint of sympathy. She met Star's glare with a steady gaze. "Firstly," she began, her tone firm yet gentle, "your sales are dangerously low. Expanding the brand when the first branch isn't making a profit would be unwise." She slid the company's income folder across the table, opening it to a morbid financial report. "You're making less than 10,000 Baht per week. That's not nearly enough to justify expansion. It would be a huge risk, Star."

Star's face twisted with disbelief. She snatched the folder, standing abruptly, and hurled it against the wall. The loud thud reverberated through the room, but it did little to calm her. This couldn't be happening. She had poured her heart into Celestia - months of preparation, clinical testing, and relentless social media promotion. How could it not be profitable? The thought that brands like Lotus and Nivea were outselling her sent a wave of nausea through her. What did their products have that her's didn't?

Her hands trembled as she raked them through her hair, trying to make sense of the situation. She needed this expansion- needed to prove herself, to occupy her mind, to fill the painful void left by Pa's death. Without work, without something to strive or fight for, she felt like she was drowning in her grief. The idea of not opening another branch was unthinkable. She needed this distraction, this purpose, to keep herself from falling apart. Jenny knew that. How could she just say no?

"Shit," Star yelled, her voice shaking with barely contained rage. "You know I need this! I can't function without my work, without a purpose!" She wasn't just shouting at her business advisor; she was shouting at the universe, at her own fate, at anything that had the audacity to stand in her way. Jenny looked taken aback, her calm bravado now faltering under the intensity of Star's outburst.

Star had a habit of doing this, and Jenny knew she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted - Star would do all in her power to change the outcome of Jenny's decision. But now Jenny didn't care; Star had abused her influence over the system continuously and Jenny no longer wanted to play a part in it. 

Star wanted Jenny to feel ashamed, to realise how desperately she needed this. Yet, even as her anger spilled over, she knew it was futile. Jenny wasn't going to change her mind.

Star stormed out of the office, her dignity in tatters. As she stepped into her store, the frustration consumed her. She scanned the room, seeing only failure reflected back at her. Would Pa have been disappointed by her inability to expand her company? Would have comforted her? Or would he have responded to her failure the same way he always had with her brother's - with spite, humiliation, and rage? 

Nonsense - Star was his favourite daughter, no matter what she did. 

She pushed through the aisles, her vision blurred by unshed tears, when suddenly she collided with someone, stumbling forward. She caught herself just before she hit the ground, her heart racing.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you," the woman exclaimed, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Star quickly regained her composure, running a hand through her hair as if nothing had happened. She turned to the woman, who had a kind face, long hair that fell past her shoulders, and bright, wide eyes. She wore a casual outfit, the type of clothes that Star wouldn't be caught dead in. "It's fine," she said, her voice softening. "I've never seen you here before," she said, raising an eyebrow.