Refusing To Divorce (Julia and Harry)

Back at her desk, Julia puzzled over Kathy's earlier demeanor.

Valerie leaned over and whispered, "What did Kathy want with you? You seem a bit upset. Did she give you a hard time?"

"Ms. Powell can be strict, but she's really a good person," Valerie added reassuringly. "Don't worry too much about it. You'll see, she really values talent."

"How do you know?" Julia asked, her confusion clear. Since Júlia's first day, Valerie had always spoken highly of Kathy.

"I applied here because of Ms. Powell," Valerie confessed, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Being mentored by her would be a dream come true for me."

Julia was skeptical of Valerie's enthusiastic praise. She didn't quite understand Kathy yet, so she decided to do some research. Online, she discovered that Kathy was a celebrated international jewelry designer and a three- time global champion in jewelry design competitions. She was highly sought after by leading companies worldwide, yet for some reason, she had chosen to stay at Cooper Group.

Here, she wasn't the head designer but a department director. Julia realized she had much to learn about Kathy, whose impressive credentials were undeniable.

"Don't overthink it, Julia. Ms. Powell can be tough, but being mentored by her is a real privilege," Valerie said, guessing Julia was in a bad mood. She gave Julia a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Just shake it off, okay?"

Julia nodded, her attention returning to the design drafts Kathy had handed her. When she noticed the signature at the bottom, her eyes widened in surprise. The signature was Kathy Powell's.

No wonder the designs had struck Julia so profoundly when she first saw them. They were leagues beyond anything she had worked on before; it was her first encounter with Kathy's work.

"Julia, what's got you so zoned out?" Valerie, taking a sip of water during her break, noticed Julia staring blankly again. She waved her hand in front of Julia's face a few times, but Julia seemed lost in thought. Moving closer, Valerie caught sight of the design draft in Julia's Valerie's mouth fell open in astonishment, her finger pointing excitedly at the paper. "Is that Ms. Powell's design from last year?"

"Have you seen this before?" Julia's voice was tinged with curiosity.

"I only caught a glimpse of it at a competition once. After that, Ms. Powell kept all her drafts under wraps-no one gets to see them," Valerie explained, eager to take a closer look but holding back, her admiration clear. "You're so lucky to be seeing this."

Julia realized that Kathy must have intentionally shown her these designs. If not, she would not have access to them. especially when Valerie, who had been around longer, hadn't seen them since the competition.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

She wondered if Ms. Powell was considering taking her under her wing. This thought startled Julia, but she quickly dismissed it. As a designer who

had only received accolades in school, she couldn't have so quickly caught the attention of someone like Ms. Powell. She then realized perhaps Harry had something to do with this.

With these thoughts swirling in Julia's mind, she carefully tucked away the design draft, picked up her phone, and walked to the balcony on the second floor. After making sure she was alone, she dialed Harry's number.

The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity before it was finally picked up. The line was eerily silent. Julia suspected Harry might be with Arya, so she didn't waste any time. "Harry, are you meddling in my career again?"

Harry looked confused. He signaled his secretary to ask the staff in his office to step out, leaving him alone, Walking over to

the window, he replied, really don't know what you're talking about, Julia."

"Why else would Ms. Powell suddenly take an interest in me?" Julia's voice was tinged with frustration. "Didn't I make myself clear last night? The best way for us to get along is if you don't interfere."

Harry's forehead creased as he listened to Julia's upset tone. "Look, the only thing I've done was help you get that sick leave. What's got you so worked up?"

"You did more than that; you stopped me from going on that business trip!" Julia shot back.

"Those are the only things I've done," Harry insisted. "I won't stand for these groundless accusations."

"If it wasn't you, then who else could it be? With your track record, can you blame me for thinking it was you?" Julia challenged.

Harry was momentarily lost for words, blindsided by Julia's barrage of accusations. "Julia, using your brain is always a good idea. I hope you remember to do that."

"You..." Julia flared up at Harry's words.

"I'm swamped, Julia, not as idle as you might think. I don't have time to play games with your career. If they're noticing you, maybe you should look at what you're doing instead of blaming me at the drop of a hat," Harry chimed in Before Julia could respond, Harry ended the call abruptly.

Stunned and speechless, Julia stood holding the silent phone, her mind racing.

Harry's face was set in a grim expression. His secretary entered the room cautiously, taking note of his mood before speaking. "Mr. Wright, the project manager is here to see you."

"Let him in," Harry replied, his voice cold and emotionless. After a moment, he added, "And find out what's going on with Julia at Cooper Group." He was frustrated at Julia's words, which were hinting he seemed like someone meddling in her affairs without any good reason.

"Mr. Wright, Cooper Group is under Mr. Cooper's control. Would it be alright for us to look into it?" the secretary asked hesitantly.

"Can't you just do it quietly?" Harry responded.

The secretary, visibly startled, hurried out of the office. As he wiped the sweat from his forehead, he stood beside the nervous project manager and advised, "Just a heads up, Mr. Wright isn't in the best mood today."

With Harry in such a foul temper, everyone reporting to him felt as if they were treading on eggshells. A simple frown from Harry was enough to send a wave of fear through them.

Meanwhile, Julia stood on the balcony, the cold wind biting at her skin. Harry's words echoed in her mind, making her question her own perceptions. She wondered if she had been wrong about him. It seemed more possible that Kathy was indeed trying to mentor her. Confused and a bit overwhelmed, Julia sighed deeply. She gathered herself and headed back to her desk, only to catch a stern look from Kathy's secretary. The icy glare sent a shiver down her spine.