Today, seeing Jessica Carter, a woman she admired, wealthy and powerful, being treated no differently from how Vanessa herself had been treated in the past, Vanessa's heart ached with a pain more unbearable than ever before.
"Are you okay?"
A soft voice from a young colleague pulled Vanessa from her heavy thoughts.
She forced a smile, responding faintly, "I'm fine."
But Vanessa knew she was far from okay.
Outside the building, Jessica Carter stepped into the luxury car waiting for her.
Her assistant, Laura, quickly opened the door.
As soon as Jessica was inside, Laura urgently spoke.
"We just got a call from Brightwell. They want to confirm your appointment again immediately."
Jessica gazed out the window, her deep, unreadable eyes betraying no emotion, then shook her head gently, her voice calm yet cold.
"It's too late, Laura. When an organization allows people like Ashley Monroe to represent it, that clearly shows its culture. We don't need any more explanations."
The car quietly blended into the bustling traffic of the city, leaving behind the Brightwell Enterprises building, now slowly descending into chaos as it realized the severe consequences of the contempt and prejudice it had just allowed.
But now, it was too late to fix anything.
A large crack had formed, just waiting for the right moment to spread, shattering everything Brightwell had once been proud of.
From the moment Ashley coldly said, "Deliveries go around the back," the fate of Brightwell Enterprises had been sealed.
But both Ashley Monroe and Mark Reynolds had yet to realize that the woman they had just disrespected wasn't simply an ordinary client.
She was Jessica Carter.
Powerful and influential enough to make them pay a hundredfold for their insult.
From the mezzanine, where soft light filtered through the tempered glass, Vanessa Lewis remained still, her hand gripping the railing as if trying to hold herself back from the fury boiling within.
Her heart ached with each beat as she witnessed the scene unfolding below in the main lobby.
A scene so familiar that it nearly took her breath away.
Vanessa had once believed that, in her role as a mid-level manager at Brightwell, she would be respected and listened to.
But the reality was the complete opposite.
She often witnessed the disdain shown toward Black people there.
The cold stares. The prejudiced remarks.
And now, right before her eyes, even a powerful woman like Jessica Carter wasn't spared from that ruthless cycle.
As Jessica was shoved out the door, she inadvertently looked up, her sharp gaze cutting through Vanessa's trembling eyes.
A brief but haunting moment.
Vanessa felt her heart stop.
In Jessica's eyes, there was no anger, no despair, just an unnervingly calm demeanor, cold, mysterious, and full of authority.
That look only made Vanessa feel more conflicted.
Why did a powerful, wealthy woman like Jessica have to endure this?