They Want Me Back When It's Too Late (Jessica and Brian) novel Chapter 20

Looking at all the intriguing and mysterious designs, she felt as if the part of her that used to live for art had come awake again.

Seeing Jessica completely absorbed in the illustrations, Gabriela teased playfully from the side, “Now you know how much you’ve missed out, huh? Come on, let’s go to my office.”

Jessica looked away. The works on that gallery wall had sparked an overwhelming urge to start drawing again.

Talking about how the company had developed these past few years, the two of them made their way into the office one after the other. Jessica took in the space, styled just the way Gabriela liked it.

If Jessica hadn’t chosen to get married and become a housewife back then, her office probably would’ve looked a lot like this.

“Oh, right. I want you to mentor someone for me. She’s a young girl. She just graduated from a prestigious university. She’s got potential and decent talent too.” Gabriela pulled out a file and handed it to Jessica.

She casually added, “Too bad though–she comes from a rough background and her family doesn’t pay attention to her. She got into college through sheer determination and worked part–time all the way through to pay for her education.”

Jessica paused, her hand frozen mid–page. Something about it felt way too familiar. “Did her family also try to force her into marriage, pushing her into it for money?”

Gabriela looked surprised. “You know her?”

Jessica shook her head, but for some reason, Madeline’s face popped into her mind.

Back then, when Madeline had just graduated from college and got rejected by every company she applied to, it was Jessica who had interviewed her.

Madeline had said if she couldn’t land a job in a big city, her father would force her to marry someone. She’d been scared and insecure, but underneath it all, there had been a stubborn streak that refused to give up.

Jessica had felt a pang of sympathy. Out of that entire group of interviewees, Madeline had had the weakest qualifications. Out of pity, Jessica had taken her in and taught her everything–how to handle people, how to navigate the workplace–step by step.

Later on, Madeline had visibly improved by leaps and bounds. People at the company had even started saying she was becoming more and more like Jessica.

But in the end, all that careful mentoring led to Madeline scheming to imitate Jessica in every way–just so she could replace her.

“Let someone else mentor her,” Jessica said, turning it down. “I’ll interview an assistant myself.”

She thought to herself, ‘Once burned, twice shy!

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