One Night With Mr Braxton

Emma wasn’t stupid enough to enter the devil’s lair. She was currently in the clear, having been declared dead but didn’t deem it wise to blow off her cover just yet.

There was a need for her to be steps ahead in her plans before finally revealing herself. At that moment, she was reminded of her need to ensure Asher was in line. That is, to ensure he didn’t do anything that could doom her chances at achieving her goals.

” I heard this is the latest Talia Steele design! Such a beautiful masterpiece! She’s such a talented designer, creating her path and line with the family business.” One of the women, not allowed to enter the Steele store, gushed to another who stood beside her.

” What’s so great about it if it doesn’t serve its purpose? We need to cancel these people already. They are taking the common people for granted!” The others protested, unhappy with the treatment they received.

” Of course, it’s serving its purpose! You are sore because it doesn’t fit your price range. The Steele shoes are on a path of global recognition and luxury.” The woman defended, peeking into the store shut against them.

” Sore? Ha! We, the commoners have been loyal to their brand since its break into the industry! The second they grow into some big-shot multi-billion dollar company, they forget their roots and abandon the loyal customers who have patronized them for decades! Catering to the elite class and treating others as trash! How ungrateful!” The other woman bellowed.

She was an older woman who had watched the entire growth process of the Steele business, loyal and dedicated to them as a customer who loved their quality, beautiful yet affordable shoes. Due to her love for the brand, as she advanced in age, she religiously continued with them, buying every pair she came across in addition to her collection of Steele designs.

Unfortunately, due to a string of terrible events, she had grown to become one of the growing anti-fans of the brand. She had gotten some pairs of Steele Shoes, under her price range, as birthday gifts for her twin daughters, only to have both pairs fall apart after injuring the toes of her beloved twins. They were so badly created that after the soles fell apart, her innocent children ended up with severe cuts from some nails installed inside the shoes.

Thus, her wrath towards the brand. Even if she wasn’t part of the elite class, she worked for her money and deserved to get something of average quality, not a tool of domestic accident!

At that moment, security personnel walked out of the store, his face taut and unwelcoming. ” Madame, you are cautioned to leave the surroundings of the property or you would be duly moved. The same goes for every one of you, unable to meet the standard of shopping with this brand.” He announced, as directed by the manager of the distribution store.

” What?! Now you want to bully us?! After putting my daughters in danger, the least you could do was apologize and refund my money!” The woman continued, creating a scene. ” If I don’t get a satisfactory answer to why the affordable shoes are defective and a statement of apology from the CEO, my lawyer would get involved.” She threatened, unaffected by their intimidating approach.

Emma watched the scene play out from a distance. By now, passersby had become spectators of the drama, helping her remain inconspicuous as she observed the situation.

She empathized with the woman, having experienced and witnessed the situation. During the past few years, she had watched Steele Shoes give minimum attention, if not zero attention, to the creation of quality, beautiful and affordable shoes.

She had tried to reason with her stepmother with regards to how it could affect the business, being built to its standing by its vision to cater for quality and affordable shoes.

The original consumer base of Steele Shoes was the average-classed women, over the years, they had dabbled into creating some luxury shoes to serve the elite class of women, but that didn’t distract them from their standing commitment towards the average-classed people.

Thus, they created shoe designs to serve their vast customers and occasionally made provision for the elite class base they created. After the death of her mother, things got a bit to a standstill in the production of new designs, thus leaving the release of new designs on hold for a while. Despite the little glitch at the time, their customers proved their loyalty, buying their designs despite the emergence of other brands that catered to their needs.

Subsequently, When her stepmother got introduced to the game, the production and release of new designs that served the average class decreased, and more was created for the elite, season after season. After the inevitable demise of her father, what became a crawl in the production of designs that catered to the average citizen, slowed to a stop.

When she brought it to their notice, that is, Talia and her mother, they first ignored her, then picked up one of the designs from a new and young designer, and set to the mass production of poorly done and unattractive designs to fulfill all righteousness.

Of course, they were met with some sort of resistance and bad reviews which necessitated the provision of a countering better design of hers, made to a limited quality to ease the people of their anger.

The customer base was pacified for the time and retreated, taking it as a mistake that wouldn’t repeat itself, until the whole thing was recycled. Fewer designs, low quality, and poor customer service. This time around, when she brought it to their notice, it was received badly and given a 24-hour punishment, after which, the production funds and process got even murkier.

Talia was placed in charge of monitoring the department which catered to the average people, including funds management. Everything was fairly okay until Talia decided she wanted a career in design, adding more work to her hands and causing the total depletion of designs produced by Steele Shoes for its vast-average customer base.

Complaints increased from the public, causing customers to migrate, due to their needs no longer being met by the company while other staunch fans kept on with the brand, believing it was a phase that would pass with time and perseverance. Except it wasn’t.

Emma found out the hard way when she was relegated to using the shoes, which, safe to say, wasn’t the best experience. But compared to getting wounded by defective shoes, she deemed herself lucky and her heart reached out to the poor angry woman.

At this point, the handful of people who peaked into the store disappeared into the crowd, leaving the unrelenting woman alone to fight a battle they believed was going to consume her. Emma badly wanted to intervene and bear witness to the atrocities going on in the business that was created with so much love but she felt weak.

She couldn’t go against Steele Shoes. Not in her current state. She couldn’t even defend herself, less a whole other person or family. The taste of helplessness couldn’t wash from her tongue as she watched the scene unfold. By now, people stuck their phones out, recording the near-altercation. That was about as much they could do.

” Leave me alone! This is harassment!”

The woman screeched in fear as the men advanced toward her with a menacing approach. The entire mall came to a halt, watching the situation with curious eyes, none helping but playing audience for the abuse going on.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

Emma couldn’t stay put any longer. She couldn’t watch such evil take place, even if it meant exposing herself to the enemy, she was ready to even the playing field. This was worth it, it was worth whatever discomfort or loophole that grew in her plans. She took off her shades, adjusting to the brighter lighting, and proceeded forward but was stopped by a hand on her arm.

It was Mrs. Adams. She was done with her call and took to looking for her, having disappeared in the second she lost sight of her. ” Put on your shades. We don’t want to be recognized at such a public place, Mrs. Braxton.” She said, reminding her of her new identity. She wasn’t just a target as Emma Steele and her newest identity was one that made her a target to her fake husband. What a life!

” I need to do something. That woman is having her rights trampled upon! Her children who didn’t do any harm are suffering its consequences.” She said, distraught.

Mrs. Adams placed a comforting pat on Emma, ” I will take care of things over here. Please, remain calm.” She said, facing the happening before them. ” I can’t believe this.” She muttered, under her breath before heading towards them.

” What is the ruckus about?” Mrs. Adams asked, fully aware of the situation.

” This is not your business, ma’am. Kindly step aside.” One of the men said, without an ounce of regard or care.

Mrs. Adams’s expression grew poor. Since her 45 years of existence, no one, absolutely no one had spoken to her in such a manner. ” Are you courting death?”