Too Late for Regret novel Chapter 91

Feeling Generous

Chapter 91

Ana’s POV

My mother had contacted our family doctor last night. He agreed to squeeze me in today to perform some. blood work to confirm the pregnancy. I was so happy, even when they were taking my blood. Nothing was going to wipe the smile off my face today, but I spoke too soon.

1

The pregnancy had been officially confirmed, and Jon drove us to my company. I had sent Roger a text message telling him to meet us at Fashion Forward at ten–thirty. Pulling up, I see the now familiar circus going on, complete with posterboard signs. Their nothing if not reliable. At least this time, they’re not blocking the entrance; they’re on the main street just outside.

The court case against Sasha, Joyce, and Regina is scheduled to begin tomorrow. I’m sure their worried about the outcome. I knew they were just trying to convict me in the eyes of public opinion. I was never going to try to prove myself to the public. Because it wouldn’t matter what I said. People would argue with you based solely on their opinion, not proof. I knew my designs were locked down. They’re the ones scrambling to try to turn things around. I knew the truth and the outcome. Rodney was more than ready.

Jon stopped at the gate so I could speak to Randy. I told him that Roger Cook would be arriving around ten–thirty. I also told him that only Roger should be allowed entry. I didn’t have time to deal with a mob today. Plus, I was going to have to see them tomorrow. No need to ruin my day. We had just exited the SUV when Roger’s car pulled up to the gate.

I watched as his mother, sister, and Sasha tried to get to the gate before it closed. But Randy had been watching them and quickly closed it behind Roger’s car. They were angry and were screaming at Roger as he exited his vehicle.

“Roger, what are you even doing here? Ana’s the reason you’re in this mess. Why would you meet with her in private? You’re making us look bad. Get back over here,” his mother roared out.

The reporters and cameramen followed them over, expecting an explosive exchange. Each video ended up going viral, so they recorded the entire interaction. They knew things were going to get a lot worse before Joyce was ordered off the property. I wasn’t going to interact with them again. It was pointless to do so. Joyce was always going to try to play the victim, even though she was actually the villain in this story.

“Roger, you need to come out here with us. Don’t you care about your business? I know you need the designs back. Don’t you know that’s what we are trying to do for you? We can get them back tomorrow, You just needed to work with us, instead of against us. Don’t make any deals with her. You know you can’t trust her, not after what she did to you,” Sasha cried out.

Roger ignored them both and said, ‘Lead the way, Ana. I’m grateful that you are willing to let me purchase some of your designs. I have hired some new designers to replace the ones who weren’t productive. I need to save the company first, and then rebuild it. I brought in a new design director. I think with your help today, I might be able to save my business.”

He looked better than he did the last two times that I saw him. He had shaved, and his suit was neat and pressed. I was glad that he was getting his head on straight again. I was even happier to see that he was making decisions himself. Since he was trying so hard, I was going to help him out, one last time.

Feeling Generous

Charlie and I headed for the conference room, with Roger and Jon trailing behind us. Gwen was already in the conference room and had pictures of the pieces that I was going to have him choose from lined up in front of his chair. Charlie, Gwen, and I sat at the head of the table. Roger sat next to Gwen, and Jon sat a chair down from Roger. Roger immediately began reviewing the designs.

I could see that he was getting emotional when he looked at them. I knew why. He was about a month away from bankruptcy. Reality had slapped him in the face, hard. It was clear that he had learned a valuable lesson from what I had done. I had been intent on destroying his business. I only changed my mind for two, no, actually three reasons. I did this to help his employees. I didn’t want them to lose their jobs. I did it because Roger had changed significantly. No longer the cocky jerk he used to be. I’m glad that he had cut himself loose from his wife and mother. Lastly, because he was the reason I found Charlie. That reason was the most

important one to me.

“These are the seven designs that I’m going to let you choose from, Roger. Take your time, and think about which ones will work best for you. I can help you choose, but I think that this is a good opportunity to test out your new Director of Design. I want to see how well they do at picking out the best designs for you to choose

from,” I advised.

He sighed in relief at my offer. He knew that I’ve always been honest with him from the very beginning. Since I’m giving him this opportunity, I won’t intentionally steer him wrong. But I wanted him to learn how to do this himself. I can’t hold his hand anymore. He needs to put trusted people in place so that his company can operate independently. I won’t be jumping in to help him next time. It’s time for him to do this on his own. Sink or swim, it will be on his shoulders after this.

I spent the next thirty minutes explaining each design to him. He had sent pictures of each design to his new Director for them to choose from. I reminded him of the two best sellers in the group. Which were obvious choices to make. He really only needed to pick one from the remaining five designs. He was taking this seriously and finally narrowed it down to two designs. He was focused, a frown on his forehead as he

concentrated.

I gave him a few more instructions. “You are going to want a variety, Roger. People want what speaks to them. You already have these two selected. One of the two options you are deciding between is similar to one of the two necklaces you’re considering. That should make your decision easier. There was always a reason I picked the ones to go to production like I did,” I told him.

He had brought a small notebook and was taking notes. He knew that I wasn’t going to be coming back and make any more decisions for him. He would have to make the hard decisions with his new Director in the future. Before, he always had me decide. He just liked reaping the rewards of my hard work, without lifting a finger. Now that I’m pregnant, I wasn’t willing to take on extra work. Especially from someone who was willing to try to make me a mistress.

Roger asked several questions. He knew that this was the last time we would be spending any time together, and he made the most of it. He wrote down my answers in his notebook. Gwen was amused, but didn’t laugh. at him. She could tell that this was the most involved he had been in a long time.

Roger needed to speed this up. I had meetings to get to soon, but I relaxed in my chair. The doctor told me to

the take things easy, that the first trimester was important. He knew what was happening in my life, with the trials. The whole city did. It was almost laughable for him to tell me to stay calm. I will try, but peace won’t be coming any time soon.

Feeling Generous

Roger finally raised the photo of the one I was leading him to. I wasn’t being mean to him, I was being honest. People did want a variety to choose from. The only designs he had left at his company were those created by his design team. Ones that I had tweaked for them. They weren’t great designs, but passable. He needed my designs. It was a matter of life or death for his company.

He called the new Director of Design, who answered quickly, and indicated which ones he thought were the best. He ended up telling Roger the numbers of the ones that were chosen. I was glad that he had hired an effective Director. He explained to Roger why he chose them before ending the cali. The new Director had been an excellent choice. Roger had done well.

“He will do a good job for you, Roger. Just don’t let him tell you what to do. You need to learn and understand more about it, so you can make a more informed decision going forward. You can always have him explain why he made the choice he did, as you move forward; that will help you learn. However, he selected the best of the seven designs without input. He has strong knowledge of design. But I can’t babysit you, Roger. You will be the one who decides which ones are good enough to actually produce. It’s your company, and your reputation on the line, Roger. It all comes down to you now, so you need to do your best,” I stated. “Thank you, Ana. I know I didn’t deserve it. I was the one at fault, and I hurt you. I allowed them to get into my head. I will do my best to ensure that my company can recover from this. If you ever need my help for anything, just let me know. I owe you a great deal for this. You’ve saved my company,” Roger replied.

Gwen handed him the licensing agreements to sign. He is allowed to use my designs for a total of five years. He will be paying a total of $240,000, eighty thousand each, for them to be used. He should make that, and more, in a year’s time. It will give him time to get back on his feet. His father has faith in him and needs him to succeed. So he paid half of the fee to help Roger out. But this is the first big step in turning this all around. I believe the new Director can help the company succeed again.

Roger looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just excused himself, and Jon walked him back to his vehicle. Charlie called Randy to tell him to clear the gate area. We could see that Joyce and Sasha were still standing there, causing a scene. We didn’t want them blocking the entrance or exit, or trying to slip through the gate. I had a shipment of fabrics coming in today. I didn’t want any issues arising. They were unwilling to let me go. It was amusing to me that they honestly thought that claiming something made it true. That’s not how things worked. I was glad that I would have a front row seat to watch as the three of them learned a hard lesson tomorrow. This trial was going to be a lot more fun than the last. I was totally prepared, my evidence in place and ready to go. I couldn’t wait for the moment Joyce and Sasha find out I own this company.

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