Free Web NovelChapter 126: Chapter 127: The Shaw Family Changes Their Opinion of Sonia Quincy
Inside Mina Jennings’s studio, the four members of the Shaw family had been waiting for some time.
CLICK—
Hearing the door open, Jackson Shaw was the first to look up.
"Uncle Shaw," Julia Dawson said, supporting Sonia Quincy’s arm as they walked in. "Ms. Quincy is here."
Only then did Jackson Shaw help his wife up from the sofa.
Sonia Quincy looked nervously at the older couple before her, extending a hand in greeting. "Mr. Shaw, Mrs. Shaw."
Jackson Shaw smiled and murmured an acknowledgment, politely taking Sonia’s hand for a brief shake.
"Hello, Ms. Quincy." Mrs. Shaw had a kind face and spoke in a gentle voice. She took Sonia’s hand in both of hers, smiling warmly. "We feel so bad for calling you over, especially since you’re pregnant."
"It’s what I’m here for," Sonia Quincy said, offering a stiff, nervous smile.
"Hannah," Julia Dawson called out, waving to a young woman standing nearby. "Come over. This is Ms. Quincy, the designer I told you about who did my jewelry."
The young woman came forward and shook Sonia’s hand. "Hello, Ms. Quincy. I’m Hannah Sutton."
Sonia Quincy replied, "Hello."
"This is my husband, Mason Shaw," Hannah Sutton said, gently guiding the man beside her to face Sonia as she made the introduction.
As if going through the motions, Sonia shook his hand as well. "Hello."
Mason Shaw gave her a faint smile. "Hello, Ms. Quincy. My wife has been stressing over her wedding jewelry for a while now, so I’ll leave it in your capable hands."
Sonia Quincy nodded. "Of course."
Once the polite introductions were over, Sonia Quincy and Julia Dawson sat on the sofa across from the Shaw family.
Sonia Quincy opened her shoulder bag, took out a tablet, and began to formally inquire about Hannah Sutton and Mason Shaw’s design requirements.
Mason Shaw’s requests were simple: he just wanted something festive and of high quality.
Hannah Sutton’s, on the other hand, were a bit more complex. She had numerous requests, liked a wide variety of elements, and had an almost compulsive need to keep changing her mind.
But Sonia Quincy didn’t find her troublesome at all. Counting the time she’d spent in jewelry design before she transmigrated, she had been in the industry for nearly a decade. In those ten years, she’d met countless clients, plenty of whom were far more difficult than Hannah Sutton.
"Ms. Quincy, are my requests a bit too much?" After chattering on for more than half an hour, Hannah Sutton finally seemed to realize she might have been talking a lot.
"Not at all," Sonia Quincy said with a smile, looking up after noting down the last point Hannah had made. "A wedding is one of the most important events in a person’s life. Everyone wants every single detail to be as perfect as possible. I completely understand."
"Thank you." Hearing Sonia’s words, any lingering embarrassment Hannah felt completely vanished. She sat up straight and rattled off the rest of her requests all in one go.
Sonia only jotted down the key points, so she was quick. She put down her pen just a moment after Hannah finished speaking.
Then, she opened her preferred drawing software and asset library and began sketching a preliminary design on her tablet.
Mina Jennings had some snacks brought in. While Sonia Quincy was working, Mina and Julia Dawson chatted with the Shaw family to keep them company.
"Ms. Quincy," Hannah Sutton called out suddenly after finishing her coffee.
"Hm?" It took Sonia a few seconds to look up from her tablet. "What is it?"
Hannah Sutton blinked, a curious look on her face. "Aren’t you going to push back on any of my requests?"
"...Why would I push back?" Sonia was confused.
Hannah explained, "Because I have so many requests, and they’re so varied. It must complicate the design process for you."
"Complicate things?" Sonia considered this seriously for a moment. "...So far, I don’t see any complications. But if I do run into any issues down the line, I’ll be sure to discuss them with you."
"Wow, you’d discuss them with me, not just veto my ideas." Hannah was so touched by Sonia’s answer that she clutched her heart. "Honey, did you hear that? Isn’t it just so refreshing to hear Ms. Quincy say that?"
Mason Shaw raised his eyebrows, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I heard."
Hannah Sutton continued, "Ms. Quincy, to be honest, I met with several other well-known designers in Aethelburg before coming to you, but they were all so arrogant. They acted more like artists than designers. The moment I made a request, they looked at me like I was just causing trouble or trying to ruin their ’artistic vision.’ They kept telling me my ideas weren’t appropriate for one reason or another."
"I’m not in the industry, so how am I supposed to know what’s ’appropriate’? All I want is a set of jewelry that I love!"
"Mm..." The corners of Sonia’s lips quirked up in an understanding smile. "In our line of work, you’ll find a lot of eccentric personalities. When it comes to their work, they often prioritize their own artistic sensibilities, which is why they’d have such strong objections to your requests."
Hannah Sutton tilted her head. "Then why don’t you have any objections?"
Sonia answered honestly, "Because I see myself as providing a service. You’re my client. When I’m designing something, I have to put the client’s needs and feelings first."
"Mm," Jackson Shaw nodded in approval, his gaze toward Sonia instantly filling with admiration. "Ms. Quincy has a very clear-headed approach. I appreciate that."
Sonia lowered her eyes modestly. "Thank you."
She then returned to her unfinished sketch.
"Jackson, dear," Brianna Bell said, placing a hand on her husband’s arm, her face filled with satisfaction. "This Ms. Quincy really is nothing like the rumors say."
Jackson Shaw hummed in agreement, glancing over at Sonia. "The Quincy family tells everyone she’s ill-mannered, jealous, cruel, and malicious. But from what I’ve seen today, she doesn’t seem to be any of those things."
"I’d like to think I’m a good judge of character, and I’ve met my fair share of people. This Sonia Quincy is completely different from the person the Quincys make her out to be."
"I agree, she’s different," Mason Shaw chimed in. "I’ve interacted with Willow Quincy a few times, and from him and Cecilia Quincy, I’ve heard stories about Sonia. None of them were flattering, and it led me to believe that the Sonia Quincy so well-known in Aethelburg was actually a worthless woman. But now, having met her in person, I’m starting to think that’s not the case at all."
"Mhm!" Hannah Sutton agreed wholeheartedly. "I used to hang out with Cecilia Quincy’s social circle for a bit, and they always talked about Ms. Quincy as if she were some kind of monster. It actually made me pretty nervous to meet her. But after interacting with her for a few hours, I realize they were just talking nonsense. Ms. Quincy isn’t like that at all."
"Sigh..." Mina Jennings leaned against her desk and shook her head helplessly. "I don’t know who Ms. Quincy could have possibly offended to be slandered so viciously. She’s such a good person."
