Chapter 46
After Selena left, I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands. I started staying late at the office and pushing myself harder at the gym.
One day, I overheard a new hire talking to a colleague about wanting to join the Ashenford Design Competition but feeling like he wasn’t good enough yet. He seemed disappointed about it.
As if sensing my interest, he turned to me. “Director Grant think you’ve got some serious design talent.”
I chuckled and replied, “Honestly, I’ve always been pretty interested in design.”
He grinned, leaning even closer. “Then, you should enter the Ashenford Design Competition!”
Before I could say anything, he added, “If I had your talent and skills, I would’ve started my own design firm by now, instead of working nine–to–five for someone else.”
He gave a small laugh, as if it was obvious. “Every guy dreams of being a boss, right?”
His words hit me harder than I expected.
This guy, fresh out of university, was already thinking about stepping up and making a name for himself. Meanwhile, here I was, years into my career, still stumbling around, drifting without direction.
When I first started out, I was so sure that if I just worked hard enough, I would find my purpose. That my job, done right, would be my contribution. But all these years, hadn’t moved forward. I had stayed stuck in the same place, fighting for the next step but never really getting there.
I remembered being all fired up back when I graduated, determinedly telling Jessica that I was going to start my own design firm and make it big in Ashenford. But somewhere along the way, I had forgotten that dream.
I suddenly recalled the first time Selena came over to my apartment, how she admired the design of the space and the little details, like the figurines on my wine rack. She had said that if I ever started my own design firm, it would definitely take off.
Suddenly, I felt like I had a reason to wake up and push myself again. It wasn’t just about surviving it was about finding that spark again. At this moment, this guy’s youthful energy and drive caused something in me to stir again.
It was time for me to try to change.
However, I knew that starting my own firm wasn’t the right move just yet. Right now, I needed to focus on the Ashenford Design Competition and get shortlisted. With that thought in mind, I started researching the competition online.
This year’s theme was “The Ashenford Eye‘. Unlike previous years, this competition coincided with the city’s 100th anniversary celebration. Over the past few years, Ashiquford’s tourism and business sectors had boomed, so the government had set the theme to focus on the city’s iconic architecture.
Ashenford’s industrial chain was diverse, and selecting the right architectural representation of the city would require significant thought and effort.
After work, I grabbed a quick dinner and retreated to my story. I spent hours scrolling through articles about Ashenford’s development over the past decade. It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning, when I was taking a shower, that an idea suddenly clicked into place.
o the study.
I barely even noticed the shampoo still in my hair as I wrapped a towel around myself and ran back eager to write everything down before the thought slipped way. By the time I finished jotting down my ideas, the
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first light of dawn was beginning to break, and the shampoo in my hair had already dried into a stiff mess.
I rushed through a quick rinse before I picked up the phone and called Samuel. A couple of days ago, he had mentioned that some design students from Ashenford University were looking for work, asking me to send any potential opportunities their way.
I realized that the design competition was essentially a big recruitment event–whoever won would have the city government’s backing to bring their vision to life. I had an idea now, but I knew I couldn’t complete it on my own in the short amount of time left. To participate, I needed to build a team.
Samuel was a professor at Ashenford University, so I hoped he could help recruit some of his students to join me. If we won the bid, the award from the design competition would be very helpful for their job search after graduation.
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