Chapter 180: Friendship

Hannah arrived home with Oscar, just as her phone rang. She briefly attended to him before he reverted to his usual demanding self within ten minutes. Hannah stepped onto the balcony to answer the call, Oscar watching her with a knowing smile. He recognized his wife's brilliance far surpassed his expectations, and he anticipated the surprises she would reveal.

"Hey, Susan," Hannah said.

"How long have you kept me in the dark?" Susan demanded.

Hannah understood the implication of Susan's question. Knowing Susan, she anticipated a significant reaction to Hannah's upcoming confession about being Celina's lead designer. This was why she hadn't revealed her plans beforehand.

"You said we were going to have fun for the rest of our lives. How could you secretly work so hard on your own career without telling me?" Susan exclaimed.

Hannah chuckled. She knew Susan was teasing; besides her parents, Susan would be overjoyed by her success.

"Come on, it's just a common hobby," Hannah replied.

"A common hobby?" Susan's voice rose. "Hannah, stop faking humility! I'm going to leave you!"

"It's true. Just a hobby," Hannah explained. "You know I've loved painting since I was a kid—watercolor, not oil. I started reading design books in high school, and practiced fashion design in my notebooks."

Susan recalled Hannah's high school habit of painting in her notebook, but dismissed it as a pastime. She hadn't paid much attention, focusing on her own average academic performance compared to Hannah's success in gaining admission to a prestigious university.

"You've probably forgotten that," Hannah smiled.

"But you didn't tell me it was about fashion design," Susan countered.

"I did!" Hannah insisted.

"Really?"

"You said you wanted me to design your wedding dress," Hannah reminded her. "You insisted you'd marry the man you loved in a dress I designed."

Susan remembered. It had been so long ago, she'd completely forgotten.

"I've been working on it. So, are you still going to complain that I kept you in the dark?" Hannah smiled.

Stunned, Susan realized Hannah had fulfilled that casual remark, even becoming Celina's lead designer because of it. Tears welled in her eyes. She knew Hannah was kind, but this exceeded her wildest expectations. She remembered the new dress, 'Friendship,' launched at Celina's event tonight, described as a wedding gift for a friend. It was for her.

Overwhelmed, Susan sobbed, "Hannah… you're so nice… I was so jealous of whoever that dress was for. But it was me!"

Hannah smiled. She knew it was a casual comment. Susan, though spoiled and willful, rarely pursued difficult things and would likely have forgotten about it. Yet, driven by that remark, Hannah dared to submit her designs to Celina. Susan's comment gave her the courage to pursue the impossible. Celina, needing innovative designs, held a global competition, and Hannah's design was selected, beginning a ten-year collaboration. At twenty-six, she resigned as lead designer.

Charles had demanded she abandon her hobby and focus solely on his assignments. She sacrificed everything for him, transforming herself, only to end up miserable. The trauma of her past life, fueled by Charles, haunted her. She vowed revenge.

"Hannah?" Susan sobbed, noticing Hannah's silence.

"Susan…" Hannah's voice was soft. "I designed a special wedding dress for you. Promise me you'll cherish your marriage."

"Don't worry. My marriage to Henry will last forever."

Susan, not with Henry!

Hannah paused. She wouldn't mention the consequences of Susan's marriage to Henry; that was for Susan to discover.

"Hannah, did you design a suit for Henry, too?" Susan asked.

Hannah anticipated this. In her past life, she'd designed a wedding dress and suit, but neither was used. She hesitated. "Yes, I did." But this time, the suit wasn't for Henry. It was for Manuel.

"Hannah, thank you!" Susan exclaimed joyfully. Hannah seemed angelic to her.

Though Susan knew she wasn't exceptionally beautiful or talented, she felt blessed with a privileged family, a doting father (though she hesitated to admit it), a loving husband, and a perfect best friend. Yet, she never imagined her fortune could shatter.