This is ridiculous.
All around her stood actual models.
Some were whispering among themselves.
Others discretely pointing at her.
This is ridiculous.
The fact she was an outsider in this world beyond her sketched designs, was so blatant... It repeatedly slapped them in the face.
At most her figure was... Modest; definitely nothing to write home about.
She was short for starters.
Petite.
What her mother would call... Lithe. Nothing like the voluptuous beauties surrounding her. Nothing like the blond girl "Chloe" she saw in the elevator.
"god even her name screams status and bitch!" Marinette couldn't help but angrily think to herself while absorbing the entire situation.
The same bitch who was the cause of all the pointing and staring.
Utterly.
Fucking.
Ridiculous.
She was a designer for Pete's sake.
Not a model.
If Mr. Agreste's way of humiliating her for not being perfect... Then he had definitely succeeded. Upon barely making it to work on time, she was promptly stripped, redressed, bra stuffed, hair yanked into place, and face slathered heavily with makeup. She always dreamed of being designer for a prestigious company... Only in her dreams it wasn't a complete nightmare. She got to admire women strutting in her clothes, not being forced down the catwalk herself.
"Hey Mary! Are you having Fuuuunnn?" Chloe drawls and Marinette finds herself wincing from the tone.
No.
"Of course!" She chirps fakely.
"Well don't get too comfortable... Girls like you don't belong here!" And with that she turns around, sashaying away.
Yeah tell me something I don't know, you damn bimbo!
What felt like hours later, but was only a measley fifteen minutes, "Mary" was finally getting her chance at walking down the path of horror. The heels she wore felt awkward and oddly heavy and the dress alone could've paid three months worth of her rent.
Gulping deeply, she took a hesitant step and then slowly another. To her left, Chloe and her friends giggled and she could feel sweat trickle down the back of her neck. Taking another breath, Marinette began clumsily walking a bit faster and then all of a sudden she was on her needs and there was pain in her knees. The soft giggling from Chloe turned into full on laughter and out of her peripheral she could see the blond guy from the elevator rolling his eyes and walking away.
"UNACCEPTABLE!" The photographer shrills and this is followed by the barking order, "Get this ox off my stage!"
Three weeks.
That's how long it had been since Marinette had face planted in front of everyone.
Three weeks since the comments hadn't stopped and Chloe took every opportunity to ostracize her.
Three
Fucking
Weeks
That Marinette had gone to bed each night, reminding herself, that this job is all she ever wanted.
Three weeks exactly until she received the phone call she had been dreading: "Ms. Cheng, this is Audrey Bourgeois from HawkMoth industries: Mr. Agreste requests your presence in his office at 5am sharp. Do not be late."
At 4:55am she found herself staring at the door that loomed like a monster in front of her and with shaking fingers she reached out to knock only for the door to fly open and the "elevator boy" to collide heavily into her.
For the second time in three weeks.
She found herself: humiliated and on her knees.
Only this time there wasn't laughter.
There was simply a guy staring down at her with a peculiar look in his eyes and a bone chilling smile as he roughly dragged Marinette to her feet.
"Miss Cheng! Do you think you could stop falling over yourself!" The angry voice of her boss hissing behind him.
"Yes s-sir..." Marinette willed herself not to cry and this seemed to further amuse her "savior".
"Father I'll see you later." And with that he was gone.
Leaving a gaping "ox" behind.
Father?
That guy recieving favors in the elevator was the Adrien?
"Ms. Cheng! Is there a problem with my son?"
"No s-sir!" Marinette hated how squeaky her voice sounded as she quickly took her seat in the office.
"I'll cut to the chase, shape up or get out. If another incident happens like three weeks ago, the company will move on. I have no use for designers that can't put in the physical labor."
"B-bu-" in spite of herself, the trembling girl begins and she's promptly cut off.
"No," his fist slams on the table and Marinette finds her "no crying resolve" starting to crumble, "You're nothing special. There are plenty of women out there with great ideas and the actual looks to back them up,"
did he just. Call me... Ugly?
"Now get out and get to work. I expect you back on the catwalk, perfectly maintained by Friday."
"That's in two days!"
"Well then you better find a tutor or start packing. Now close the door behind you. Good day Ms. Cheng." and with that, Marinette knew the conversation was over with.
Sorry for the short length, lack of editing, and time in between chapters. I will try to update more often.