A meeting gone wrong.

Abigail, after dropping off her brother, headed to a nearby department store. "Why are you here alone?" a voice asked, making her turn.

A smile spread across her lips. "Ethan, are you clocked out? It's pretty late."

"Yes," Ethan replied, walking beside her. "Why are you here alone?"

Abigail hid her emotions behind a casual tone. "I'm just craving a cold beer."

Ethan's eyes sparkled. "Then why didn't you call me? I'm craving one too." He opened a beer, and Abigail's expression lit up.

"Did you want to hang out with me?" she asked.

Ethan teased, "No, the beer." Ethan added, "But why did you buy so much?"

Abigail smiled. "It's cheaper if you buy in bulk."

Ethan admired Abigail's strength, resilience, and strong work ethic.

"How's your shop?" Ethan asked.

Abigail's expression turned slightly guilty. "Not bad. I didn't focus much on the shop. Harper mainly managed it. I feel sorry for not being more involved."

Ethan's encouraging words brought out a smile from Abigail. "Don't stress too much! You can do it."

Next morning

Abigail woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring in her ear. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, still feeling the exhaustion from the previous day. After a quick shower and dressing, she checked her phone and was shocked to see a message that made her gasp in disbelief.

"Is it true? Oh my god!" she exclaimed, her eyes scanning the message frantically.

Without wasting another second, she rushed to her shop, bursting through the door. "Harper! Guess what?" she asked, barely containing her excitement.

Harper, who was busy flooring the shop, looked up with a curious expression. "Did you land the TV shopping channel?" she asked, as if she already knew the answer.

Abigail's confusion was evident. "How did you know?" she asked.

Harper's face lit up with a bright smile. "Really?!" she squealed, jumping up from the floor.

Abigail joined in, and the two friends jumped up and down together, laughing and screaming in excitement. Breathless, Harper exclaimed, "We're going to be so busy from now on!"

Abigail nodded enthusiastically, still grinning from ear to ear. "Yes!" she exclaimed, the joy and excitement radiating from her very being.

Abigail arrived at the broadcasting company with time to spare, her excitement propelling her to reach the meeting venue thirty minutes early. As she stepped into the bustling building, she was awestruck by the array of screens and the flurry of activity around her.

A friendly receptionist guided her to the conference room, where Abigail was left alone to take in her surroundings. Her eyes wandered around the sleek, modern space, but her nerves soon got the better of her. She slipped out to the washroom for a quick moment to collect herself.

Returning to the conference room, Abigail was greeted by a tense-looking trio: two women and one man. Their serious expressions made her heart skip a beat. Undaunted, she approached them with a warm smile.

"Hello, I'm Abigail Wynter. I received an email—"

But before she could finish, the man stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

Abigail stood confidently. "My clothing proposal was accepted, and I came for a meeting."

Olivia Tanner's expression stepped forward. "MD Caleb, today we have a meeting with the newly selected service providers." Turning to Abigail, Olivia asked, "Why are you in this room?"

Abigail's confusion deepened. "A receptionist guided me here."

Sasha spoke up, "What do we do, MD Caleb? We don't have much time."

Caleb's voice was firm. " I will managed somehow. Go and check the CCTV footage."

Caleb turned to Abigail, his eyes narrowing. "When did you arrive here?"

Abigail thought back. "Maybe around 11:30. Is something wrong?"

Caleb sighed, frustration etched on his face. He shot Abigail a piercing glance before rushing out of the conference room.

Olivia explained, "Miss, the next room is directly linked to the broadcasting presentation. We've lost an important file."

Olivia's gaze intensified. "Did you stay here the whole time?"

Abigail nodded. "Yes."

Just then, Olivia's phone rang, and she hurried out of the conference room.

Abigail stood confused, her excitement for the meeting replaced with bewilderment. She couldn't make sense of the situation. As she returned to her shop, her agitation grew.

Harper noticed her distress. "What exactly happened? Why are you so down?"

Abigail's expression turned sour. "I don't know how to explain."

Her phone rang, and she picked it up. "What does it mean that my proposal was cancelled?" she asked, pacing around the room.

Her friend on the other end of the line delivered the news. "Abigail, you're accused of losing an important file. Are you involved in something?"

Abigail's anger flared. "What do you mean? I don't know anything! I went to the meeting, and I didn't even know the next room was linked to the broadcasting presentation."

Kelly cautioned, "Don't worry, try to prove you're right. But you might be in a tight spot. MD Caleb cancelled your proposal."

Abigail's eyes narrowed. "Unbelievable! MD Caleb... I get it now." Her voice was laced with anger as she hung up the phone.

Abigail quickly grabbed her things and rushed out of the shop, leaving Harper bewildered.

"What happened?" Harper shouted after Abigail's disappearing figure, but there was no response.

Abigail texted her old friend Kelly, asking her to send a picture of MD Caleb. Abigail already had a mental image of the man from their brief encounter in the conference room. She recalled the frustration etched on his face as he rushed out.

As she waited outside the building, Abigail kept a lookout for the man she had met earlier. Whenever someone exited, she checked to see if it was him.

Abigail's eyes sparkled as she spotted MD Caleb from a distance. She hastened towards him, positioning herself in his path.

"MD Caleb, can I talk to you?" she asked, her voice laced with urgency.

Caleb's expression remained impassive. "What is it?"

Abigail's tone turned pleading. "What does it mean that my proposal is cancelled? I can explain everything."

Caleb's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he continued towards the car park. Abigail followed closely.

"MD Caleb, I know there's been a misunderstanding," she persisted.

Caleb's voice turned icy. "Misunderstanding? We've seen the CCTV footage. Don't embarrass yourself here."