“Ms. Rose is so cool! I hope I can be as successful as her one day…” Lucy chuckled to herself, hearing her young coworker praise her so highly as she passed by.
Just 25 years ago, Lucille Rose was born as the youngest of three children in the Rose family, raised in comfortable suburbia with two rowdy older brothers who were always on her nerves. Growing up with older brothers taught her to be tough, although not in the traditional tomboy-ish way one might expect. No, quite to the contrary, she carried herself with an elegant, lady-like presence befitting of a queen. She took pride in it from an early age, her own act of rebellion against her brothers’ disgraceful “manly” behavior and ideals.
God, she hated men.
Well, she couldn’t care less about her brothers these days. She had long since proven herself to be leagues better than them, earning endless praise not only from her parents, but from practically everyone around her. She was only 3 years out of college and already a high-ranking executive in the marketing department of Solstice, a trendy clothing brand selling garments with a luxury look and feel for a fraction of the price. It had grown especially popular with ambitious young businesswomen, much like Lucy herself, and she took full advantage of her position, effectively becoming the public face for the company’s advertisements.
She had begun marketing herself as an ideal, a beacon of success for other women to strive for, and she constantly worked overtime to bring the company to even greater heights.
Sales had never been higher.
“Oh my god, have you seen Ms. Rose’s garden? I passed by her house the other day and she added another flower bush! They are so gorgeous!”
Lucy sighed in relief as she lowered herself into her desk chair. She had worked herself to the bone on her garden yesterday, and now her back and feet were positively killing her! Oh, how she loved that garden, to go to such great lengths for it!
It was her pride and joy, an idyllic explosion of color adorning her splendid home. It was a small, modest little place, but one that she owned, all by herself.
No boyfriend, no kids, no pets. It was just her. She thought it suited her perfectly. Having no one waiting at home was perfect for when she worked overtime.
At her age, such a thing as owning a whole house was practically a miracle. And yet, here it was: her adorable little cottage, any classy woman’s dream. Of course, the property was very expensive, but she got paid a damn good wage and she had lucked out when she found it. The previous owner apparently had suffered an unfortunate death in his immediate family and needed to sell the house fast, dropping the price to practically dirt cheap to get it off his hands. It was an astounding deal.
She wondered if her natural fertilizer had helped her newest bush grow such beautiful blossoms so quickly.
“You know that pain in the ass manager that always gave us a hard time? I heard Ms. Rose got her fired! She’s so cool, getting shitty people fired just like that! I wish I could have as much influence as her!”
Lucy wiped her hands off with a handkerchief. They always got so messy after a long day’s work! She was still just one executive, but she had already decided this office was her own. She wouldn’t let anyone disturb her sweet, innocent young coworkers, and she sure as hell wouldn’t let anyone oppose her or threaten her position. It was all too easy to get what she wanted with a bit of sweet talk and coercion. And so, in no time at all, she had become the de facto queen of Solstice.
My, that stain in her blouse just would not come out no matter how many times she washed it! How terribly annoying…she had loved that blouse. She’d have to be more conscious of what she was wearing next time she worked overtime. She couldn’t go around ruining all of her nice clothes!
“Hey, is it just me or does Ms. Rose look kinda sick today? Is something up with her?”
This just wouldn’t do at all. Lucille Rose was perfect. Letting herself look so disheveled…what was she doing with herself!? Just because she was stressed out didn’t mean she could look like this! She had an image to uphold! And yet, President Freesia breathing down her neck just pissed her off so much!
Damn that bitch of a President…didn’t she know Lucy was the real face of this company?
“Hey, did you hear- oh, good morning, President Rose!”
Lucille Rose was the President of Solstice. But of course she was. She did everything for this company. Anyone else being in the position would just be silly.
Three weeks ago, Lucy had decided to add some freesias to her garden. They were blooming splendidly.
“Jessica, you aren’t going to believe this…I…I walked past President Rose’s house last night and I…I thought I heard screams…”
Lucy was standing in the corner past the water cooler. She crushed her cup with a vice-like grip, spilling water all over herself. Well, this was quite the predicament. It seemed she’d have to work overtime again tonight.
“Please…please…I won’t tell anyone…! Please don’t hurt me!”
What an irritating scream this girl had. And here Lucy had thought she was one of the good ones, one who had looked up to her so much. What a shame it was…
Oh well, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! She had made sure to wear an appropriate red t-shirt this time.
She sighed. Digging a hole was always the hardest part of overtime. Oh, but soon, her garden would look even lovelier, fertilized with this fresh hunk of meat she dragged out of her back door!
Callie had always loved tulips. She would surely be happy to fertilize a vibrant rainbow of them.
Yes, her wish had been granted. She had always been enchanted by Ms. Rose’s mystical garden, her beloved pride and joy. Now Callie too could contribute to its beauty.
Lucille Rose was simply perfect. She swiftly eliminated anyone who caused her trouble, and with each one, added even more elegance to her gorgeous home.
Living such a perfect life, how could anyone not love her?