"You know I was bullied back in school. Not very serious, but I was." 

Liam had all his attention to her words. Not noticeably, he even paused chewing the food in his mouth for a moment, but did not want her to doubt or falter in expressing her thoughts.

"Remember when I first met you, I was rather anxious. Well, I feel the bullying had something to do with it. Of course, a lot of other things as well, but I won't mention them. Others have it far worse." He nodded, and Jessica continued. "I was bullied for being short. I always was. I was younger than the others in class, and so of course I was scared. I did complain about it to the teachers, but none of them took it seriously. Not even my mom. They just thought it was a kids issue. And you know what, this one guy would call me names, take my stuff away and force me to show my answers to him in the exams. Anyway, that's out of context." 

Liam took Jessica's hand in his and pressed it gently. He was one of those men, whose gestures spoke far more than words.

"So, I mean, it's about inclusivity. Companies are hell bent on creating clothing that is average sized. It does go down and up, but it's more specific to people who are average. They do not cater to the needs of someone like me, who is shorter than average and in less likely cases, to those who are way taller or bigger than the general population. Also, fashion and trendy designs are suited for a specific set of people, and since everyone wants to wear trendy, it probably makes sense when people feel that particular style doesn't suit them, like bulky or loose clothing, and they are left to feel behind others in fashion. I wonder if our company could take up the task for designing for such edge-of-spectrum-yet-existent people. I know it might not have that huge a consumer base, but it does have its own perks- like there is not a lot of competition in the area, for example."

"Okay." 

"Okay?" Jessica raised her shoulders and gave Liam a questioning look. "You don't want to discuss it anymore?"

"I said okay, which means I feel the idea is fine. Next, we need someone to implement the idea. Who do you suggest?" Deep inside, Liam expected a certain answer.

"Me." Her heart pounded like a drumstick that beat hard on the membrane of its parent drum. Almost too hard, could burst any moment. 

It was the first time in years, all the years of her being alive, that she had taken a stand for herself, believed in herself enough to deem the girl that she was suitable for a task her past self would have told, 'you can't do it, don't even think about it' to. It was a long way she had come to, and yet, it felt as if she found her feet on a cliff. She could jump and die, or she could jump and take her first flight. If she failed at this, she probably would never try again, but if she succeeded, for the first time ever will her true potential come to the surface.

"Me." Jessica's voice resonated in Liam's ears. This. This was what he had hoped for. He looked like a dad proud of his child for getting an award in a game they were always afraid of.

"Plan it out and decide on it. Send me the documents. I will approve the finances immediately."

"But-"

"It will be you this time, Jessica. Decide on it. Co-ordinate with all departments and call the shots. Make a team. We have a new launch upcoming this winter." 

"You don't want to discuss it? What if this isn't a good idea after all? What if it creates a loss?"

"I don't. And this idea, is the best in a while." Liam reassured Jessica. "You can do it. Jessica."

******

Jessica was known by every employee in the company, which was obvious due to her dual status of being the owner as well as the woman the CEO was engaged to. During the time she spent learning about the working of the system, she had also tried her level best to mingle up with people of every department, and be on nice terms with all of them, (of course, that was not possible, since there are always a group of people trying to pull the others down. They inculcate in them the seventh evil of jealousy, and hateful are their hearts. She learned it the hard way, but she did learn it- to ignore such elements.) which was contrary to what she would usually do and demanded exertion both mental and physical from her end. Socialization was still tiring to her, but she did better with her anxiety and managed to put up a face of confidence that was tagged 'okay' or 'acceptable' by Liam.

It was her efforts that were now paying her back. 

A meeting was soon organized with people from all departments, and plans were laid out. There first batch named 'The Inclusive Collection' was all set to launch in December, just like Liam had said. 

Devising the plans was fun; the execution, not so much. 

Jessica continued to organize regular meetings and catch up with the progress of each team frequently. When deals were to be signed, and she doubted herself to the slightest, no matter how busy Liam was, he would always show up, just as a moral support. And yet at times she felt as if she were too idle. It was in these times Liam still backed her up. This was what being an employer was all about. She had to take charge. She might not have to exactly do the physical labor, but she was responsible for all the loss or the gain her project would have. It was also rare for a majority shareholder to even be a part of a project, but Jessica believed it to be a mid-stair of the long staircase she wanted to climb ahead.

******

"The Inclusive Collection by Moda & Co." Jessica looked at the hoarding as she drove by a rather busy street of the city. She felt something that unexplainable, a feeling of triumph in her heart and pride in her veins. It was her project. And, it was a success.

This was February, a new year had begun.

The newline of clothing was launched on December 15th of the previous year. And the sales had been booming ever since. They were provided with fairly sufficient funds (nepotism again, if you will) but Jessica, along with her team, had managed to complete the project within seventh percent of the allotted budget. Keeping in mind Liam's focus on publicity, Jessica too, had managed to create a well deserved hype around the new launch. The target audience from all over the world has had positive responses for the product. They complimented the company's thought for people who were often left out by the others. All in all, it went well. 

That was one chapter of success in Jessica's career book. That one chapter, which gave a boost to her morale and let her pursue several others. 

Within the next three years, Jessica had, with the help of Liam, managed to venture into other areas of business such as hostels, navigation apps, home virtual reality and even house help robots. The last two were her ensuring she did not let her hard-earned major go completely into waste. 

As two more years passed by, Jessica became more decisive and confident in her choices. Of course, Liam was still there to guide her like always, but she was now standing on her own feet. She was not the richest woman on the planet, but she too, was now a woman known by many. And she felt powerful, knowing that.

Each night, when she would go to sleep, she would thank Liam for being in her life. Not once had she forgotten the favors, he had done to her. She was thankful to him for being the love of her life. She was bound to him, for he had brought her truer self she could never have faced without him.