To test his bride, the rich groom dressed up in a shabby suit and arrived at the wedding in an old junk car. The bride’s reaction shocked everyone

Who would hire her as a recent graduate with C’s in her diploma for such a serious and creative job? She needed to gain experience but she wouldn’t work for free and she wouldn’t earn decent money right away. The next day Melanie and her mother went to the store while Aunt Polly stayed home to watch over Melanie’s recovering father. The store was located at the intersection of two busy streets which saved it from closing.

Customers always appreciated the quality and variety of goods but it was difficult to compete with the nearby shopping centre. Its generous departments sold clothes of poor quality but they were cheaper and in great demand. Then, during the family meeting it was decided to implement a system of discounts for regular customers and to consider other marketing tactics.

Hello Vanessa, how happy I am to see you! Greeted the hostess, her friend who worked as a salesperson in their shop. Hello Rebecca I bought you a new employee. Vanessa pointed at Melanie.

Rebecca I have only one request for you. Treat Melanie not as my daughter but as an ordinary person who came here to learn everything. Alright, we’ll teach her everything said Rebecca smiling.

Vanessa while you are here, let me tell you that we sold all the old stock quickly but the new models are less in demand. The fabric is natural wool but the colour is grey, slightly faded Not everyone likes it. We haven’t sold a single suit this week.

Everyone is asking for classic dark grey or black. You should negotiate with the supplier. Order several batches of pants and suits since they are in demand.

Melanie listened in horror to her mother’s conversation with the salesperson. What sizes? What wool fabric? She was a designer herself and studied types of fabric, colour combinations but it was one thing to work in soulless premises and meet clients as necessary and another to try to please people every day. Melanie remembered how deeply uncomfortable she had felt when mum or dad had boasted in front of every customer and turned into such caring and cute people.

The customers left with their purchases and were satisfied but her parents came home and hardly spoke to each other. As a child, Melanie wondered why her parents were so tired. After all, they didn’t have the hardest job in the world and only years later she understood that any job with people, if done conscientiously, is very exhausting.

Is this what my mother wants to teach me? To please everyone? Melanie exclaimed and did not realise how she had wandered into the men’s clothing section and got lost in shirts and sweaters. Are you choosing something for your husband? A pleasant female voice came from behind her. You know, your beloved man probably will like this cashmere sweater.

It’s warm, comfortable and cosy. There are all sizes and five colours to choose from. Uh, I just… Melanie couldn’t figure out how to introduce herself, who she was, the hostess’s daughter or a new employee.

I won’t bother you. Please choose. When you decide, please let me know.

I’ll come over, the salesperson said. How nice it is. It turns out that the salespeople in our store behave so nicely.

Melanie noted to herself that the girl was gorgeous and polite. Her gloomy mood vanished like smoke and for the first time in her life, she wanted to work as a salesperson. As funny as it sounded, Melanie left the men’s shirt section and headed towards her mother with enthusiasm.

Mum, what should I do? I’m ready to work. Vanessa looked like she had seen a ghost. Her always dissatisfied daughter suddenly took the initiative.

Meet my daughter Melanie, but you, Rebecca, know her well and you, Greta, have recently started working and I haven’t introduced you yet. The girls looked at each other and laughed. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too. Greta told the owner that she had mistaken her daughter for a customer and began to offer her men’s pullovers. Vanessa smiled, observing the interaction between the two girls.

She knew Melanie had a difficult character and had no illusions about her daughter’s work in the store, but these few months she had accumulated so much fatigue that she decided to let it be. Melanie didn’t expect everything to turn out this way. Boom! And she became a seller of plus-size clothes.

But surprisingly, the girl felt a sudden surge of strength and energy. Melanie threw all unnecessary thoughts out of her head and started to learn sales. These are single-breasted jackets.

These are double-breasted. These are Bukle’s fabric jackets. They used to be insanely popular with us.

Greta told Melanie about the models in the women’s clothing department. What’s the maximum size for these jackets? We always order tunics and dresses of certain models up to XXXL. Melanie’s face showed surprise or bewilderment.

Well, you know, there are different body types, different women, said Greta. Really? I didn’t think plus-size clothes were popular. Well, your parents are smart people, and they wouldn’t deal with selling outdated things.

Think about it. The sizes of fashionable dresses, blouses and skirts end at size L. But women of any weight want to look elegant and modern, and men too. We have many regular customers who don’t want to lose weight, but want to dress fashionably.

It’s not our business why they live like that. Our task is to satisfy their needs. And you know, there are few places in our town where you can find clothes that are both high-quality and fashionable in that size.

Of course, there are online stores, but they have long been on our heels. But in any case, when a person comes to us, we don’t just sell them something heartlessly. We learn about their desires and try to offer options.

Yes, our main task is to sell. There’s nothing criminal about that. But who, if not a seller, will suggest to a buyer what suits them? What to wear with it? How to combine it? Look, Greta pointed to the women’s clothing section.

This is a dress with a basque. It seems like just a decorative detail in the dress, but no, it’s the basque that balances the proportions between a normal waist and wide hips. Or this dress.

Pick a bright scarf, shoes, a bag, and it will all play out completely differently. Melanie listened with an open mouth to Greta’s advice and realised that she had underestimated the work of a clothing store seller and slightly overestimated herself. Greta didn’t tell her anything fundamentally new.

Melanie had an idea of the cuts and correct combination of clothes. After all, in her past life, she followed fashion trends and regularly went shopping with her friends. But Greta opened up a new world to her when she talked about how to talk to the customer without violating subordination, how to please a client so they leave the store satisfied, sometimes not buying anything.

I like working here, really, Greta shared with Melanie during lunch. I have a lot of respect for your mother, so I didn’t leave with the other salespeople. Not every store owner would sell their jewellery to pay their employees.

Yeah, my mum is a strange woman. Melanie barely managed to squeeze out the words as she thought to herself, mum didn’t say a word about selling her jewellery. Why do I find out everything from strangers? And really, I didn’t even notice that mum doesn’t wear earrings or a ring…