I walk down the line, shaking everyone’s hand and thanking them individually. There is the young woman who tells me that she’s buying herself a RACHEL K. bag to celebrate her recent graduation from law school—and she only pursued a career in law because I inspired her to chase her dreams. There is the high school girl who tells me she got a job—her first ever—at a frozen yogurt shop and pulled double shifts every opportunity she could just to afford one of my bags. Her mother, who’s standing in line with her, jokes to me that I’m the one who finally gave her daughter a work ethic. Everyone is so lovely and excited, it’s actually kind of overwhelming.

By the time I get back into the car, all I want is to slip on my comfy knit joggers and eat a nice bowl of patbingsu in bed.…

My phone buzzes, jolting me out of my sweet-shaved-ice dreams.

A notification reminds me that I’ve missed three calls from Alex. I immediately dial him up on FaceTime. He answers on the first ring.

“Rachel?” he says, his face appearing on the screen. “There you are. I’ve been trying to reach you!”

“Um… can you believe this?” I say, putting my hand over my mouth. I’m at a total loss for words.

“Yes, I can!” he says, laughing with the biggest grin on his face. “I can definitely believe it. Your line is incredible and you worked so hard for this. God, I wish I could be there with you in person to celebrate.”

“Me too,” I say wistfully. Alex has been stuck at home in Hong Kong for the past several weeks working on a tricky business negotiation, the timing of which feels like both a blessing and a curse. As much as I’d love to share this moment with him, I’ve been so dogged by the press today, there’s no way we’d have been able to spend time together without being caught.

“So listen, I have great news,” Alex says on my screen. “The early numbers from Lotte are really strong.”

“They are?” I ask. “How strong?”

“With numbers like this, you could even think about opening your own boutique a couple years from now.”

My own boutique? I can’t even imagine it. Adrenaline shoots through me—a mix of excitement and fear. This thing is growing, and it’s all happening so quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic. But it’s scary, too. There’s certainly no going back now. And what started as a little experiment is now out in the world. It’s got its own momentum, and good or bad, I won’t always get to control what comes next.

TWENTY-ONE