Chapter 3: Getting Ready

“I’m going to be late.”

Emma whispered the words like a mantra. More to herself than others as she jogged past a crowded bus stop, her arms clenched around her bag. Her breath puffed into the cold morning air, short and fast.

“I’m actually going to be late.”

She checked her phone in panic. It was 9:18 a.m.

The interview was set for nine that morning. Nothing beat the excitement she had when she saw the mail on her phone the previous day. A congratulations message with a strict clause at the end. “You are to arrive at the office by 9 a.m sharp.” Yet here she was, being anywhere but the office.

The bus she boarded that morning had stopped two stops before her destination. A truck had broken down near the intersection, and two taxis were honking at each other like they had nowhere else to be but in her way. After ten long minutes of watching the clock tick forward, she’d given up and started running.

Now her thighs ached. Her shoes were soaked at the edges from puddles and her blouse clung to her back with sweat.

She hadn’t even made it through the front door yet, and she already looked so out of place.

---

That morning had started with a plan. She woke up early, just after six. She’d ironed her cleanest blouse, even though it had a stubborn crease down the sleeve. She tied her hair into a low bun, trying to make herself look neat, maybe even confident.

Her mirror had disagreed.

“You look tired,” she said to her reflection. “But maybe for today, try to look alive.”

She added a thin layer of lip gloss. Just enough to not look sick.

Her mom had offered her a small smile before she left. “Good luck, baby.”

Emma had smiled back and tried not to let the nerves show. She had left the house with twenty minutes to spare.

Now it was 9:45

So much for spare time and first impressions.

---

She turned the corner at last and nearly stopped in her tracks.

There it was.

The building stood tall, made of clean glass and silver steel that caught the sunlight and threw it back. It towered over everything around it like a king in a town of servants. The logo rested at the top in gold lettering. Looking so sharp and smooth.

Emma stared for a moment, her breath catching. It was more beautiful than she expected. Bigger even, making her more anxious. She adjusted her skirt, wiped her palms on her sides, and took a deep breath before she stepped through the doors.

Inside, the air was cooler and somehow heavier. Everything had the type of shine that screamed class. The lobby stretched wide in every direction. Tall windows reached up to the ceiling, flooding the space with clean morning light. The floors were polished marble, cream and soft gold. A chandelier hung overhead, glittering like water.

Emma felt like she had walked into another world. A world that she didn't belong to. Not with her cheap clothes and out of place look. She glanced down at herself. Her blouse was untidy, her shoes still damp. Her bun was starting to loosen.

To her left, a receptionist sat behind a wide, glossy desk. She had flawless makeup, bright red nails, and the kind of calm face that didn’t flinch for anything.

Emma walked up slowly.

The woman didn’t even look up. “Name?”

Her throat dried. “Emily Grace. I… I’m here for an interview.”

Now the woman looked. Her eyes scanned Emma once, head to toe, then returned to her screen. “Have a seat. You’ll be called.”

Emma nodded and turned away quickly, her cheeks burning hot. She took a seat near the window, hands folded in her lap while trying to stay still. The leather chair creaked faintly beneath her.

She tried hard to breathe.

People moved past her in silence, their shoes tapping against the marble. Custom tailored suits, expensive heels. Everything about them looked polished, confident, like they belonged here.

She shifted in her seat, eyes darting across the room. It was too perfect. Not a single chip or stain in sight. Even the walls looked and felt expensive.

Her gaze lifted to the high ceiling. The gold trim around the elevator. The logo on the front desk. The soft lighting that didn’t buzz or flicker like the lights at the diner had.

He built this. The thought hit harder than she expected. Cole built this.

Her former love who used to carry around a sketchbook, dreaming of skylines and boardrooms. Now he had built an empire with nothing but grit and his bare hands in just 5 years.

While she was here sitting in the middle of it. No crazy success story on her end or even stable income to say the least. She hadn’t even used her real name to get in here.

Life sure had a funny way of placing people. Karma much?

Emma used the moment to take a quick look to try to adjust herself. Her eyes wide and anxious.

“He’s not going to remember me,” she thought. “He’s seen hundreds of people since I left.”

But what if he did?

With the way things ended between them, the last thing she would want was that. Silently she muttered a prayer, hoping that it would not get to that.

The thought of seeing him—really seeing him, made her chest feel too tight.

She hadn’t spoken his name out loud since the day he left. Now, any second, she’d be face to face with him.

“Emily Grace?” The voice pulled her back.

The receptionist stood now, looking straight at her. Emma blinked and stood quickly, nearly knocking her bag off her lap. She caught it just in time and clutched it against her side.

The woman gestured to a hallway behind the desk. “Mr. Harrington will see you now.”

Emma’s heart skipped.

Her feet moved before she could stop them. Each step felt heavier than the last.

This was it. Time to see Cole.