Isabela's apartment was a single room, but it felt like a universe away from the lavish penthouse she would now call home. For a scholarship student in the city, her living conditions were the most affordable in the area, costing her $2,500 a month. It was a small space with a bed, a small desk, and a tiny kitchen, but it was all she had.
The commute to work was a long one, a grueling hour and twenty minutes each way on a crowded bus since she didn't own a car. To pay for her rent and support herself, she relied on funds from her family back home, the kindness of good friends, and the occasional styling gig she could pick up online.
The new job came with an offer of accommodation at the penthouse, a welcome relief from the financial and physical strain. She could finally breathe. She packed her few belongings, her heart brimming with gratitude. She sold the things that would not be of use to her in the penthouse, like her small desk and kitchenware, but kept her most important belongings, like her clothes and her portfolio, which she treasured. Her life was about to change.
She was a scholarship girl, but she was a professional, and this was her chance to prove it. She was no longer just a stylist; she was a wardrobe assistant to one of the world's most powerful men. She was finally on her way to building her own brand.