The slip of paper had become my treasure. I folded and unfolded it so many times that the corners were already wearing thin. Each time I read the bold letters—Live-in House Help Needed. Good Pay. Accommodation Provided.—my heart gave a strange, nervous flutter.
For days, I kept it hidden in my bag, tucked away like a fragile hope I didn't dare touch. Life didn't hand me miracles. It had a cruel habit of dangling promises only to snatch them away.
But I couldn't keep waiting. Jamie's exam was in a week. Rose's money had bought us time, but debts hung heavy. If I didn't move now, when would I?
So that morning, I rose earlier than usual. Mum was still asleep, her snores soft and tired. Jamie was curled up on the thin mattress beside her, his schoolbooks stacked neatly on the floor. I stood watching them for a while, my chest aching. Everything I did was for them—every sacrifice, every humiliation.
"Today," I whispered to myself, clutching the advert in my fist. "I'll take the first step."
---
The city was already awake when I boarded the bus, the streets buzzing with people rushing to work, to school, to their lives. I sat pressed against the window, my reflection staring back at me. My blouse was washed so many times it had faded, but it was neatly pressed. I had borrowed a skirt from Rose, one that made me look a little more presentable.
Still, doubt clawed at me. What if they laugh at me? What if they see right through me and send me away?
I shook my head. No. I couldn't afford to think like that. I had faced worse. I had endured rejection before—humiliating, gut-wrenching rejection that cost me my job. If I survived that, I could survive anything.
The bus stopped, and when I stepped down, my breath caught in my throat.
Knight Holdings towered above me like a glass fortress, sleek and untouchable. It wasn't just a building; it was a statement. Power radiated from its walls, from the guards in tailored uniforms, from the endless flow of expensive cars sliding into its private driveway.
I froze for a moment, clutching my worn handbag tightly. I had never felt so small.
"Move along, miss," the security guard at the gate said briskly, not unkind but firm.
I swallowed hard and nodded, my legs carrying me forward though they trembled with every step.
Inside, the lobby gleamed. Marble floors, chandeliers, polished counters—it was like stepping into another world, one I had only seen in magazines left behind by hotel guests. A long line of people had already formed near the reception desk. Applicants. All of them looked polished, confident, and worlds apart from me.
I slid into the line, keeping my head low. My fingers twisted the strap of my handbag.
The girl in front of me wore heels that clicked against the floor like a declaration of her importance. She glanced at me once, her eyes sweeping over my plain clothes before she turned away with a faint smirk. Heat rose in my cheeks, but I refused to move.
You're here for your family, I reminded myself. Not for their approval.
When it was finally my turn, the receptionist barely looked at me. "Application?"
I handed over the advert slip and the small form I had filled out that morning. My handwriting looked painfully ordinary against the crisp paper.
"Wait over there," she said, pointing to a cluster of seats.
I sat down, my heart racing. Around me, whispers floated. Some applicants boasted about their experiences working for wealthy families. Others gossiped about the mysterious CEO—Adrian Knight.
"They say he's ruthless," one girl whispered. "No one lasts long working close to him."
"He doesn't even look at staff," another added. "He's cold. Inhuman, really."
I pretended not to listen, but every word sank into me, feeding both my fear and my curiosity.
Time dragged. My stomach twisted. With each applicant called in before me, my hope dimmed a little more. What if I wasn't even considered?
Finally, a stern-looking woman in a navy dress stepped out of the hallway. "Elena Carter."
My legs nearly buckled as I rose. I clutched my bag tighter, forcing my steps steady.
This was it. The first step into a world that might break me… or save me.
And as I walked toward the door, I didn't know that beyond it, my fate was already waiting.