CHAPTER 1

Livia

“Unfortunately, miss, but there are currently no vacancies at the moment,” the man said, his eyes never leaving the pile of documents on his desk.

I blinked, my heart dropped. “But there is a job vacancy advertisement posted at the entrance of this store. I saw the same advertisement online this morning. That is why I am here.”

The man finally raised his eyes from the documents and he looked really annoyed. He leaned back in his swivel chair and crossed his arms over his chest.  “Miss, do you want me to spell it out for you?”

“Spell what out, sir?” I asked, my voice firm and steady. I had been preparing myself for this interview for the last three days. I just couldn't afford to miss this. 

“We don’t hire people of… you know… your size,” he said, glancing down at my hips and then back up at my face. It was a cold, dismissive stare.

I felt my face flush with anger and embarrassment. “What does my body size have to do with anything? I am here to sell clothes, not wear them.”

“Come on, let me show you, so you can see for yourself,” he said, getting up from his seat. 

We went out of the office, and then he took me to the main floor of the boutique. It was made entirely of glass, white marble, and clothing that cost more than my entire wardrobe.

He stood in the center of the floor and made a gesture with his arm. “Tell me, young lady, do you see any employee here with the same body type as you?”

I took a good look at the boutique.  All the girls here looked like they lived on air and celery juice. They were beautiful, no doubt. But they all had this lean, thin build.

 That was when the realization hit me, and I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. 

“So, you are saying that you do not hire people who are a little on the big side?” I said, already knowing the answer.

He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “I am glad that you understand this so well. You see, we have a certain look, and we only hire people who are slim, slender…” 

“Great. I get it,” I interrupted, cutting off his monologue. I just couldn’t stand one more second of his voice. “Thank you for your time.”

I turned on my heel and dashed out of the store towards the coffee store a few blocks away.

________________________________________

I sat on one of the booths in the back corner of the coffee store. The waitress came over to me immediately.

“Sandwich and water, please,” I said, without looking at the menu. She gave a quick nod and walked away.

 I pulled out my phone and dialed the one person in the world who could help me from completely losing my mind. The phone was answered on the first ring.

“Livvvvv!” Roxy’s voice came over the phone in a sing-song voice. “How did it go? Are we celebrating or what?”

I gave a long sigh. “It went completely horrible.”

“Why? What is the reason this time?”

“Same old reason,” I replied, rolling my eyes at the empty air. “It is becoming quite annoying at this point.”

“Your body size?” Roxy replied with a sharp laugh of disbelief, “Those people are hilarious. Who the fuck cares about body size when hiring for a store these days? It is 2026, not 1950.”

“Someone needs to give that person a good talking-to,” I replied. A small, genuine smile appeared on my lips. Roxy had always had a knack of making me feel like the world was crazy, not me.

“I am sorry, Liv. I know how much you wanted to work at that store.” 

“Yeah, it’s all good. Hopefully, another vacancy pops up soon.”

The waitress arrived with my order. I take a big bite of the sandwich immediately, moaning at how good it tasted. I hadn't eaten all morning because of how nervous i was and now I felt like a starved animal.

“Where are you now?” Roxy asked.

“At the coffee shop opposite the store,” I replied through a mouthful.

“Seriously? What if your interviewer walks in right this minute?”

“Nothing, basically,” I said, taking a big gulp of water. “He would probably just think I am some glutton who doesn’t have control over what she eats. I might as well live up to the image, right?”

Roxy laughed loudly. “Oh, please. You are super adorable when you eat. No one has just seen how sweet you are yet. Their loss, Liv.”

Her words did magic on my heart. I felt a deep sense of gratitude towards her. “Thanks, Rox. But remember, we have Altermodern in an hour.”

“What? It’s already that close?”

“Yep. And if you don’t want a low grade in attendance or to spend the lecture standing outside, please meet me at our usual spot in thirty minutes.” I spelled out the "thirty minutes" because Roxy has a very loose relationship with time.

**************

I arrived at my department a little early. At the entrance, I saw Mr. Chong, our campus security officer.

“Livia, how are you doing today?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“All good, sir,” I said with a smile. “I hope you feel better today. I see you are still limping.” I look briefly at his leg, worry etched in my face.

“It’s nothing, kiddo. I am as strong as a horse,” he chimed, giving me a mock muscular pose.

I chuckled and made my way toward the lecture hall. I tried calling Roxy again, but she didn't pick up. Typical. Just as I was about to round the corner, something caught my eye on the bulletin board.

I walked closer and realised it’s a job advert. Usually, the ads in our department were either for low-paying tutoring or full-blown scams. But this one looked different.

I caught a number that made my head spin. $100 per hour.

That was a full day’s pay for most people. I ripped the paper off the wall and read through it quickly.

BABYSITTER NEEDED URGENTLY. Pay: $70 per hour. Minimum 5 hours per shift. No lateness excused. Call this number at exactly 3:00 PM.

“Is this even real?” I muttered.” $350 for a whole day?”

 I checked my watch. 1:45 PM. The class would be over by 3:00. I could make the call the second I walked out the door.

I instantly felt super excited, and I desperately hoped this wasn't a scam.

Two more missed calls from Roxy, and still no word from her. I couldn't wait for her today; my attendance was already borderline because of her being late. I walked into the lecture hall and took a seat near the middle.

Just as I sat down, I noticed a man in the far corner of my row.

He was tall. Even while seated, he looked like he towered over most people. He was wearing an outfit that looked way too expensive for a student. His hair was perfectly styled, and his cologne… God, it smelled incredible.

 It was a mix of sandalwood and something expensive. I could probably smell it from miles away.

He was so focused on his laptop that his dark eyebrows narrowed in concentration. I realized I was staring too much and quickly looked away.

Probably some rich new student, I thought. He will learn to dress down once he sees the reality of school life.

At exactly 2:00 PM, the man beside me stood up and walked straight to the front of the hall.

The room went silent.

He scanned the hall with hawk-like eyes as if looking into the very souls of every student there. His gaze landed on me, and I froze. His eyes were a piercing, intense grey. They lingered on me for a second longer before shifting back to the crowd.

“I am Ronan Sterling,” he said, his voice deep and commanding. “And I will be taking you on Altermodern hencefourth.”