Chapter 2 - THE FRESH START

Andrea woke with a sharp inhale, her body jolting upright before her mind fully caught up. For a brief second, everything felt still, almost peaceful… until reality crashed back in.

Her phone lit up beside her.

7:37 AM.

“Shit.”

The word slipped out under her breath as her heart kicked hard against her ribs. She grabbed the phone again, blinking at the screen like the numbers might change if she stared long enough.

She'd overslept. Her first day at Crestview Holdings started at nine, and she was already behind. Her heart kicked hard against her ribs as she scrambled for her phone again, half hoping she'd misread the time.

7:37 AM.

No mistake.

Her stomach dropped. It was her first day at her new job and she was already messing it up. Andrea shoved her hands into her hair and dragged in a sharp breath, forcing herself not to spiral. Panic wouldn’t fix anything. She just needed to move. Fast.

She threw off the bedcover and was out of bed in seconds. There was no time for her usual meditation or for her to ease into the morning like she preferred. She grabbed her phone, silenced the alarm, and went straight to the bathroom.

The shower was quick, barely lasted five minutes. She dried off fast, pulled her hair into a neat bun, moved to her closet and selected the first professional outfit she saw; black pants and white blouse. Dressed quickly, her hands were calm even though her heart was racing.

She reached for her bag, then paused. “My laptop?”

Andrea spun around, spotting it on the small table beside the couch. If she’d walked out without it, she would’ve cried on the sidewalk, immediately she stuffed it into her bag with shaky hands, her pulse still racing.

“Get it together,” she muttered under her breath.

As she buttoned her shirt, she noticed the yellow paper on her kitchen counter. RENT NOTICE. Due February 12th, Ten days from now.

Andrea stared at the paper longer than she meant to. Ten days.

Her mind immediately started doing the math she’d been avoiding. Her savings barely stretched, the last paycheck from her previous job was already chipped away by bills. Groceries and Transport.

This new job wasn’t just a fresh start. It was the difference between staying afloat and sinking. Andrea shoved the notice into the drawer harder than necessary and slid it shut. Not today. She couldn’t afford to fall apart today.

There was no time for breakfast. She grabbed her bag from the chair, checked for her wallet and keys, and headed for the door.

She locked the door behind her and hurried down the stairs. The bus stop was two blocks away from her apartment. Andrea walked quickly, her heels clicking against the pavement. The morning air was cold, and she hadn't grabbed a jacket.

But It didn't matter. She'd be inside soon enough. “You can do this. New job. Fresh start. Don't think about…” She cut the thought off before Caleb's face could form in her mind.

But his voice slipped in anyway, uninvited. “I just…god, Andrea, you're so uptight all the time. I mean everything has to be perfect with you, you never want to just loosen up and have fun."

Andrea’s jaw clenched as she walked faster, her chest tightening with a familiar ache. She hated how easily the words stuck, hated that a part of her still wondered if he was right.

“No,” she whispered to herself. “We’re not doing this today.”

It had been one week since her birthday. Since she'd found him in bed with someone else and told her she was boring, uptight, not fun enough. Andrea shook her head sharply and kept walking.

“Work. Focus on work, that's all that matters now.”

She got to the bus stop earlier than expected and after three minutes the bus pulled up in front of her. She let out a heavy sound of relief before climbing on, tapped her card, and found a seat near the middle.

The bus started moving, and she pulled out her phone to check the time. 8:42 AM. She was definitely going to reach Crestview very late. Two women in expensive business suits sat in the seats directly in front of her. Andrea wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but they weren't whispering either.

".....fired him right there in the conference room," one of them said, her tone low but audible "didn't even wait until after the meeting."

"That's Henry Moore for you." The other woman laughed not too loud "My friend works at Crestview. She says he's brilliant, but completely ruthless. He never smiles or tolerates mistakes. If you mess up, you're done."

Andrea's fingers paused over her phone screen.

Crestview?! That's her company

Andrea looked up from her phone.

"I heard he made one of his executives cry last month, after he lost a huge contract deal." the first woman continued.

"Wouldn't surprise me. That man's like a machine; no emotions, just results."

"Sounds exhausting to work for."

"Yeah, but Crestview's one of the top firms in Chicago and the entire country. If you can survive working for Moore, you can work anywhere. That's what people say."

Andrea reached into her bag and pulled out her headphones. She didn't need to hear more.

Every company had someone like that. Some boss everyone was scared of. She'd dealt with bad managers before, supervisors who took credit for her work sometimes, She could handle this one too.

She slid her headphones on, pressed play on her playlist, and stared out of the window. The bus arrived at her stop at 9:10 AM, earlier than expected. Traffic had been light today, and now Andrea stood outside Crestview Holdings.

The building was huge, made of all glass and steel. It was so tall she had to tilt her head back to see the top. People in suits walked in and out like they owned the place.

Andrea suddenly became hyperaware of everything about herself. The scuff on her heel, faint wrinkle near the hem of her blouse. The way everyone else seemed to move with effortless confidence.They looked like people who belonged here while she felt like someone pretending.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag as she walked toward the doors anyway. “You’ve got this, girl.”

Even if the CEO was some emotionless machine she wasn't going to let that scare her. She'd worked three jobs to pay for college, sent out hundreds of applications before Crestview finally hired her. This was her chance. She wasn't going to mess it up. She walked through the doors.

The lobby was massive, the marble floors gleamed beneath her heels, every step echoing louder than she wanted. Conversations buzzed around her, polished voices and quiet laughter that made her feel like she’d stepped into a world she wasn’t fully invited to.

Andrea straightened her posture, lifting her chin just a little higher. “Fake it until you belong.” then approached the front desk. A woman in her forties with perfectly styled hair looked up and smiled politely.

"Good morning. How can I help you?"

"I'm Andrea Collins. It's my first day. I'm starting in the analytics department."

The woman typed something into her computer, then nodded. "Ah, yes. Welcome to Crestview, Ms. Collins." She handed Andrea a sleek badge with her name and photo printed on it. "You'll be on the 47th floor. Elevators are just past the security checkpoint on your left."

"Thank you." Andrea clipped the badge to her shirt and headed toward the elevators. Security waved her through after a quick scan, and she stepped into the elevator lobby.

Andrea stared at the elevator panel, numbers glowing in neat rows. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirrored wall, composed on the surface but betraying the storm underneath. Her mind was going through a lot; rent notice, Caleb’s betrayal, ruthless CEO rumors and first day expectations. The thoughts crowded her mind all at once, loud and suffocating.

She swallowed hard and pressed a button without really looking. The elevator hummed as it climbed. When those doors opened, she had to look like someone who belonged.

Even if she wasn’t sure she did.