CHAPTER 5 - A Terrible First Day

/THEO/

The official offer email from PixelPulse Studio arrived at exactly 4:15 PM, and I swear my heart stopped for a full ten seconds. I stared at my phone screen, reading the words ‘Administrative Assistant Role’ over and over until they blurred together.

I got it. I actually got it.

The relief that washed over me was so intense my knees felt weak. The salary was exactly what I needed—enough to cover my half of the rent, buy groceries, and finally start a hidden savings account. The moment I had enough to pay Nevan back for my university tuition, I was going to cut ties completely and then, I'll finally be able to breathe.

To celebrate, I decided to make a proper dinner. No basic sandwiches tonight.

I went down to the local market and bought fresh ingredients for a savory chicken stir-fry and egg fried rice. By the time 6:00 PM rolled around—the exact start of my kitchen time slot—the apartment was filled with the delicious aroma of garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.

Right on cue, Lorcan’s bedroom door clicked open. He stepped out, wearing a simple black t-shirt and grey sweatpants.

"Hey!" I chirped, turning around with the spatula still in my hand. I couldn't keep the massive grin off my face. "Just in time. I actually have some really great news."

Lorcan walked over to the fridge, completely ignoring my excitement. He grabbed a bottle of water and cracked it open. "Rule number one, Theo."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, zero interaction," I said, rolling my eyes while still smiling from ear to ear. "But just listen for a second. I got the job at PixelPulse Studio! I start on Monday."

Lorcan paused with the water bottle halfway to his mouth. For a second, he just stared at me, and I wondered if he was even going to acknowledge it.

"Congratulations," he mumbled. He took a sip of his water. "Make sure your new work hours don't disrupt the apartment's quiet hours."

My smile twitched. "Wow. Thank you for the overwhelming enthusiasm, Lorcan. Truly, I’m touched."

He didn't reply. He just turned around and walked straight back into his room, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Unbelievable," I muttered to myself, shaking my head as I plated the food. "The guy is a literal brick wall." But as I looked at the extra portion I’d made for him, I decided to leave it on the counter anyway with a fresh neon note. There was no way I was about to waste food.

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Monday morning arrived faster than I'd have wished it to.

Standing in front of the massive glass skyscraper that housed PixelPulse Studio, I felt smaller than I ever had in my life. The lobby was busy and everyone looked completely in place here which made me feel a bit too self conscious.

I smoothed down my ironed slacks, took a deep breath, and walked inside. I couldn't turn back now.

By mid-afternoon, however, my initial excitement had turned into panic. The corporate environment was incredibly overwhelming and my supervisor, Ms. Lesley wasn't helping.

She had handed me a massive stack of paperwork and told me to categorize the rendering team's resource allocation usage before the 3:00 PM meeting.

Being naturally nervous and trying too hard to be fast, I completely mixed up the codes. I accidentally deleted a week's worth of animation files from the main system, locking the junior animators out of their own projects.

I sat at my desk, staring at the flashing red error message on my monitor, feeling cold sweat pool at the back of my neck. I was going to get fired on my very first day. Was I really this incompetent? How was I going to face Mayla? And would that mean I'd have to accept Nevan’s charity job?

I felt tears sting the back of my eye. Maybe I should ask—

"Uh-oh. Looks like someone hit the panic button on day one."

I looked up, my eyes wide with fear. Standing by my desk was a lady with a sharp eyeliner and a high ponytail, holding a tablet.

“Don't scare the newbie like that,” a guy showed up from nowhere in particular. He had messy brown hair and a friendly, laid-back smile.

"I... I think I ruined the rendering phase," I stammered, my voice cracking. "I accidentally deleted a week's worth of animation files from the main system.”

I was completely cooked.