Chapter 9

Rewriting My Identity

Emilia’s POV

The anger inside me felt strong enough to burn through bone. I sat in the back of the taxi with my arms crossed tightly over my chest with my fingers dug into my sleeves as the city lights passed by outside the window. Every building, every street, and every person walking past looked blurred because my mind kept replaying the same thing again and again.

Julian.

Of course it was him.

I felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.

My jaw tightened.

“Idiot,” I muttered under my breath.

The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror but said nothing. I leaned my head back against the seat and shut my eyes for a moment.

How could I not see it?

It made no sense from the start. Not a single company wanted to hire me. Not one. I had sent out dozens of applications. Some companies even called me in for interviews, yet the moment they looked at my name or my background, their attitude changed.

They had given me polite smiles, careful excuses and empty promises.

I had believed them.

I had actually believed they were being honest.

A dry laugh slipped out of my throat.

How laughable.

It wasn't that they didn't want my skills. It was that they couldn't hire me. And Julian had made sure of that.

My fingers curled into fists.

“That bastard,” I whispered.

The taxi slowed down at a traffic light, and the red glow from outside filled the car. I stared at it quietly.

I could already imagine Julian’s face.

That smug expression he always wore whenever he thought he had won.

I could almost hear his voice in my head.

You see, Emilia? Without me, you are nothing.

My teeth clenched.

He would probably sit in his expensive office, leaning back in his chair, while telling people how I would eventually crawl back to him. He would tell them that I had nowhere else to go.

The thought made my chest tighten.

If resentment could kill, Julian would already be buried six feet underground.

The taxi began moving again but strangely, I didn't feel hopeless. The anger inside me slowly turned into something else.

Determination.

A slow breath escaped my lips.

“No,” I murmured.

I wasn't going back to him.

Not ever.

Earlier today, I had already decided to stop job hunting for a while. I had been ready to take whatever small work I could find. Anything that would help me survive.

But now?

Now I knew the truth.

Julian wasn't just ignoring me. He was actively trying to destroy my chances. Which meant something important. He was afraid. The thought made a small spark ignite in my chest. If he was going this far to block me, it meant he believed I could still rise.

My mind started working quickly.

Fine.

If he wanted to play games, I would play too. The taxi finally pulled to a stop in front of the motel. “We're here,” the driver said.

I paid him quickly and stepped out. The evening air was cooler now, but my body still felt hot from anger.

As I walked inside the motel and glanced around. The lobby looked the same as always. With dim lights, old  furniture and the  faint smell of cheap perfume and alcohol.

Maddy wasn't around.

I wasn't surprised.

She was probably out with one of her male clients.

I shook my head slightly and walked down the hallway toward the small locker area where we kept our belongings.

Luckily, my things were still there as I grabbed my small kit and laptop bag before heading to my room.

The door creaked when I pushed it open. Once inside, I dropped my bag on the bed and let out a long breath. The silence in the room wrapped around me.

Slowly, I walked toward the mirror on the wall and  reflection stared back at me.

Long hair,  tired eyes and a face that many people already recognized.

I folded my arms.

“That’s the problem,” I said quietly.

One of the ways they kept identifying me was my appearance. Even if Julian wasn't directly calling the companies, someone could easily recognize me and report back.

Which meant I needed to change completely. I stared at my hair for a long moment. I had kept it long for years.

And I liked it that way.

But right now, I couldn't afford to be sentimental.

“Fine,” I muttered.

I pulled out a pair of scissors from my kit. For a few seconds, I hesitated. Then I grabbed a thick strand of hair and cut.

Snip.

The sound echoed in the small room as a large piece of my hair fell onto the floor. I stared at it for a moment before continuing.

And within minutes, the long hair that once reached past my shoulders was gone.

I paused and studied the rough shape in the mirror.

Then I started adjusting it carefully.

I remembered a style I had once seen in a movie.

A woman with strong eyes and short hair.

Storm.

The character from X-Men.

I had always liked the confidence she carried. Slowly, I shaped my hair to match that style as best as I could. When I finally stepped back, my head felt lighter. But I wasn't done.

Next, I opened a small box of hair dye from my kit. The color inside was deep black. Carefully, I mixed the solution and began applying it to my hair.

The smell of the dye filled the room as I worked patiently. After washing and drying it, I stood in front of the mirror again.

The difference shocked even me.

The long, familiar hair was gone.

The new style framed my face differently and the dark color made my features sharper.

I tilted my head slightly.

“Not bad,” I murmured.

I added a few small touches with makeup. Nothing dramatic, just enough to change the way my face looked.

When I finished, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me.

Good.

That was exactly what I needed. Feeling satisfied, I walked over to the bed and opened my laptop.

The screen lit up the dark room and my fingers began moving quickly across the keyboard as I searched through job listings.

Several companies appeared.

Large corporations, and firms but I skipped most of them. Julian probably had connections everywhere. Then one listing caught my attention.

A small startup company.

And according to the information I found, they were struggling to attract investors. Their finances were unstable, and they desperately needed new talent to survive.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

Perfect.

A small company like that wouldn't care about Julian's influence. They needed results more than politics.

I opened the application page and uploaded my CV.

“Let's see,” I whispered.

I clicked send.

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then suddenly a new message popped up and I blinked.

“That was fast.”

I opened the reply as my eyes quickly scanned the words.

Interview scheduled for Monday.

A slow smile appeared on my face.

“Well,” I said softly.

“That worked.”

I closed the laptop and stood up. For a moment, I walked back to the mirror. The woman looking back at me now felt different.