CHAPTER 2

They left just as they came and Madam Evelyn’s glare settled on me.

“I-I can explain.”

“To my office!” she snapped and turned on her heels.

Tears gathered in my eyes, but I fought them back and followed her. My heart pounded as I stepped into her office, and she slammed the door after me. 

“I warned you, didn’t I?” 

“Ma'am, please. My father. I didn't…” I stammered.

She rounded her table in her office and sat. “That’s none of my business. I warned you one more lakadisical step and you're gone,” she spat and harshily shoved an envelope to my face. “You’re even lucky I didn't charge you for the plate,” she added.

The tears which I have been fighting all these while, finally found their way down my face. “Please–“ 

“Have a nice life, Miss Parker!” She gestured at her door.

At this point, I realized there was no point begging, I picked up the envelope which was my day’s pay, which I’m sure can’t feed me for more than two days, and headed out.

All through the ride to my house, I held myself together, refusing to show my weakness to the public. But once behind the doors of my apartment, I plummeted on the floor and, sobbed.

I sobbed so loud I didn’t hear my phone ring. It was at the third ring that I noticed and rummaged through my bag.

“Hello!” I answered without looking at the screen.

“Mabel. Where are you?”

Hearing the voice of my best friend brought more tears to my eyes. “Hello, Ruth.”

Ruth and I have known each other since elementary school and have since then become inseparable. She’s the sister I never had.

“Yes,” she replied. “I just stopped by at the Maple Lane Diner and asked for you and …”

“I’ve been fired,” I muttered and more tears flowed down my face.

“Where are you?”

“In my apartment.”

“Don’t go anywhere. I’m coming right there, OK?”

“Alright.”

Time drifted slowly, then a knock sounded on the door. I answered and it was Ruth

I broke into tears again and she pulled me into her arms.

“Tell me what happened,” she murmured, after we'd settled down on the couch.

I told her everything. “Perhaps, I'm cursed,” I concluded.

“No, you’re not,” Ruth countered softly.

“Look at me. I’m 22 years old,” I murmured. “I don’t have a job, and will be kicked out of my apartment.”

For a while, neither of us spoke. Ruth just held my hands, her fingers brushing my knuckles.

“Like I said, you’re not cursed, Mabel. For starters, we need to find a means of saving your home, and that brings us to the next topic.”

Ruth straightened and reached inside her bag for her iPad. I watched her tap the screen and typed for another few seconds. “There’s a ball coming up tomorrow night for the high society,” she announced.

“Why are you telling me?” I asked.

Ruth smiled. “There’s an opening in the ball for the role of a waitress and I think you should take it. I heard the pay is good.”

She gave me the iPad so I could see for myself the tabloid about the upcoming ball, and the job description. Ruth was right, the pay was huge, at least big enough to offset my rent.

There were several pictures of the high profile guests expected to grace the event, but one stopped me cold.

“Who’s this?” I asked, tilting the iPad toward Ruth.

“Oh, that?” She beamed. “That’s Alec Rivera — CEO of Daston Airlines and heir of the Rivera Group. Practically North America’s royalty.”

My fingers lingered on the glass longer than I meant to. 

Standing at over six tall, he had the kind of presence that reached through the screen — chiseled jawline, lips made for trouble. And eyes the color of deep water, impossible to read and harder to look away from.

Was it legal to be that handsome?

“...Mabel? Mabel?” Ruth’s voice pulled me out of my reverie. “Are you OK?”

“Y-yeah.” I swallowed hard and handed back her iPad. “Are you sure you’re OK with me taking this job? You still need the money for your agriculture project.”

“I will hate to see you get thrown out of your apartment, bestie. Moreover, I already applied on your behalf, on my way here.” 

A notification popped up on her phone.

Ruth glanced at it and gasped. 

“What's it?” I asked.

“You just got hired!”

A squeal escaped my lips. It still felt like a dream, how everything was happening so fast.

One minute I was with my friend in my apartment, and the next, we were at a salon getting our hair done. The following day, I was at the event center, submitting my ID to security, who searched me thoroughly before clocking me in.

Inside the exquisite hall, I joined my colleagues as we were briefed about the event and assigned to our first post —welcoming guests.

“Welcome to the Forte-nite ball,” our supervisor would say as guests stepped out of their cars.

“It's a pleasure to have you,” I'd say, and hang a garland around their necks.

Suddenly, a limousine pulled up in the driveway and absolutely no one, but the CEO of Daston Airlines stepped out.

Cameras flashed from the press barricade and the girls with me were a giggling mess. “He's here!” they squealed.

I held my breath and watched him approach us.

“Welcome to the Fortnight Ball, Mr. Rivera,” our supervisor said with a smile.

He adjusted the cuffs of his tuxedo and offered her a polite nod, before turning to me.

The moment our eyes met, something electric snapped between..like my soul had been waiting for this all along.