The Interview and Acceptance

I woke up at five. Body aching, back stiff from the damn storage room floor again. My phone alarm buzzed and I shut it off fast, heart hammering. No way was I letting Clara or Lily catch me up this early. Not today. Not when everything depended on this stupid interview.

The interview. Just thinking about it made my stomach twist.

I hadn’t really slept. Just kept cycling through questions in my head, practicing answers, then losing track of what I was even saying in my own mind.

I grabbed my clothes and crept to the bathroom, locking the door. The shower was barely warm, Clara must’ve fiddled with the heater again. Didn’t matter. I scrubbed hard anyway, washed my hair twice, trying to look like someone who hadn’t just spent the last two nights on a mat.

The mirror wasn’t kind. Dark circles. Cheekbones sticking out a little more than I wanted. Eyes dull. I almost didn’t recognize myself.

But, there was still something there. My hair, straight and soft. Green eyes sharp against pale skin. The curve of my body that I’d been called “fat” for more times than I could count. Mateo’s voice, Clara’s, Lily’s, they’d all drilled that word into me.

They were wrong. I wasn’t fat. I was curvy. And it scared me a little, because being curvy meant I had to be careful about how I dressed.

I buttoned my shirt to the very top. Plain white, freshly washed. Black pants, loose enough to hide things but neat enough to look decent. Old flats, worn, but clean.

Looked in the mirror again. Nothing sexy. Nothing flashy. Just boring. That was what I needed. Boring.

I didn’t want anyone hiring me for my face or my body. I wanted them to hire me because I needed it more than anyone else. Because I’d work until I dropped if I had to.

I slipped out of the house before seven, quiet as I could. The air outside was cool, almost sweet, and for the first time in a while I let myself breathe.

The buses took forever. Two of them. Over an hour. By the time we got near the stop, my hands were shaking.

The place was impossible to miss. Blackwood Estate. Huge iron gates like something out of a castle, cameras watching from both sides.

And the women. At least twenty of them already waiting, dressed like they were headed to a club. Skintight dresses, heels taller than my hand, makeup layered thick. They looked like they were auditioning for a music video.

I froze for a second. Felt stupid in my plain clothes.

“Oh my God, look at this one,” a blonde said loud enough for me to hear. Her friend laughed, eyes sliding over me.

“What is she wearing? Did she get lost on her way to church?”

“Seriously. Does she think she’s going to get hired looking like a nun?”

They weren’t whispering. They wanted me to hear. And yeah, it landed, at least for a moment. Shame crawled over me. Their voices melted into Mateo’s, Clara’s, Lily’s. All saying the same thing: you don’t belong here, you’re nothing.

But then I thought about the storage room. About the floor. About being some few hours away from nowhere to sleep.

I lifted my chin and walked right past them.

“Wow, okay, she’s got balls,” someone muttered.

“She’s gonna need more than balls to get this job,” another said. “I heard Kai Rylan is gorgeous. Like, stupid hot. And rich as fuck.”

“I’d do him for free,” the blonde giggled. “Forget the job. I just want on that dick.”

“Same, girl. Same.”

They cracked up, and my face burned hot. It was clear, they weren’t here for work. They were here for him.

But I’d been through this before. At the motel job, when people whispered, calling me names because I was young and men noticed me. I’d learned to tune it out. I told myself I could tune it out again.

At ten sharp the gates opened. A huge man in a suit led us inside, through a side door into a plain waiting room. One by one, the women went in. Ten minutes each. Some came out smug, some not.

By the time they called my name, I’d been waiting two hours. My nerves were shredded.

“Adair Rivas?”

I stood, smoothed my shirt, forced my legs to move.

The office was huge. Dark wood, windows stretching from floor to ceiling. Two men inside.

The first, massive, scar running down his face, arms crossed like he was deciding if I was a threat. The second, lean, sharp suit, sharper eyes. His smile didn’t reach them.

Miss Rivas,” the sharp one said, gesturing. “Please, sit.”

I sat, hands tight in my lap.

“I’m Lorenzo,” he said. “This is Marco. We handle hiring for Mr. Rylan.”

Marco just grunted.

“So,” Lorenzo leaned back. “Tell us about yourself.”

My throat tightened. I could lie. Pretend to be more. But I was tired of lying.

“I’m twenty-five,” I said. “Recently divorced. Homeless. And desperate.”

Lorenzo raised a brow. “Interesting approach.”

“It’s the truth. I don’t have professional caretaker experience, but I ran my ex-husband’s household for three years. Staff, schedules, everything. I work hard. I don’t quit.”

“Why should we choose you?” Marco asked, voice like gravel. “There are twenty other women out there. Some with real experience.”

“Because I actually need the job,” I said flatly. “Not just access to your boss’s bed.”

Lorenzo’s smile sharpened. Marco almost smirked.

“Bold,” Lorenzo said. “I like it.”

“The others are here for him,” I added. “I’m here for the work. That’s the difference.”

“And you’re not interested in seducing him?” Lorenzo asked, amused.

“I’m interested in a roof and food,” I said. “His personal life isn’t my business.”

The men exchanged a look.

Lorenzo stood. “You start today. Be back by six with your things.”

I blinked. “I… what?”

“You’re hired,” Marco said. “Don’t make us regret it.”

“Thank you, I won’t,”

“Don’t thank us yet,” Lorenzo cut in. “Master Kai is… particular. High standards, low patience. The last five caretakers didn’t last long.”

“I’ll last,” I said, even if I wasn’t sure.

“We’ll see.” He handed me a card. “Be back by six. Thomas will show you your quarters.”

I took it, hands shaking. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means.”

Marco’s eyes softened slightly. “Good luck, kid.”

I stumbled out of there on autopilot, heart hammering. I’d done it. Somehow, I’d actually done it.

The bus back felt like a dream. By the time I walked into the Chen house, I was grinning like an idiot. Went straight for my suitcase. Clothes, a couple books, photos of my parents, my charger. My whole life in one bag.

And it was enough. Because I was leaving.

The front door opened.

Shit.

“Hello?” Clara’s voice.

I stepped into the hall, suitcase in hand. Her eyes flicked to it.

“What’s this?”

“I found a job,” I said. “I’m leaving.”

“A job? What kind of job?”

“Does it matter? I’ll be out of your house like you wanted.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not taking anything that belongs to us.”

I almost laughed. “Trust me, I’m not. Everything I’m taking is mine.”

“Good.” She folded her arms, lips curling. “Good riddance, fat bitch.”

The words rolled off. They didn’t sink in this time.

“Goodbye, Clara,” I said, quiet but steady, and walked right past her. Didn’t look back.

By 5:45 I was at the estate again. The gates opened like they’d been waiting.

An older man in a butler’s uniform stood ready. Straight-backed, sharp, his voice clipped.

“Miss Rivas. I’m Thomas. I’ll show you to your quarters.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, suddenly aware of my worn suitcase.

Inside, the mansion was breathtaking, marble floors, high ceilings, art everywhere. Thomas stopped at a small room near the kitchen.

“Your room,” he said. A bed. Clean sheets. A dresser. A bathroom attached.

It was perfect.

“Master Kai will see you tomorrow,” Thomas said at the door. “Until then, settle in. And Miss Rivas? Don’t wander at night. Master Kai values his privacy.”

The way he said it felt more like a warning.

“Understood,” I nodded.

He left.

I stood in the little room, suitcase dangling from my hand, and for the first time in a long time, I felt it, hope. Fragile, but real.

I dropped the suitcase and collapsed onto the bed. Clean sheets. A door that locked. Heaven.

Tomorrow I’d meet Kai Rylan. Tomorrow everything could change.

But tonight I had a bed. A room. A chance.

And that was enough.