Chapter 5

Jessie quietly finished all the food on her plate. It had been a long time since she'd tasted such delicious food.

Only a lone piece of celery remained, standing out starkly against the white of the plate. She set her fork and spoon down, stood up, and glanced around the table.

"I'm done eating."

Laura frantically reached for Jessie's plate. "Why so little? Let me get you more."

"No, thanks. I'm heading out. Enjoy your meal." Jessie didn't want to continue wasting time with the Stewart family.

She turned and walked away without hesitation.

"Jessie, you promised me you'd stay at home," Laura called after her. It sounded like a sob. Laura's chair screeched as she moved.

Mark stood up and steadied their mother, giving Jessie a look filled with guilt and disapproval.

Jessie frowned slightly. Her hands trembled at her sides. The scraping chair triggered something in her.

It reminded her too much of the three months of abuse she'd endured in prison.

She fought back the urge to run, lowered her gaze, and said calmly, "I'll be back."

Then she left without another word, disappearing from sight within moments.

Not long after Jessie left through the front gates, she retrieved her phone and opened a message she'd received earlier. It was a location with an invitation to interview.

The address was unfamiliar. Jessie stared at it for a few seconds. She then decided to leave the neighborhood before figuring out the route.

Three years in prison had left her disconnected from the world.

It took her forty minutes to walk from the neighborhood to the nearest bus stop.

When she got on the bus, she realized it wouldn't drop her directly at the destination. She'd have to walk part of the way.

As she looked quietly out the window, a BMW drove past.

Through the open car window, she saw Mark talking, and Mia sitting next to him with a sweet, delicate smile.

Jessie turned her gaze away. Her expression was unreadable. The bus announcement chimed as the BMW sped on by.

"Mark, what are you looking at?"

Mark blinked and shook his head. "Nothing."

He thought he might've seen Jessie on the bus.

Jessie asked a passerby for directions and quickly figured out how to use the navigation application on her phone. She'd never used it before, so she hesitated before inputting the address.

It took a while, but she managed to set the destination and followed the directions to a building.

This was the place.

She put her phone away and walked in. At the front desk, a receptionist stopped her.

"What are you here for? Do you have an appointment?"

"Do I need an appointment to come here? I'm here for an interview."

Jessie hadn't expected things to be so strict and began wondering whether she'd even be allowed in.

The receptionist gave her a dismissive once-over, then said irritably, "Why are you only showing up in the afternoon? The interview's upstairs, on the third floor."

Jessie frowned, thinking she should probably explain. But before she could speak, the receptionist's attitude changed abruptly as she looked past Jessie.

"Ms. Yates, you're here."

Jessie glanced behind her and decided to say nothing more. She made her way to the elevator and went up to the third floor. Once there, she sent a text.

[I've arrived.]

She found the room marked 'Interview Room' and knocked.

"Come in."

She pushed open the door. Inside sat a man and a woman, both of whom looked at her with mild confusion. The woman gestured toward the empty chair.

"Here for the interview? Wait a moment, the hiring manager isn't here yet."

Jessie nodded and quietly took a seat.

A few minutes later, the door opened again.

"Ms. Yates."

Jessie glanced over. It was the same well-dressed woman from earlier, Denise Yates. She looked annoyed and shot Jessie a glance.

"You're showing up at this time for an interview?" she asked sharply, not waiting for an answer before firing off another question.

"What's your major?"

Jessie frowned. Before she was imprisoned, she'd just received her college admission letter. She never got the chance to attend. Since then, she'd completed an entire college curriculum on her own, including project coursework. By now, her knowledge base was solid.

"I didn't go to college."

Denise's expression immediately darkened.

"Didn't go to college? Who told you to show up here for an interview?"

Jessie opened her mouth to explain, but Denise cut her off.

"This isn't some small company that hires people without degrees. I don't care who sent you. We don't play favorites here. Get out."

Jessie stood up suddenly. She stared coldly at Denise.

"First of all, a degree isn't the only way to measure competence. Second of all, I don't think your company is a good fit for me either."

"You–"

Denise pointed at her, ready to lash out, when the door opened again.

At the sight of the person, her expression changed instantly. She forced a bright smile.

"Mr. Stewart, Mia! Why didn't you call ahead? I would've come down to meet you."

Mia blinked in surprise at the sight of Jessie.

"Jessie? You're here for an interview? But the minimum requirement for interviews here is a master's degree. You haven't even gone to college," Mia said.

Her gaze darted around, and she bit her lip.

"Mark, Jessie doesn't meet the qualifications. It's hard for her to look for a job. Why don't I give up my chance and let her have this opportunity instead?"