The Life Of Emily - Between Dreams And Reality
07:00 AM – BROOKLYN APARTMENT
The sound of an iPhone alarm filled the small room, with exposed brick walls and a large window overlooking a narrow alley.
Emily fumbled for her phone on the bedside table without opening her eyes.
Click—alarm off.
She turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling, gathering the energy to face the day.
Brooklyn wasn't like Manhattan. Life here felt more real, more raw. No glamour, no luxury. Just people struggling to make ends meet.
After a few moments of laziness, Emily finally dragged herself to her tiny kitchen and opened the fridge.
Empty.
Only half a carton of almond milk, a cheap bottle of wine, and last night's leftover pizza.
"Great, another healthy breakfast," she muttered.
She grabbed the cold pizza and took a bite while opening her MacBook at the small table by the window. Her inbox was flooded—with freelance offers and bills to pay.
Welcome to adulthood.
---
08:00 AM – NYC SUBWAY COMMUTE
Emily jogged to the Bedford Avenue subway station, wearing an oversized hoodie and dark sunglasses.
Brooklyn was busy in the morning, but not like Manhattan, with its towering skyscrapers.
On the streets, baristas poured espresso, construction workers started their drills, and moms rushed by with baby strollers.
As she stepped onto the subway platform, New York's signature cold breeze greeted her.
Ding!
The train arrived. She stepped in, squeezed between a sea of people.
Next to her, a man in an expensive suit and Rolex watch was on the phone, discussing tech stocks.
Across from her, a girl with blue hair and a leather jacket sketched on her iPad.
In the corner, a street musician played an acoustic guitar.
New York was tough, but this was where diversity thrived.
---
08:45 AM – SOHO CAFÉ
Before heading to work, Emily stopped by her favorite café in Soho.
Industrial interior, gold pendant lights, rustic wooden tables, and a long line of people waiting for their caffeine fix.
"One oat milk latte, please."
She paid with Apple Pay and sat by the window, opening her laptop.
A new email from Lucas—her friend who worked at Calloway Holdings.
📩 Lucas: "Calloway Holdings still needs a UX designer. Interested? The pay is great."
Emily bit her lip. Working for Calloway meant stepping into a world of billionaire CEOs, exclusive parties, and the high-class lifestyle she had always avoided.
But her bank account was running low.
And New York wasn't cheap.
She took a deep breath and replied:
"Fine. When do I start?"
09:30 AM – SOHO STREETS
After sipping the last drop of her coffee, Emily slung her tote bag over her shoulder and stepped out of the café. The morning air in New York was still fresh, though the city's hustle was already in full swing.
She walked down Prince Street, passing luxury boutiques like Gucci, Chanel, and Balenciaga—places where socialites and influencers spent money without a second thought.
"One day," she muttered, watching a woman in a white blazer and Louboutin heels step into a boutique.
Not jealousy, just... imagining what it would be like to live that life.
But she knew the reality: Life in NYC was expensive, and if you weren't a CEO or born into wealth, you had to work hard just to survive.
---
09:45 AM – FREELANCE WORK & PILING BILLS
Emily arrived at WeWork in Lower Manhattan, her usual coworking space as a freelance UX designer.
She greeted Darren, a fashion photographer and longtime friend.
"Yo, Em! You look exhausted," Darren said, sipping his cold brew.
"Because I am exhausted. Drowning in work, but none of my clients pay on time," Emily groaned as she opened her laptop.
Darren laughed. "Welcome to freelance life, baby."
She sighed and pulled up her financial spreadsheet—apartment rent, internet, credit card bills. Everything exceeded her bank balance.
"Damn, I really need a full-time job," she muttered, rubbing her face.
Her eyes drifted back to Lucas's email about the opening at Calloway Holdings.
Working for Ethan Calloway?
A handsome CEO, notorious playboy, with a ridiculous amount of wealth.
She had heard the rumors—penthouse parties, billion-dollar deals, and women lining up to be a part of his life.
Emily exhaled sharply. She wasn't part of that world.
But... her bank account was dangerously low.
---
12:30 PM – BUDGET LUNCH IN CHINATOWN
Emily escaped from WeWork and headed to Chinatown, her go-to spot for cheap lunches.
She entered a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant known only to locals and ordered dumplings with jasmine tea.
As she ate, she observed the people around her:
An elderly waiter with a stained apron, moving swiftly between tables.
An immigrant mother with two young children, coaxing them to eat.
Two businessmen in suits, discussing stocks while scrolling through their iPhones.
New York always felt like a never-ending movie.
As she sipped her tea, she thought again.
Maybe it was time to step out of her comfort zone.
She pulled out her phone and typed a message to Lucas:
"Tell me more about the job."
CHILDHOOD IN BROOKLYN
Emily didn't come from a wealthy family.
She was born and raised in Brooklyn, specifically in Williamsburg—a neighborhood once filled with working-class families before it turned into a hipster paradise.
Her mother, a single mom, worked as a nurse at a local hospital. Her salary was enough to pay for their small apartment and daily meals, but not much more.
Her father?
She never even met him.
Her mother always said he was just a temporary stop in her life.
As a child, Emily never had expensive things like her friends did.
She grew up with second-hand books from the library, thrift store shoes, and the understanding that she shouldn't ask for more than what her mother could give.
But her mother never put limits on her dreams.
"You can be anything you want, Em," she once said over a simple dinner of instant noodles and scrambled eggs.
Young Emily just nodded, unaware of how tough the world outside would be.
---
TEEN YEARS: SURVIVING ON HER OWN
As a teenager, Emily started working part-time to help her mother.
Age 15: Cashier at a coffee shop.
Age 17: Waitress at a small restaurant.
Age 18: Intern as a junior graphic designer at a local design studio.
She knew one thing: if she wanted success, she had to work for it.
No connections. No privilege. Just ambition.
When she graduated high school, she got accepted into Parsons School of Design—one of the best design schools in NYC.
But tuition at Parsons was insane.
Her mother couldn't afford it, so Emily had no choice but to take out student loans.
---
COLLEGE, DEBT, AND THE REALITY OF NYC
Parsons gave her new perspectives, but it also came with overwhelming pressure.
Mounting student debt.
Endless design projects.
Fierce competition with rich kids who could focus on studying without having to work.
After graduating, she thought her life would change drastically.
But reality wasn't that pretty.
NYC didn't care about your college degree.
What mattered were connections and experience.
So, Emily got stuck in the freelance grind—taking on small projects while trying to pay off her student loans.
Some days, she barely had enough money for a decent meal.
Other days, she had to choose between paying for WiFi or electricity.
New York was brutal if you weren't born rich.
And now, she was at a crossroads.
Keep struggling, or... take a big leap with Calloway Holdings?
Emily wasn't the type to give up.
She stared at Lucas's email one last time.
Then, she finally typed her reply:
"I'm in."
To Be Continue