Chapter 1

Credentials, extra lip gloss and my hair brush. Check, check, check.

I've finally been able to secure an interview with another CEO with one of those big companies. After trying for one million times, this is probably the last time I will be applying for a job. 

"Are you ready yet?" Mon asks for the hundredth time.

"Yes," I tell her. "I am."

She walks in with a plate of curd and sugar. My mom is a heavy believer of Indian movies so she thinks curd and sugar is my one-way ticket to good luck. I take it from her as she feeds me.

"Where is dad?" I ask her. She frowns immediately. 

"He's outside. Drinking with his friends." She holds me close. "He's still hell-bent on getting you married, Talia. There isn't any way to stop him." 

I hold up my papers in front of her. "This will stop him. If I get this job, he can't do anything about it when I get him ten bottles of Jack Daniels so he can drink himself to death."

She giggles as I put on my heels. Even though I try to smile, it hurts that my dad doesn't actually care about us at all. He would rather spend all the money for his drinks and even pay for his friends.

As I start walking towards Dajendro Group of Companies, my feet hurt. The place is like ten thousand miles away from my house. But it doesn't matter because I will be paying millions for my pedicures soon. I even left two hours early so I can get there on time without anyone saying was a few minutes late.

The building is huge. It's a thirteen story building that is covered in white and streaks of blue on the side. I walk in after taking deep breaths outside. As I walk in, the receptionist smiles at me.

"Euthalia Fernandez," I tell her. "I have an interview today."

She taps away on her laptop and nods. "Yes. Just head down the hall and enter the first door on your left. Mr. Dajendro will attend to you very soon."

I nod and walk away. I'm able to locate the hall and I sit in the tiny room, waiting for the CEO to come and see me. All I need is a few minutes of his time. 

I sit in this tiny office for about thirty minutes without any attendance from anybody. Not even someone telling me I need to wait, I'll be attended to, soon.

I head out of the office and find a staff. 

"Excuse me," I call out to her. "Where is Mr. Dajendro's office?"

She looks me over immediately. Her mouth is curved in distaste as she glances over my cheap damp suit, my dirty skirt, and my dirty white heels.

I knew I should have borrowed the black one from our neighbor.

"The 12th floor," the lady finally tells me. I nod politely and head for the elevator, looking for the office of the man who has kept me waiting.

I find the black door that has Alfredo Dajendro on it. it says CEO underneath the name. He had better have a good explanation for all this. 

I knock on the door and nobody answers me. Without warning, I open the door at once and find two men sitting on two comfortable black couches.

The office is bigger than my whole house. Its covered in white and all the furniture is mahogany except the couch where the two men are sitting.

The both of them stop talking abruptly when I walk in. 

"Is there any way we can help you, Miss?" the one with blonde hair asks me.

"Well, yes," I reply. "Can you both tell me who Mr. Alfredo Dajendro is?"

"Do you have any issue with him?" the blonde one asks again. He looks like the talkative among the two because the one with dark hair is silent throughout the whole conversation. In fact, he seems uninterested in whatever I have to say. And before I forget to mention, he is also the handsome one between the two.

He sips his coffee and stares outside through the glass window.

"Well, I have booked an interview with Mr. Dajendro today. I was asked to come here by 2pm. I gave been here for the past thirty minutes without attendance from anyone."

"An interview today?" the blonde one asks. "Anyway, Mr. Dajendro will be there with you soon." This blonde one better not be him.

"I would like to know who he is," I say and cross my hand across my chest like an arrogant teenager.

"Him," the blonde one says, gesturing at the one with dark hair.

No.

Such a handsome man being so arrogant that he kept an interviewee waiting. He finally faces me.

"He said I will be there. Now, go back to where you were asked to sit like a good girl instead of barging into my office."

I walk right in front of him and crouch down so that I can be face to face with him. 

"How about I sit down here and we conduct the interview right here, right now?" I ask him.

"You heard him before," the blonde one speaks up. "Maybe you should just go and wait as he asked you to."

"He didn't ask me to. He ordered me. And sitting here having coffee while another human is waiting in another room is just plain rude. I am not going anywhere until I am attended to. That's how most of you are. You get the tiniest of opportunities to grasp a bit of wealth and your shoulders are above your head. Lord knows who does business with you."

At this point, I know that there is no chance of me getting this job. I started forming whatever lie I can for my mom. I might just get married anyway.

Mr. Dajendro finally looks at me and speaks.

"Get out."