Outside the glass doors of the Lancaster Building, the sky had turned dimmer as the sun began to dip below the horizon.
A woman in heels stepped out from the building’s polished entrance, and her walk was smooth and practiced.
The woman carried herself with poise. She was smiling so widely as if the last thirty minutes had gone exactly the way she wanted. Her hair, which appeared to be slightly tousled from earlier, had already been fixed up again.
It was Clarisse.
She scanned the street briefly, then made her way toward a black sedan parked neatly at the side of the street where there was no one watching.
The back passenger window lowered a few inches before she even reached it. The driver gave her a small nod.
Clarisse slid into the back seat, gently pulling the door closed behind her.
The moment the door clicked shut, her smile vanished.
They were gone. Instantly.
Her expression dropped back into something colder, and the pitiful expression in her eyes disappeared as she leaned into the leather seat.
A man sat beside her. He was in his mid-forties, wearing a sharp navy suit and a pale gray tie. His hands rested neatly over a leather briefcase on his lap. He had an elegance to him.
But his presence was the most noticeable thing about him.
He didn’t look at her right away. He just smiled to himself and let the silence stretch a little too long.
"Do you think they believed you?"
Clarisse turned her head slightly, the faintest smirk forming on her lips. "Of course they did. I even got called back earlier. That’s a good sign, right?"
She exhaled softly and crossed her legs. Her voice, which was warm inside the interview room, was now dry.
"They won’t admit it yet, but I’m sure I’ll be the one they choose. The guy who went in with me? He was barely put together. His clothes were cheap. His answers were soft. Honestly, I don’t even know why he was called back."
Her gaze narrowed, and a flicker of irritation tightened her mouth.
"I already laid out everything they want. I gave them a neat little story about hardship, ambition... enough emotion to feel that everything was true. I even threw in that bit about my family’s business and ’wanting to grow outside my comfort zone.’"
She tilted her head slightly. A playful smile now tugged at her lips.
"I wrapped it all up neatly. I know that everything’s in my favor."
The man beside her gave a soft chuckle.
"Good," he said, finally turning toward her.
His eyes didn’t match the curve of his smile.
"I want absolute perfection on this one," he said. "We can’t afford a single mistake. Understood?"
Clarisse nodded, her expression flattening again.
"Yes. You’ll have it."
The man adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, then leaned back into the seat.
"We’ll be watching."
And just like that, the car’s engine slowly came to life like nothing had ever happened.
On the other hand, at the same time that the car drove off, Joel stepped out of the building.
He had gone to the bathroom because he was so nervous earlier that he had to shit.
He let out a deep sigh. His palms were still a little damp; however, the tightness in his chest was starting to ease.
It was finally over.
The interview. The waiting.
Joel ran a hand down his face, then let out a chuckle under his breath.
"God, I really hope I made it," he muttered as he moved down the steps, walking away from the main entrance.
He slipped his hands into his pockets. The fabric of his slacks was starting to wrinkle. The coat he wore was a bit loose at the shoulders. It wasn’t a perfect fit for his body, but it was the best he could afford after all these months.
Still, he felt proud. He’d done the best he could for today.
As he walked, Joel glanced at the small convenience store across the street and paused at the sight of it. It reminded him of what used to be his work, not too long ago.
For ten years, he managed their family’s business. It wasn’t big, but it kept his family afloat.
However, like he said during the interview, when his father died, the store also passed with him.
Things crumbled faster than Joel expected. They couldn’t afford to keep it open. His siblings also had their own families, so they didn’t want to invest or even put money into a dying business.
Since then, Joel had been a stay-at-home dad. Sometimes he would work part-time, like making deliveries or helping out at a friend’s car wash. He was really thankful for his wife since she stepped up when he was too down.
"I should let my wife rest now, shouldn’t I?" Joel muttered to himself.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the wrapper he had kept in it. It was the wrapper of a sandwich he had eaten earlier. It was made by his own wife to wish him good luck.
Joel chuckled and smiled at it.
Instead of throwing the paper, he folded it and stuffed it into his pocket. This should be his lucky charm.
After a minute of staying in front, Joel finally started walking again. He could only walk to the nearest bus stop, which was a kilometer away.
"I really hope I get this job..." he whispered, slowing down for a moment. "I swear. I’m going to give it everything if I get hired."
His voice wavered slightly at the end.
He wasn’t a man who cried easily, but he really appreciated that he was accepted into this interview.
He remembered the way Gray looked at him as he talked.
It wasn’t like how other hiring managers did—cold, impatient, already thinking about the next resume in line.
Gray looked like he genuinely wanted to know who he was. What he could bring. What made him stand out. For some reason, that made him feel as if he had some worth.
It meant more to Joel than he could say.
"I’ll be loyal to him. I mean it," he murmured, almost like a vow. "If he gives me a chance—I’ll make sure it’s worth it."